Clothing cockup

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BigdummySteve
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Clothing cockup

Post by BigdummySteve »

There’s a little area in my veloviewer explorer square which I’ve been putting off for a while, it was a bit of a mess with orphaned squares and a chunk of Swindon, plus a few off the ridgeway. Checked the weather forecast, 7 degrees with some light rain
Only .1-.3 mm an hour, not enough to get you damp really. Base layer with bib shorts, BB jersey, running tights, and endura baggies. Should be toasty :-bd ment to pick up my OMM smock on the way out the door but forgot until I was 5 miles down the M40. Not to worry, my Rab wind top is still packed in the frame bag, should be ample, in light rain it reaches equilibrium where your body heat and sweat counters the rain.

Pulling the bike out the van at Wootton Bassett it felt a little chilly so on went the Rab and off I went. Half an hour in the rain started, at first it was light but then picked up a bit, I was damp but comfortable, as I cleared Swindon it picked up a bit. Now I’m wet, still ok though so I head up towards the ridgeway and those squares which are preventing me getting to 50x50. Right now this is not as forecast, it’s snowing and blowing. My wet clothing is now just acting as a really efficient heat sink, as I drop off the ridgeway and head back towards Swindon it turns to sleet, by now a can’t feel my hands or feet, it took me about 10 attempts to plug my phone charger in. I’m now shivering uncontrollably to the extent that it’s affecting my bike control. I’m having to brake on the downhills as I can’t afford the extra wind chill. By the time I get back to Swindon I’m a wreck, if I’d known anyone local I’d have phoned them for a pickup. I spy a Burger King and staggered in, it takes three attempts to press the button on my watch for Apple Pay, then I have to go outside to eat it. I struggle to eat it in between bouts of violent shivering, good job the hot chocolate had a lid on.
Within 5 minutes I’m vaguely human again and the ride back to the van is tolerable. Even after an hour of full blast van heater my legs are two big chunks of cold meat.
I can honestly say I’ve never been so cold and importantly impaired by the cold if my life, a perfect storm, wet already then unexpectedly cold and windy. When I looked at my garmin on the ridgeway it said 0.8 degrees, coupled with a keen wind and sleet it’s no surprise I struggled.

I was complacent, day ride of 60 ish miles, not too remote ect. Another lesson learned.
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lune ranger
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by lune ranger »

Wet, windy and temperatures around zero degrees is the perfect recipe for hypothermia.
In the RAF I very rarely dealt with hypothermia cases with squaddies on winter exercises in Canada or Norway. But get them soaked to the skin at Otterburn, Sennybridge or Okehampton and they were dropping like flies.
Never underestimate the power of manky British weather to remove all of your body heat.
If you are going through hell, keep going.
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Moder-dye
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by Moder-dye »

Yeh sounds close to nasty, been there and it's not fun when you're caught out in that situation.

Having said that I was swimming 'a la budgie smugglers' last night in the North sea for only 11 minutes and must have had a good 30mins of dancing a jig in the car afterwards with the afterdrop, was still chilled when I went to bed.

I blame the pesky fat fighters weight loss :-bd
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

Aye, the combination of wet and wind is a real killer. It's one of the reasons why I try and remain dry for as long as possible, usually choose 'outdoor' clothing over 'cycling' clothing and have great suspicion of people who say ' warm and wet' :wink:
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Moder-dye
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by Moder-dye »

Did you get the tile though?!
lune ranger
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by lune ranger »

Bearbonesnorm wrote: Sun Apr 11, 2021 7:13 am Aye, the combination of wet and wind is a real killer. It's one of the reasons why I try and remain dry for as long as possible, usually choose 'outdoor' clothing over 'cycling' clothing and have great suspicion of people who say ' warm and wet' :wink:
You’re not wrong.
‘Warm and wet’ really only works as ‘warm and wet and moving fast’
My closest to hypothermia incident was in conditions similar to what BDS is describing and I was pretty toasty right up until a mechanical forced a stop. I then became very cold very quickly and very nearly got too cold to help myself to safety.
If you are going through hell, keep going.
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jameso
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by jameso »

lune ranger wrote: Sun Apr 11, 2021 3:30 am Wet, windy and temperatures around zero degrees is the perfect recipe for hypothermia.
In the RAF I very rarely dealt with hypothermia cases with squaddies on winter exercises in Canada or Norway. But get them soaked to the skin at Otterburn, Sennybridge or Okehampton and they were dropping like flies.
Never underestimate the power of manky British weather to remove all of your body heat.
Hadn't realised sleety UK weather was that much more risky even to trained folk like that, makes sense though as it's the wet aspect that seems so dangerous and you won't get that so much at -10.

It's a horrible situation though isn't it Steve. I remember thinking I needed to get some prep in the cold for TD training, was worried about getting wiped out in the first few days if the start was wet so planned a couple of kit test rides. Rode back from the Cotswolds in Feb, passing very close to where you were just N of the Ridgeway. It was snow and sleeting with a headwind and I had no way out until I got home. 95 miles of that on a loaded MTB and I'd bailed onto the road within 10 miles of setting off. Got really bad despite a primaloft jacket and supposedly decent WP gloves etc. Rode past garages wanting to stop for something warm but was unable to use my hands and worried that if I stopped I wouldn't get going again. Was howling with the general dissatisfaction of my situation at one point : ) Took hours to get moving and warm again once home, didn't feel good the next day at all.
Important lesson for me was to never let it get that bad, I simply can't cope with conditions like that for long. It's just a matter of how long it takes to go from confidently thinking you're handling the challenge to being in trouble.

There's better clothing for times like that, I suppose it's less likely that you'd be kitted out like that unless touring in Scotland or Iceland expecting cold and wet weather. It goes wrong for me when weight/pack size compromised kit is a few hours past its capabilities.
ScotRoutes
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by ScotRoutes »

I almost always have a spare layer with me but I'm under no illusion about how effective it might be. Even my "fast" road bike has a foil blanket in the seatpack.

FWIW it's currently -6c here... 😊
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whitestone
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by whitestone »

The last time I got caught out (yes, there's been multiple times) was on the inaugural Braunton 150 when the storm came in. I'd got a lightweight "roadie" waterproof which just got pushed against my inner layers by the wind and everything "wetted through" I bought a heavier MT500 jacket after that, not as light or packable but it's stood up to Scottish and Icelandic wind and rain, I did that very wet BB200 with that and just a thermal top underneath and was fine.

I remember a Ray Mears programme where he was in Canada looking at survival (as he does) and was talking to the Mounties. They'd done tests and determined that the most likely conditions for hypothermia were 4C with wind and rain.

Not sure what temp it is here ATM but we had a couple of cm of snow overnight and it's looking very wintry :-bd
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Lazarus
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by Lazarus »

having the right kit for our changebale weather is not easy -the best part of winter is its easy to pick your kit as the temperature wont really change enough for it to not be appropriate
The rest of the year, bar a few weeks in summer, we can get all seasons in one day so having the right kit is not easy,
the other problem is that the times you need warmer/more waterproof kit ,for that time of the year, are very very rare and also very very unpleasant so i always err on the side of caution. Often means being a bit too warm though.
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voodoo_simon
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by voodoo_simon »

4c here yesterday, so that killer weather (that Bob talks about) combination of rain, hail, and cold. My wife now knows that if it’s about 1-4c, dark and horizontal rain, I’ll probably skip my ride :lol:

Got caught out once in such conditions and my gore active shell was like a sieve (was on its last legs anyway). Cold wet, shivering etc, not pleasant at all :oops: Basically ride out to a forest 8miles from mine to meet a friend to ride, less than an hour into the ride, I had to bail. He had to give me a lift home, car heaters on full and a hot bath and hot food eventually got me warmed up.

Jacket got binned shortly afterwards :lol:
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BigdummySteve
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by BigdummySteve »

Moder-dye wrote: Sun Apr 11, 2021 7:17 am Did you get the tile though?!
Yes, as an additional bonus I don’t have to go to Swindon again :-bd
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

I think you only need look how many folk got 'caught out' on the HT the other year to realise how quickly things can change and how bad they can become when they do.
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jameso
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by jameso »

(stuck record warning) ...of the few times I've been out for a while in cold and wet conditions, often on road with big descents, the one thing that's made most difference is primaloft (having a waterproof of some sorts is assumed). I've still been beaten to the point of having to get a bus down a hill or hide in a cafe for hours but ime it makes more difference in how long it takes to get to that point than any other addition over the basics. Even just a 40gsm gilet is a real bonus, have ridden all day with one under a WP at ~5-7 deg in the rain and felt ok.
boxelder
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by boxelder »

I really worry about this on ITTs, where folk are going light. The Torridon section of HT550 in 2015 was a great example - half a dozen or more in the Strathcarron Hotel. If it hadn't been there, or that weather had arrived as we left Ullapool, or I'd crashed escaping the snow showers........ at least I was fairly confident that riders were following and I had a SPOT. @jameso - I had a Montane primaloft jacket on and proper eVent mountain waterproof. Without them, it would have been significantly more challenging.
Fell running has the same issues, and casualties to show for it.
redefined_cycles
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by redefined_cycles »

Well done at getting the tile and glad you survived... or else who'd I buy £400 kit for £100 mates rates :-bd

Seriously though, sounds like you really were on the brink. If you had shivered properly at the folks in Burger King and told em you were having a brush with death andmight need 999 they may have been kind and allowed you to eat in the toilets or somewhere out of the weather.

You'll know for next time to double check and shirley the OMM isn't that good to have saved you from so much misery??
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Dave Barter
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by Dave Barter »

I went to school in Wootton Bassett. Our sadistic PE teacher made us do laps of the playing field in skins in November as punishment for our athletics team putting in a poor performance against another local school.

Did you see any half naked kids on your epic?
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Jurassic
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by Jurassic »

It's easy to forget how crap the weather can be in the UK even in the height of summer. Two years ago I had a couple of weeks off work at the end of June and decided to do a mountainbiking roadtrip for a few days in my campervan. My main aim was to ride Heartbreak Ridge at Ballater but decided to combine it with a day at Glenlivet and Laggan as well (with overnight stops in the van). It started to rain while I was riding Heartbreak Ridge (as forecast) and was still pouring the next day when I drove over the Lecht to Glenlivet and the temperature read out in the van was showing 1°c. I got soaked again riding Glenlivet and was so grateful to have the van to get changed and warm again (diesel heater on full blast). That night I stayed at Glenmore (Aviemore) and it snowed. I'd taken summer trail riding kit with me but the saving grace was that I'd packed my Primaloft gilet and Outdry jacket just in case. These kept my core warm and dryish, the biggest shortcoming in my kit was a pair of "waterproof" Fox riding gloves which leaked like a sieve and lacked any insulation leading to useless frozen hands, not much help when trying to ride technical descents. I never felt in danger as I was just doing day rides with a nice dry van waiting for me at the end but if I'd been on a bikepacking trip instead it could easily have been a different story.
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Specialist Hoprocker
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by Specialist Hoprocker »

Well if it's any consolation I can barely keep my eyes open today after a very chilly night. I seriously underestimated how cold the ground was. I took an uninsulated sleeping matt to save space/weight over my Thermarest and spent the night feeling all my heat draining into mother earth. Eventually gave up at 6am and made a coffee before heading home.

Not quite a perilous as your trip. Glad you survived! It's particular cold for April at the moment. :cry:
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RIP
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by RIP »

Very glad you survived there, HOTT. I've bought an extra cake for next week and can't eat two. What with this episode and the Dartmoor HOTT one I think I'm going to transfer my official Rain God badge over to you :smile: .

Erm, just in case you don't, er, you know, make it back at all next time, what are your favourite flowers? And can I have your bike please?
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ScotRoutes
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by ScotRoutes »

boxelder wrote: Sun Apr 11, 2021 10:07 am Fell running has the same issues, and casualties to show for it.
Possibly moreso. I know I can be a bit guilty of going out "light" and I do see folk up on the plateau carrying nothing, wearing shorts and a vest. They are just assuming that they can get down quickly if the weather turns.

Probably a good time to re-post this.

http://testedtodestruction.blogspot.com ... -wait.html
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

Always worth bearing in mind (especially if you consider a water resistant garment to be the same as waterproof), that you cool about 5 times faster if wet than you would if dry everything else being equal.
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BigdummySteve
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by BigdummySteve »

RIP wrote: Sun Apr 11, 2021 1:30 pm Very glad you survived there, HOTT. I've bought an extra cake for next week and can't eat two. What with this episode and the Dartmoor HOTT one I think I'm going to transfer my official Rain God badge over to you :smile: .

Erm, just in case you don't, er, you know, make it back at all next time, what are your favourite flowers? And can I have your bike please?
Flowers Best bitter, and yes of course you can.
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ledburner
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by ledburner »

I have used buffalo type clothing and paramo. I now have a shell waterproof,
I hope you think you know, what I might of exactly meant.
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boxelder
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Re: Clothing cockup

Post by boxelder »

Always worth bearing in mind (especially if you consider a water resistant garment to be the same as waterproof), that you cool about 5 times faster if wet than you would if dry everything else being equal.
Which is why Iditarod racers go steady to avoid sweating I guess.
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