Cold weather clothing recommendations

[tmanley]

It finally was a cool day here in the Bay Area today (ok, 48* at 7am might seem hot to others)...

I need some recommendations for good clothing that can keep me warm and relatively dry when it gets wet (more importantly that it keeps me warm on the dry days).

I've got a nice Gore Phantom jacket that works well and a pair of Hincapie Roubaix shorts. But other that this, I've got nothing in my closet to keep me warm. Shorts, bibs, knee warmers, booties, etc...let me know what works for you.

-Thanks, Todd

[yeehawfactor]

i'm a big fan of pearl izumi's new fleece lined bib short. knickers never work for me and bib shorts sometimes are not warm enough to wear in knee warmer weather. fleece lined bib + fleece lined knee warmer=me happy

[93legendti]

Anything by Ibex! I have a jacket, leg warmers, tights, a base layer, gloves, mittens and headband from Ibex. Their stuff is very well made, and very warm.

[steelrider]

Anything by Ibex! I have a jacket, leg warmers, tights, a base layer, gloves, mittens and headband from Ibex. Their stuff is very well made, and very warm.

Use anything and everything made with wool. Mother nature has always been way ahead of stinky synthetics.

[dave thompson]

It finally was a cool day here in the Bay Area today (ok, 48* at 7am might seem hot to others)...

I need some recommendations for good clothing that can keep me warm and relatively dry when it gets wet (more importantly that it keeps me warm on the dry days).

I've got a nice Gore Phantom jacket that works well and a pair of Hincapie Roubaix shorts. But other that this, I've got nothing in my closet to keep me warm. Shorts, bibs, knee warmers, booties, etc...let me know what works for you.

-Thanks, Todd
A ticket to New Zealand!

[CNY rider]

Single most useful thing I bought this year was a pair of leg warmers. You can take any pair of shorts or bibs and make them usable down to below 40F. Below that, I like the windproof Giordana tights.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . or the socks and shoe covers. If I misjudge (rarer, the more experience I get) I can always still have a good ride if I am one layer short in the jersey or tights, but if my hands or feet get cold I'm miserable for the whole ride.

I've got some EMS PowerStretch glove liners that fit inside most of my full finger cycling gloves and I can usually find some combo that works well while still giving dexterity. I've got a pair of both ManoTex (Nalini) full finger gloves and also a pair of Biemme Atex and both work well unless it's really cold (35 degrees) and I break out the PI lobster specials comboed with the liners.

On the feet I really need to get some neoprene for the really cold days, but currently I have two pairs of Sidi Energy's that are about half a size large, which gives enough interior room for some hiking sock liners and heavy wool rag socks. Then Cannondale inner fleeced wind covers over those. When I was down visiting them, Kevan and mikemets showed me a real neat trick they use, but I haven't tried it yet . . . they get the small chemical warmer packets that hunters use that were marked at $1.99 each and put one under their shoe covers on topf of their toes. They said it works great and once activated the packs stay warm for up to 6 hours. They claim to ride all winter . . . ;)

I also got a pretty neat helmet liner at a ski shop that's by a company called Vigor . . . basically a fleece headband that covers your ears with really heavy lycra over the top. It was something like $10 and works great. I've also got a PI balaclava that really rocks when it's really frigid. Lastly, I put clear packing tape over the front vents in my helmet. You can tune how much air you let in by which vents you leave open and if you overheat on the ride, you can always just tear the tape off to let in some air. I forget where I got that tip (BICYCLING mag?) but it works really well.

Hope this helps . . .

BBD

[Andreas]

Anything by Ibex! I have a jacket, leg warmers, tights, a base layer, gloves, mittens and headband from Ibex. Their stuff is very well made, and very warm.

Agree with that.
I ride in NH throughout the year. My daily commute is usually at around 5AM. Currently it is somewhere around 18F that time. Obviously, it is not wet, too cold for that.
ibex (http://ibexwear.com) is what works well. They just had their annual tent sale in Woodstock/Quechee and I stocked up :) Their wool is warm, dries very fast, never stinks and somehow blocks out the wind pretty well.

No relation to Ibex.

Andreas
Etna, NH

[Andreas]

Lastly, I put clear packing tape over the front vents in my helmet.
BBD

Do the same, works great.

Andreas,
Etna, NH

[stevep]

i love knickers down to maybe 40...w/ some embro on the legs...
very comfortable.
below 40 full tights.
base layer always and windprrof layer on top.

[atmo]

i love knickers down...



PURPLE ATMO

[stevep]

PURPLE ATMO

pink arms...atmo

[coylifut]

ah, the bay area, i know that climate well. it seems no matter what the day is, the tempreture varies greatly. It can start out 45 degrees in the fog and end 72 degrees in the sun. The good news is there's so much stuff now available.

for sure you'll need some shoe covers. I have 5 pair and find these to about the most versitle. http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=17716&subcategory_ID=1344

You'll also need flece lined full length leg warmers, knee warmers, and arm warmers. I've been using the exte ondo lately, but the Pearl Izumi offering is fairly priced and available. Maybe they have them at the outlet mall in Gilroy.

Get a good vest with some fleece insulation and wind blocking fabric and you are set for the season.

One last thing. I've been using the below rain jacket lately. I currently have 3 rain jackets and this is the best I've ever owned. http://www.sugoi.ca/prod.php?p=SUG71101U&k=60010

good luck

[frito]

[QUOTE=
Get a good vest with some fleece insulation and wind blocking fabric and you are set for the season.
[/QUOTE]

This is number one for me. I use a pearl vest as described above with just a under armor (tight) shirt and if close to freezing I put on one more layer of loose base layer.

I really dislike jackets as they buffet the wind and make me sweat bunches. Too cold and you usually need that full windproof layer however.

I wear tights over my shorts when in the 40's.

[Birddog]

The one item I use the most because of it's versatility is a pair of DeFeet Kneekers. They are made of wool, pretty long, and have a very wide comfort zone. Their Armskins, also made of wool are a close second.

Birddog

[Kevan]

Think hands and feet... hands and feet. If these are hurting, your ride will be miserable. Below 40°... when you can start mentioning the word "cold", you can also consider using those chemical toe or hand warmers packs, available at hardware and general sports shops.

48°???? Geesh!

[sg8357]

Think hands and feet... hands and feet. If these are hurting, your ride will be miserable. Below 40°... when you can start mentioning the word "cold", you can also consider using those chemical toe or hand warmers packs, available at hardware and general sports shops.

48°???? Geesh!

I got a amen in the the third row!

It ain't cold till you are pounding your frozen water bottle against the handle bars to get a drink.

ditto on the PI barrier vest, and lots of wool. Never seen a hypothermic sheep yet.

Scott G.

[gt6267a]

i am a fan:

ETXEONDO Marke Bib Tight

[John H.]

It was colder than that at 8:00 am!
You need to dress as much for the wet as the cold.
Gore Storm Jacket- made of Gore Pac-lite, very stowable and simple
L/S baselayer- If it is on the cold side I like the Santini thermal. It is like an armwarmer for your entire torso.
L/S Jersey
Windstop vest
Leg warmers
Windstop gloves
Teo Sport rubberized booties
Defeet wooleator socks
For Head- earband with cycling cap over top. (I have a helmet sized to fit). Does anyone still make the older style nylon or thermal cycling caps? They were exactly like the racing caps (not the wool caps), only thermal. I had a Motorola and an Once one. Have not seen 'em in about 10 years. Windstopper is not as good once it gets wet.

Best accessory for cold/rain- full fender bike. That way you get wet from the sky- not the ground.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . take a look at THIS guy's web page. He apparently lives in Ottowa and the pics will make you laugh and groan at the same time.

http://mudhead.uottawa.ca/~pete/bike.html

Then look at his page with descriptions about what HE wears. Ouch! :eek:

http://mudhead.uottawa.ca/~pete/winter.txt

He even did an experiment with shaving off half his beard and then doing his winter ridingm skiing, etc.

http://mudhead.uottawa.ca/~pete/beard.html

This guy is definitely crazier than ANY of us! (Even YOU, Kevan! ;) )

BBD

[djg]

Knee or leg warmers (and arm warmers) are very handy in changeable, chilly (but not super-cold) weather--they give you a nice layer of insulation when and where you need it, but are easy enough to peel off and stuff in a jersey pocket if things warm up a bit. A lightweight skull cap (not a yarmulke, but a thin cap that will fit under your helmet, supposing you're wearing one) can also be very handy when it's chilly but not downright cold--I have one made by headsweats that weighs next to nothing, but gives me an extra margin of comfort and can be pulled down over my ears if need be. A light wool longsleeve jersey can also be pretty versatile--it's reasonably warm on its own if it's a little chilly, good down into colder temps with a vest, and can breathe fairly well if it warms up during the ride. I've just ordered a second one from Portland Cyclewear via ebay--the first is really fairly nice and, while I've seen ones I like more in the 150-200 buck range, the 39 bucks plus shipping that he sometimes offers seems like a great deal. Decent gloves are key if it's cold--I have some PI ambhib gloves that are decent, and when it gets really cold (but I'm still dumb enough to ride), I shift to ski gloves (way more choices than with the gear marketed specifically to cyclists).

When it's really cold, I switch to tights--I have some PI "amphib" tights that are very warm (too warm for some tights days) and very good at blocking wind, and some lighter tights for other days. A wool jersey is still a good layer. I've also got both lightweight and heavy sorta fleecy synthetic jerseys and a waterproof, "breathable" shell. I also have winter shoes, which you may never need in the bay area (maybe just a lightweight shoe cover and wool socks).

[dekindy]

The one item I use the most because of it's versatility is a pair of DeFeet Kneekers. They are made of wool, pretty long, and have a very wide comfort zone. Their Armskins, also made of wool are a close second.

Birddog

Well made, versatile, and inexpensive. Probably perfect for the conditions you will be riding in. Their undershirts make a good base layer.

[tmanley]

The one item I use the most because of it's versatility is a pair of DeFeet Kneekers. They are made of wool, pretty long, and have a very wide comfort zone. Their Armskins, also made of wool are a close second.

Birddog

I ended up finding a pair of the Kneekers (along with DeFeet's wool socks) yesterday while shopping for some other gear. Tried them out this morning and these were perfect...the retro feel of wool is pretty cool.

[rwsaunders]

We ride all four seasons in western PA down to about 22 deg and rising. I agree that PI fleece bibs are great to just about any temp. Neoprene booties, fleece gloves and a windproof skull cap round out the extremities.

Poly/wool base layer, mid-weight jersey and a decent vest will take you to down to 35 deg. Below 35 deg, either a fleece jersey under the vest or a jacket over all. Buy decent gear above all. I'm seriously considering clip-on fenders this year for the road spray.

[SponsorsWanted]

Definately buy an Underarmor Coldgear base layer, it has been my best cold weather gear purchase ever (I actually bought it when I was playinghighschool football). I also really like my Sugoi windproof/inner fleece booties. When it gets really cold, which is rare in TN, I wear Underarmor Coldgear pants on top of my shorts.