After just passing out one of these to a friend, I thought "why not share a bunch of them?" These are the collected wisdom of friends, observations and just plain common sense. Your mileage may vary, but I find them fairly useful in the cold (and sometimes not so cold).
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When gel packs are like taffy and bars resemble bricks, the only hope is to put a chemical heater pack (Hot Hands, Heatmax, etc) in a koozie (neoprene beer can holder in the US, and put your gels/bars in that.
Cat Crap works.
"Cotton is death" - old saying from 'the Mountaineers'. There may not be a faster way to die in the mountains than blue jeans and a cotton t-shirt when it gets cold and rainy. The modern synthetics or wool are so much better at wicking and shedding water. Wool retains some heat even when soaking wet.
To keep your bottom bracket area cleaner on rainy day rides, spray it with PAM cooking spray. Mud may still stick, but it'll fall off more easily.
A green scrubbie pad is a pretty simple way to clean the braking surface and brake pads.
An empty motor oil container always has enough oil to fix a sticky chain link. (Trash can or dumpster dive at the convenience store).
Food prep gloves can save your hands if caught out on a cold, wet ride.
On a long ski race/tour (like the Birkie), a spare pair of gloves can do as much for morale as the finish line.
Buffs are amazingly customizable helmet liners. You can cover your head and neck, ears, or just your head with this simple bit of fabric.
Riders have been stuffing newspapers under jerseys forever. It still works. I prefer the editorial section since it's already full of hot air.
An old pair of wool socks that have worn out bottoms are perfect emergency boot covers (you know, for that day when you discover you left your booties at Jim/Julie's last time you rode.)
Shivering cold, wet and miserable on a ride means you are one step away from hypothermia. Time to stop and beg a trash bag from that convenience store. Now.
And when in doubt -
Always trust your cape.
~marsh
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