Commuting - Clothes for the winter

Well, winter's coming up. Or, what passes for winter down in SoCal. So, I'm buying some clothes for the season...

Weather: I commute starting at dawn (6:30-ish), which means temps are going to be around 40 degrees, maybe closer to 50 on some days. Coming home at dusk, temps are closer to 50. Little rain, and I usually carpool if it's raining, but a light shower doesn't stop me.

So, I need some warm clothes. Can you give me your comments on...

Gill Morph Seam Sealed Jacket
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=137&subcategory=1215&brand=&sku=14322&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

Is this good for those 40 degree mornings? Or will I get too hot and sweaty in it?

Nashbar Arm Warmers
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=137&subcategory=1219&brand=&sku=2254&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

How do these compare to a long sleeve jersey? I know long sleeve keeps me above freezing on 55 degree mornings, but barely...

Also, how are leg warmers? I would prefer them to tights, because I already own several pairs of shorts...

it depends on your tolerance for the cold. while riding I keep pretty warm while walking or waitin for the bus I don't. when it is not raining and about about 35 I use a poly undershirt and a cotton tee over it both long sleeve. this works for me from about 35 to 50. the poly shirt will do a good job of wicking and the cotton is far more felxible about the temp. this works unless there is a lot of wind and high humidity. plus it is cheap too and they breath pretty well too.

A lightweight microfibre windproof top is useful and packs down small. Much more comfortable than a waterproof, unless its raining .
Unpadded tights are worn over shorts. Dont get padded tights, you have to wash these after every ride. Legwarmers are for variable temps. If you wear them for the whole ride, then lightweight tights are more comfortable.
Same with armwarmers vs long-sleeved jersey.

I'm a big fan of leg and arm warmers for those inbetween days, as well as for layering. I doubt you'll need to layer much in sunny SoCal, though. For 40F, you'll definitely need some full-finger gloves, too.

From the winter clothing guide thing in the other section.



130+: Wuss out.

115-130: Shorts, loose white long sleeve mesh jersey, ride slower. Cycling socks. Shoes with lots of mesh.

100-115: Shorts, loose jersey. Cycling socks. Shoes with lots of mesh.

55-100 degrees: shorts and jersey. Skull cap. Cycling socks. Shoes with lots of mesh.

40-55 degrees: long sleeve top, jersey, tights and shorts. Skull cap, ear warmers. Cycling socks. Shoes with lots of mesh.

30-40 degrees: long sleeve top, fleece powerstretch jersey, tights and shorts. Skull cap, ear warmers. Full finger gloves. Cycling socks. Shoes with no mesh.

25-30 degrees: long sleeve top, fleece powerstretch jersey, tights, shorts, legwarmers. Skull cap, ear warmers. Windproof gloves. Wool hiking socks. Shoes with no mesh.

15-25 degrees: long sleeve top, fleece powerstretch jersey, tights, shorts, legwarmers, windproof vest. Balaclava. Windproof gloves. Cycling socks. Shoes with no mesh. Booties.

10-15 degrees: long sleeve top, fleece powerstretch jersey, tights, amfib windproof tights, windproof vest. Balaclava. 2-layer windproof fleece gloves. Wool hiking socks. Shoes with no mesh. Booties.

0-10 degrees: fleece sweater, windproof jacket, tights, amfib windproof tights. Balaclava, ear warmers. 2-layer windproof fleece gloves with liner. Wool hiking socks. Shoes with no mesh. Booties.

-15-0 degrees: long sleeve top, fleece sweater, windproof jacket, tights, amfib windproof tights. Balaclava, ski-mask/heat exchanger, goggles. Down gloves. Wool hiking socks. Shoes with no mesh. Arm and feet chemical warmers stuffed under gloves and booties.

-45 - -15 degrees: long sleeve top, fleece sweater (down sweater near -45), windproof jacket, tights, fleece pants, windproof pants. Balaclava, ski-mask/heat exchanger, ear warmers, goggles. Down gloves (with liner near -45). Wool hiking socks. Shoes with no mesh. Arm and feet chemical warmers stuffed under gloves and booties.

Below -45 F: Wuss out.

But I usually push pretty hard so I warm up. If I'm going a bit slower, bump everything up by 1 layer.

If a long sleeve jersey is not warm enough put a base layer under it. A pair of tights is probably sufficient for your legs. I like full finger gloves and a skullcap like the HeadSweats midweight. A light shell is nice if there is rain but will be overly warm on dry days.
Your winter sounds like my favorite riding weather.
Craig

I like Voler (Velowear) (http://www.velowear.com) arm and leg warmers. They come in colors (like yellow for visibility) or if you belong to the OCP Club :eek: other colors to match your shorts and/or jersey.

Something else I picked up last March were some DeFeet Kneekers (http://www.defeet.com/apparel.php?catid=18). They're great for morning temps in the 40s-50s.

50F! Poor baby! awwww.... ;)

Jeans, a jacket and full-finger gloves is PLENTY. Well, if you're used to the cold. That combo is enough for 40s too, IMO.

Hell, if you're in San Diego, I'd go with the Louis Garneau Norway jacket (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?sku=20142). Half off at Performance right now. Good stuff - just got mine yesterday, and it's nice. I will wear it even on sub 25º mornings.

go to http://www.icebike.com, read everything it's got on winter clothing, and follow their recommendations. I rode during the winter for the first time last year, and I found the advice there to be extremely good.

My family and I will be doing our very first winter on our bikes this season. Since there are 3 of us, it's not practical to spend tons of $$ nor can we afford it! I went to Sierra Trading Post (www.sierratradingpost.com) and was able to get a ton of base layer stuff (to augment what we already have) and a couple of jackets too. Since I'm sure I'm not the only one operating on a budget, I thought I'd mention it. Bring on the cold ;)

wow...i wish i had it so good. 40-50 commutes in the winter? wow. I'd wear cotton shorts, a tshirt layered with a wool undershirt, a sock hat and maybe fenders, a nylon shell and flip flops for light rain. Not kidding. You'll warm up within 1 minute of riding in 40-50. Pedal hard!!!!!!

arm warmers and leg warmers:
Advantage being you can wear them on the way into work, and not wear them on the way home of its warmer, and they can fit in a jersey pocket rolled up.

Disadvatage being i sweat more in them compared to a long sleeve jersey.

Long sleeve Jersey, something like a Polartec Power-Dry, advantage is it is warmer, wicks better than arm warmers, but cant peel your sleeves off.

For your temps id use leg warmers. I use windproof fronted tights (backs are spandex for beathing) over top of cycling shorts, but that might be overkill for you.

Heres the tights

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442587643&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692411&bmUID=1126747166603