Originally Posted by
Dangerous Dave
Average Winter Temps where I live:
November: High=53, Low=42
December: High=48, Low=38
January: High=47, Low=37
February: High=47, Low=36
March: High=52, Low=40
I have a 1.5 mile ride into school. I carry a backpack, which gets sweaty and tend to move quite fast. I tend to leave most mornings in jeans, t-shirt, hoodie, gloves and add a hat when it's below 35. Parents say I should be wearing a coat as well, and get uptight as I don't put on a jacket to leave the house. This seems silly to me, as by the afternoon ride home, even the hoodie can get quite sweaty. I do wear a very lightweight raincoat over the top for moderate/ heavy rain, but loathe to as I get too hot, so I skip it for drizzle/ light rain. I need the hoodie as some of the classrooms are chilly, and so prefer it over a coat. I also like to be in shorts if I know I'll have to ride home in over 55, unless it's <40 in the morning. I do dress better than that for my longer distance speed training rides. My normal dress code for that is:
>60=lycra shorts +cotton t shirt (I want my t shirt to be sweat soaked and so cool me off)
50-60=lycra shorts+poly shirt
40-50=lycra long trousers+poly shirt+gloves
30-40=lycra long trousers+poly shirt+raincoat+gloves+headband (to protect my ears)
20-30=lycra long trousers+poly shirt+raincoat+double up on socks and gloves+hat
The lowest temperature I have had to ride in ever is 21, so I don't have a range for that. In fact, i only find myself riding in under 30, a few time a month and since I do my speed training in the afternoon, it's usually at least in the 30's.
How does all this compare with what you're wearing. My mum goes crazy to find out I'm wearing only a short sleeved top and thin waterproof jacket on my torso on a 35 degree ride.
Seems to me that your system is good for what you are doing. If you have a rain jacket/wind breaker and a fleece jacket in your pack for emergencies that should be good and placate your parents. For 1.5 mile ride at a fast pace you will get to your destination before you get cold. For longer rides you would need more. But for a short ride to school it is better to be kind of cold on the bike and get to school not as sweaty. You are not on the bike long enough for your core temperature to drop much with a 1.5 mile ride. But it would be wise to have a fleece jacket and wind/rain shell in your pack since your bike could break in a bad storm and you would have to walk your bike to school or back home. Also the fleece jacket can do double duty so you won't need to take a hoodie to wear in the cool classrooms.
You might consider wearing a pair of long polyester basketball shorts under some nylon or polyester cargo pants for your ride. Then when you get to school take off the cargo pants and wear the shorts during the day. You can even wear a pair of cycling shorts under the basketball shorts.
You could leave with a poly shirt either long or short sleeve depending on the temperature with the wind/rain jacket over the top and have only the fleece jacket in your pack. If you get in a cold spell put on the fleece jacket under your shell. Otherwise wear it in the classroom as it's really breathable. Make sure to use a zippered kind so you can unzip if you get too hot.