Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - *Winter Gear Survey*

California-born bike-loving girl moving to New York City (transferring to Columbia). No experience with inclement weather (except rain). So... People who live in lovely wintery cities, what do you use for your:

1. Head
(a) rain:
(b) snow:

2. Torso
(a) rain:
(b) snow:

3. Legs
(a) rain:
(b) snow:

4. Hands
(a) rain:
(b) snow:

5. Feet
(a) rain:
(b) snow:

- Knobby tires? How wide? If not, thicker slicks? How wide?
- Anything else you want to add:



THANK YOU ever-so-much! :)

1. Head
(a) rain: helmet
(b) snow: neoprene "beenie", helmet

2. Torso
(a) rain: whatever, warm highneck wool sweater, gore-tex cycling jacket
(b) snow: whatever, warm highneck wool sweater, gore-tex cycling jacket

3. Legs
(a) rain: - shorts over tights
(b) snow: - shorts over tights

4. Hands
(a) rain: - full finger gloves
(b) snow: - lobster claw gloves

5. Feet
(a) rain: - socks, leather shoes
(b) snow: - socks, milk bags, leather shoes

- Knobby tires? How wide? If not, thicker slicks? How wide?

25mm slicks. They're garbage on hardpack. Consider some cyclocross or studded tires, or just learn to ride on what you have.

- Anything else you want to add:

Get a fender, at least for the back. You'll look like your ass exploded otherwise.

head in the rain just helmet ,in snow face mask that i can pull down below my chin if i get hot. torso rain, rain coat, in the snow wind proof shell fleece vest under if its real cold.legs rain some rain pants just cheap ones no biggie. snow i have full fenders thats most important,i wear shants with some sweat long underware with socker socks pulled up high. feet in both rain and snow i ride clipless i bought these sweet shoe covers at the lbs rain proof and warm as hell. hands full finger gloves till about 25 then i have some windstopper gloves that are warm. dont know much about tires i ride a ss mtb in the winter its got 2.5s on it hope this helps

1. Head
(a) rain: cycling cap
(b) snow: mountain hardwear powerstretch balaclava

2. Torso
(a) rain: arc'teryx gamma sv softshell jacket over patagonia lightweight tshirt
(b) snow: arc'teryx gamma sv softshell jacket over a midweight fleece and patagonia lightweight tshirt

3. Legs
(a) rain: jeans rolled up w/ cycling shorts underneath
(b) snow: jeans rolled up w/ cycling shorts, thick tights, and knee high wool socks

4. Hands
(a) rain: Outdoor Research 'EDGE' hardshell gloves
(b) snow: Outdoor Research 'EDGE' hardshell gloves with lightweight fleece glove underneath

5. Feet
(a) rain: smartwool socks
(b) snow: 2 pairs of smartwool socks (hiking socks over ski socks) and ziplock baggies over thefront of my feet, inside my shoes

- Knobby tires? How wide? If not, thicker slicks? How wide? 23 or 25 slicks
- Anything else you want to add: remember up pull your cycling shorts up a little higher than normal to add more lower back coverage

location = syracuse, ny ~ one of the crappier places to be in the winter
don't expect much rain - it'll be snow for a while

1. Head
(a) rain: nothing
(b) snow: sunglasses (antibrightness/snowflake)

2. Torso
(a) rain: trenchcoat
(b) snow: insulated coat

3. Legs
(a) rain: standard pants
(b) snow: standard pants

4. Hands
(a) rain: nothing
(b) snow: snowboarding gloves

5. Feet
(a) rain: standard shoes
(b) snow: standard shoes
water resistant boots would help, but not enough to justify capitalism unit expenditure

- Knobby tires? How wide? If not, thicker slicks? How wide?

Knobby helps when the streets are covered in actual snow, but this turns to slush very quickly and then they're less than useful.

- Anything else you want to add:

defintely some type of rear fender. I use a piece of plastic foam jammed into my rear rack, which suffices. you need something, anything. even a piece of cardboard.

i'm not sure i'll be all that helpful. then again, the past couple nights, the ricde to the bar has inclueded riding in temperatures of 8 degrees, and i'm sure nyc is warmer, even by a little.

1. Head
(a) rain:nothing
(b) snow:nothing. sometimes a balaclava for long rides, but i pull it down most of the time to keep moisture from condensing.

2. Torso
(a) rain: sweatshirt, waterproof snowboarding jacket
(b) snow:sweathsirt, waterproof snowboarding jacket

3. Legs
(a) rain: jeans rolled out of the chainring's reach
(b) snow: same.

4. Hands
(a) rain: nothing.
(b) snow: two pairs of stretchy dollar store gloves.

5. Feet
(a) rain: cycling shoes
(b) snow: same.

- Knobby tires? How wide? If not, thicker slicks? How wide? 700x23 slicks
- Anything else you want to add: just bundle up with layers youi can remove when you're first there, and always underdress for the weather, since you'll heat up by moving. and from there on, just try to get used to it with less and less clothing. right now it's 18 degrees, so i may only need a hoodie tonight!



THANK YOU ever-so-much!

So far this winter I've been wearing:

Head: EMS Schoeller beanie

Torso: EMS Schoeller WB-400 Gunk jacket

Hands: EMS Gore Windstopper fleece gloves

Legs: el cheapo snowboarding pants.

This, and appropriate layering has kept me warm and dry in moderate to light rain, snow, sub 20 degree temps, and 20 mph+ winds, for my commute to and from work, each taking about 30 minutes.

I ride 23's no problem with traction, until today when we got hit hard with over a foot of snow very quickly.

the bad part isn't the snow, it's when the snow melts and freezes overnight into sheets of ice.

or when they salt the ice, too....that can also be very bad.

Did I just read that someon rides their bike while wearing a trenchcoat?!

yes you did. i have no idea how it works, but oky.

images can be arranged. I didn't think it would go too well either, but results were far better than expected.

1. Head
(a) rain: helmet
(b) snow: fleece liner + helmet
2. Torso
(a) rain: MEC Cycling jacket (shell)
(b) snow: Mec Cycling Jacket + Sweatshirt or t-shirt and MEC arm warmers depending on how cold it is
3. Legs
(a) rain: jeans rolled
(b) snow: jean rolled + tights (some gore-tex pants for those REALLY cold days or when I need to keep my pants really clean)
4. Hands
(a) rain: full fingered bike gloves + polyprop liners if it's one of those cold rains
(b) snow: snowboarding gloves and polyprop liners as needed
5. Feet
(a) rain: 661 launch spd shoes
(b) snow: 661 launch spd shoes + wool socks

- Knobby tires? How wide? If not, thicker slicks? How wide? 23-25... Fine for everything... I just stick to main streets when there's lots of snow to avoid those hard pack ruts

- Anything else you want to add: Like everyone else said... you should be feeling at least a little chilled when your unlocking your bike.

I'm also thinking of going the horribly unfashionable route for the dead of winter with a studded tire up front and only a back brake for safety sake if it turns into one of those winters with freezing rain once every two weeks like last winter up here... I'm holding off as long as possible on this one though, since it'll involve spending cash on new tires and finding a brake with enough clearance for a knobbie on the back, and I've been doing fine for my first winter on slicks.

Some have disagreed but in my experience a front brake in the winter is asking for trouble... most of the times i've fallen during the winter was when I used the front brake on hardpacked snow and ice. Just snow your usually good. I've just taken to disconnecting it when there's lots of snow.

Most importantly... do a couple rides in the snow without changing anything on your bike... that's probably the best way to realize what you think would make the ride easier and more enjoyable, and your probably not gonna kill yourself if you just take it slow and think about what would make riding faster/easier next time. That and plan your routes based on the conditions you find as your riding around in different weather. I have several routes that I take to both school and work depending on what the weather is like.

thank you thank you thank you. :)

this is one of the most useful threads that's been posted in a LONG time (and i don't even live where there's snow, and have no plans to do so ever again.)

this is one of the most useful threads that's been posted in a LONG time (and i don't even live where there's snow, and have no plans to do so ever again.)

Yeah, CA is the ultra jam. Its like Christmas in July all the time.

i couldn't stand living in CA myself, except maybe san francisco. socal...i think palm trees are weird. i couldn't get used to that. and i like weather. as much as i gripe about how cold it gets here (i've ridden in 8 degree weather a couple of nights, and i know it's been worse for others on the board)...i like the variation in weather.

1. Head
(a) rain: Cycling cap
(b) snow: Balaclava

2. Torso
(a) rain: cheap performance plastic rain coat
(b) snow: fleece lined windbreaker (I wear this regardless of precipitation in the winter)

3. Legs
(a) rain: rainpants
(b) snow: rainpants

4. Hands
(a) rain: cold rain: full fingered gloves, otherwise half finger gloves
(b) snow: full fingered gloves like the windbreaker, I wear these whenever it's cold)

5. Feet
(a) rain: booties
(b) snow: booties

- Knobby tires? How wide? If not, thicker slicks? How wide?
I ride 23C tires all the time. The streets in NYC are plowed pretty quickly so you usually only have a day or two of slush.

- Anything else you want to add:

They (DOT or Sanitation) salt the roads like crazy! You'll have to clean your bike everyday when it snows.

The only thing I'd add to what folks have listed above, for those real beechin' cold days, is a neoprene half face mask. Try it out first though, before going on a long ride if you wear glasses. If the breathing holes are too small, you'll puff air up past the mask and onto your specs -- not good. You can also put ski goggles over top. We used to do that in Saskatchewan, but that's -40 C cycling.... it's a dry cold.

half mask example:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=17711&estore_ID=513

If you want to be really freaky, get one of these full faces ones (scroll down).
http://www.flyingtigerssurplus.com/c-7-p-529-id-7-next-1.html

I've also thought about getting a Respro for winter riding. That salt doesn't just get on your bike, it gets thrown up by the cars and down your lungs it goes.

I ride 365 days a year in weather that ranges from bitterly cold to pleasantly warm.
I commute 26 miles, round trip.

My greatest difficulty comes on the days in between bitterly cold and pleasantly warm.

I start out chilly and I end up over-heated.

I have found that a good wicking long-sleeved foundation shirt, arm-warmers and a vest give me the greatest comfort range.
Having my shoulders and armpits exposed to the wind, but with my arms and torso protected, seems to enable my body to best take care of its own temperature regulation.

As for gloves, I have spent more money on gloves than any other item of clothing.
One pair of gloves does not adequately cover all conditions.
The best combo seems a thin polypropylene liner, a thicker wool liner, and a breathable water-repellent shell (Pearl Izumi).
Between the three, and combinations of the three, I can usually find something that works.
For the very coldest days, nothing has worked except for a semi-lobster glove made by Pearl Izumi that has individual glove-fingers for the thumb, index and middle fingers, but which combines the ring and middle finger in one glove-finger.

A also wear tights under baggy shorts.
I like the baggy shorts 'cause they have pockets, and I think tights all by themselves look a little silly (at age 59, anyway; at age 18 I'd ride naked and feel OK).
I've found that having windproof and water repellent material on the fronts of my tights, and more breathable materials everywhere else, gives me the broadest comfort range in snow, rain and dry cold.

On very cold days, I wear booties over my mountain bike shoes.

1. Head
(a) rain: Baseball cap to keep droplets out of eyes
(b) snow: skully cap (or one of bob's wool cycling caps--reload)

2. Torso
(a) rain: A nice waterproof shell over normal stuff. Get one from EMS and then return it!!
(b) snow: Thermals, t-shirt, hoodie, vest.

3. Legs
(a) rain: rainpants for long rides, fenders for shirt hops will cover it.
(b) snow: long undies are the jam. I'm wearing them now and my snugglieness level is off the heezy.

4. Hands
(a) rain: nothing
(b) snow: fingerless glove/mittens

5. Feet
(a) rain: shoes
(b) snow: warm shoes

Welcome to civilization! I go to columbia! Looking forward to running into you--I'm the stressed out grad student on the soma.

snow
torso, head, hands:
http://www.lokiusa.com/product_detail.php?ID=C111
my friend tone just got this one (straight from loki, since they use us as market researchers):
http://www.lokiusa.com/product_detail.php?ID=C121

that last one was designed with a little help from yours truly.

Goretex jacket with hood,
plastic pants,
goretex booties.
Hey , does anyone puts on any safety equipment for better braking in winter? :D

marceli, if you can rock the goretex booties, i'm getting some, chimbly can laff at us all she wants.

snow
torso, head, hands:
http://www.lokiusa.com/product_detail.php?ID=C111
my friend tone just got this one (straight from loki, since they use us as market researchers):
http://www.lokiusa.com/product_detail.php?ID=C121

that last one was designed with a little help from yours truly.

hey msngr, i don't ride in snow, but i do occasionally climb mountains. how's the loki stuff wear? are the mitten shells easy to get off? if i bash it against a bunch of rocks, will it hold up?

</derail>

so far so good on the wear. i used mine last winter since early february, and this season a few times. it still looks off-the-rack new.

the mittens are easier to get on than off (they magically fold into the sleeve), but easy enough. they saved my fingers yesterday.

i really don't have anything bad to say about my jacket. the one tone just got (the second link) is better, though. but for $449? i dunno about that. if i had the money . . .

1. Head
UVex glasses, most of the time.
(a) rain: BMX helmet
(b) snow: Skullcap under bmx helmet.

2. Torso
(a) rain: rain jacket w/ the big pit zips.
(b) snow: softshell, sometimes with thin long sleeved jersey underneath.

3. Legs
(a) rain: tights+cutoff BDUs or rain pants if it's really pouring.
(b) snow: tights under cuffed pants.

4. Hands
(a) rain: wool liners under mtb gloves
(b) snow: above, or lobster mits.

5. Feet
(a) rain: wool socks + sidis.
(b) snow: lake mx300 winter boots.

- Knobby tires? How wide? If not, thicker slicks? How wide?
one bike with 1.9 studded nokians, one bike with 700X28 slicks. basically, snow/ice and rain bikes.

- Anything else you want to add:
fenders. on everything. zipties are your friend.
a change of clothes at work, or at least a pair of dry socks in the bag can make life a lot better.
If you can get access to a heat vent to pile the wet clothes on, it'll be nice and toasty by the time you need to head back out.

as a poor dc messenger, rain and snow don't hardly cover the wonders of the weather. might i suggest for expanded categories:
(a) rainy spring day:
(b) summer with 80% chance of storms:
(c) autumn with drizzle:
(d) fresh snow cold, windy, sunny day:
(d.5) fresh snow, very very cold day:
(e) cloudy day, melting snow:
(f) the terror of terrors, FREEZING RAIN:
all of these days require different gear. i've only been at this for a year and as i suspect from talking to the many vet guys, wardrobe takes a career to perfect.
here is what i have so far:
an honest to god rain jacket - always bring if there is a chance of rain. ($90 - ems)
2 pair full fingered gloves - if it's snowing or drizzling ($10 supergo)
ski gloves + 2 pair full fingered gloves - for super wet days ($20 campmor)
another girl i met cut larger mittens so she could put them on over gloves and pull them back to poke her fingers out, she even had a key hole in the wrist
arm warmers - always have a pair stashed somewhere dry ($14 supergo)
knee warmers - great for the fall when the temperature drops due to clouds or nightfall. it's not healthy for those knees under 60 degrees ($10 t-town)
under armor cold gear - this stuff is brilliant if the temp is under freezing ($48 city sports)
2 sweaters - a good idea in varied situations ($4 thrift)
a poofy vesty thing - wonderful on windy days to keep your innards nice and toasty
fleece vests are useless, however a sleeveless hoody is a great layer in the cold coldness
i have no experience with wind breaker jackets
running tights - go great under jeans ($15)
winter tights - on slushy days these work great with a a pair of shorts or alone ($50 performance)
rain pants - for fall and spring and winter wet ($20 army surplus)
no snow pants if you are riding a track bike - it's dangerous and ridiculous
ear warmer bands bug me, but are a god send on cold humid days.
a baklava - it has to be really bad to put up with one of these things
1 pair of extra socks per expected inch of rain fall
i personally don't often do hefty socks, i hate hot sweaty feet
i also hate cold numb feet
as far as dealing with wet shoes, i covered an old pair of shoes with shoe goo and wear those booties over them.
i've also witnessed neoprene socks inside of shoes
i've also done the plastic bag thing and it's always a fail
get a front fender (detachable?) it saves a lot of the wet from getting on your toes
and a back one for your bum
i saw a dude the other day with a small tarp butt cape thing tied around his waist
if you know someone who works downtown, keep an extra stash of clothes and shoes there.
also, hook-ups at (a) coffee shop(s) are priceless

these ideas are mainly geared toward those who have to spend all day in the streets of DC, i have no idea what a winter would be like in chicago or nyc. as mentioned earlier i'm now starting my second winter, so i have a lot to learn. truth be told i'm cheap. i bought my ski jacket from a thrift store for $4.50, it's a real gem of the 80's. i've never owned on of those fancy wool jersey things that seem to an indispensable part of a real messengers wardrobe. i come from farming folks who taught me to deal with winter with flannel and carhardts. i'm asking santa for a wool jersey this year. yay!

(f) the terror of terrors, FREEZING RAIN:


absolutly right on that one.

a couple of winters in portland instilled in me an absolute horror of freezing rain.
no matter how well protected your hands and feet are, they still get wet and freeze, while the bits of hail mixed into the rain strip off any exposed skin.

I will take sub zero temps or heavy snow any day over freezing rain.

absolutly right on that one.

a couple of winters in portland instilled in me an absolute horror of freezing rain.
no matter how well protected your hands and feet are, they still get wet and freeze, while the bits of hail mixed into the rain strip off any exposed skin.

I will take sub zero temps or heavy snow any day over freezing rain.

So painfully true.