Free Tool

WIND CHILL CALCULATOR

Air temperature and riding speed in. Feels-like temperature, frostbite risk, and clothing recommendations out.

QUICK SCENARIOS

AIR TEMPERATURE (°C)

CYCLING SPEED (KM/H)your speed = the wind on your face

HEADWIND (KM/H)adds to effective wind

TAILWIND (KM/H)subtracts from effective wind

HUMIDITY (%)affects perceived cold below 10°C

METHODOLOGY

Wind chill formula: This calculator uses the Environment Canada / US National Weather Service wind chill index, developed by Osczevski and Bluestein (2005). The model is based on heat transfer from the human face in controlled wind tunnel conditions. It replaced the older Siple-Passel model in 2001 and remains the standard across North America and most of Europe.

Why cycling speed matters: On a bike, your body is the windshield. At 30 km/h on a calm day, the air moving across your skin has the same cooling effect as a 30 km/h wind. Add a headwind and the effective wind speed climbs further. A tailwind partially cancels it — but even with a strong tailwind, some airflow reaches exposed skin.

Formula:Wind Chill (°C) = 13.12 + 0.6215×T − 11.37×V^0.16 + 0.3965×T×V^0.16, where T is air temperature in °C and V is effective wind speed in km/h. The formula is valid for T ≤ 10°C and V ≥ 4.8 km/h. For warmer conditions, this tool applies a conservative linear wind-cooling estimate.

Descent wind chill:Descents are the most dangerous scenario for cold exposure on a bike. You stop producing metabolic heat (no pedalling), but wind speed often doubles or triples compared to the climb. A 15°C summit that felt pleasant on the way up can produce a feels-like temperature below 5°C at 60 km/h descent speed. This is why experienced riders always pack a gilet or wind jacket before a long descent.

Humidity effect:Below 10°C, high humidity (>70%) increases heat loss from the skin because moist air conducts heat roughly 25 times faster than dry air. The effect is modest — typically 1–2°C at most — but noticeable when combined with wind.

Limitations: Wind chill is a measure of heat loss from exposed skin on the face and does not account for insulation from clothing, metabolic heat from pedalling, or solar radiation. On a sunny day with good kit, you will feel warmer than the number suggests. On a grey, wet day with poor layers, it can feel worse. Treat the output as a baseline for kit selection, not an absolute measure of thermal comfort.

Reference: Osczevski, R. & Bluestein, M. (2005). The new wind chill equivalent temperature chart. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 86(10), 1453–1458. · Last updated: July 2026 · Tool version 1.0