Before I get bashed for asking this, I did do a search and did not come up with a definitive answer to my questions.
I live in Southern FL. It is fairly warm here in the winter months compared to upstate NY or MI I guess, but it does get cold in the evenings and early morning, which is when I ride (2.5-4 hrs ususally). In winter, you'll see temps in the 40-50's regularly during those times mentioned in addition to some wind as we are right in front of the coast. I rode a couple of days ago in high 60's temp in the evening with some wind and felt very very cold to me. Seemed as if it took so much to barely warm up and stay there. I know, I need to harden the F'ck up! However, I want to get some winter riding clothing and have a few questions:
1-when getting tights, which types do you get that have no pad and can be wore under your regular padded shorts?
2-are those tights and shorts over them better/warmer than shorts plus leg warmers? When do you choose one or the other?
3-Is it better to just go ahead and get some padded long riding tights?
4-For the top, there seems to be several choices. When/why do you choose one over the other?
*ls base layer plus ls jacket
*ss jersey plus arm warms
*ss jersey plus arm warms and jacket
*ls base layer plus ls jersey
*ss jersey plus arm warmers plus jacket
5-what type of jacket would be good with another single layer below it that would feel comfy in 30-50 degree weather? I would prefer a jacket that is shaped like a jersey I guess vs the traditional shape of jackets.
Thanks in advance for your responses.
The BikeForums Team
-adv-
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If you keep riding, you'll find you adjust to the temps rather easily.
I'm not trying to discourage you from buying such gear, just trying to save you money. For the most part, winter riding clothing is far less about temperature comfort and more about saving your life.
Since it rains a fair amount down there, usually for an hour in the late afternoon, you'll want synthetic clothing. If you sat (inactive) in soaking wet cotton clothing for hours at 60°F, you could easily go into hypothermia. Keep moving and you'll be fine :)
I say get knee and leg warmers and try that. At least you can take them off without having to change.
flipped4bikes
For me it depends on how flexible you want to be for the weather conditions. Up here, early fall and early spring usually mean cool morning temps and warmer afternoon rides home. for me that means base layer, s/s jersey, arm and leg warmers.
As the temps stay consistently below 40F, I find myself wearing the same thing: softshell, base layer, long sleeve jersey and tights, along with headband and full fingered gloves.
When it dips below 30F, on go the windproof tights, and warmer base layers and softshell.
YMMV, but my guess in Florida, you won't need much. I would guard against riding in rain below 45F, meaning waterproof shell of some sort.
dgasmd
It hardly rains here past Nov. By the way, what do you call a "softshell"??
Thanks for the replies, but let's try again to be a bit more specific:
1-when getting tights, which types do you get that have no pad and can be wore under your regular padded shorts?
2-are those tights and shorts over them better/warmer than shorts plus leg warmers? When do you choose one or the other?
3-Is it better to just go ahead and get some padded long riding tights?
4-For the top, there seems to be several choices. When/why do you choose one over the other?
*ls base layer plus ls jacket
*ss jersey plus arm warms
*ss jersey plus arm warms and jacket
*ls base layer plus ls jersey
*ss jersey plus arm warmers plus jacket
5-what type of jacket would be good with another single layer below it that would feel comfy in 30-50 degree weather? I would prefer a jacket that is shaped like a jersey I guess vs the traditional shape of jackets.
RadioFlyer
Thanks for the replies, but let's try again to be a bit more specific:
wtf? Dude, we're trying to tell you that you're going to over-heat. It is very possible to have heat exhaustion when it's -10°F. I know, I nearly did that on a snowshoe trip.
It's not a matter of Suck It Up Princess, it's a matter of of your health. Ignore at your own risk.
Good luck.
daredevil
The winter clothing guide in this forum would give you a lot of your answers or better yet the "Today I wore" thread.
caloso
1) I get non-padded running tights. Because they're cheaper and I can use them for running (duh) and skiing too.
2) I'll wear shorts with knee warmers down to the low 40s. Colder than that, I'll wear tights over shorts (never under!). Yes, they're warmer because they put two layers over your thighs and butt.
3) No. See 1), supra.
4) You'll basically have to see what combination works best for you. For those temps I'll typically wear a sleeveless baselayer, ss jersey, armwarmers, and a windvest. More often than not, I'll end up taking off the vest mid-ride. It takes up less space than a jacket and if you have a good pair of armwarmers, your arms probably won't be cold. I have had Voler and Adidas armwarmers and they've both been fine down to 40F.
5) Personally, I've not found a jacket yet that I like. Down into the 30s I'll wear a longsleeve polypro baselayer, longsleeve jersey and a vest. And toe warmers, good gloves and a skull cap. It seems that if your head, hands, and feet are comfy, so will the rest of you.
andrelam
<SNIP>
1-when getting tights, which types do you get that have no pad and can be wore under your regular padded shorts?
This depends on how much you intend to ride in your tights. In my case I got a set of Illuminite Tights at Nashbar recently mostly because the thermometer was dropping and I wanted something that would be reflective. My commute is only 5 to 7 miles each way (depending on which office I need to go to). That is not long enough that I need riding shorts. Therefore I just got a set of non-padded tights. If I need to go for a long ride I'll just wair my cycling shorts under them
2-are those tights and shorts over them better/warmer than shorts plus leg warmers? When do you choose one or the other?
Leg warmers just look plain silly to me... but that is purely a personal thing. If it is clearly below 60 F I just put on the tights. Otherwise I wear regular swimming trunks to ride in for shorter rides and riding shorts for longer rides.
3-Is it better to just go ahead and get some padded long riding tights?
As stated above I just went with unpadded. I also needed the extra reflectivity as the colder weather comes around the same time the days are getting shorter.
4-For the top, there seems to be several choices. When/why do you choose one over the other?
*ls base layer plus ls jacket
*ss jersey plus arm warms
*ss jersey plus arm warms and jacket
*ls base layer plus ls jersey
*ss jersey plus arm warmers plus jacket
I have ridden comfortably in 29 F with a base layer of a breathable T shirt (same ones I use all summer). Mid layer is a simple Fruit of the Loom Fleece pull-over that my wife and I bought when we were visiting London. The top layer is a fairly cheap Quest wind breaker that my parents bought me. The only thing I add when the temp gets below 40 F is a hat that fits under the helmet and keeps my ears warm.
5-what type of jacket would be good with another single layer below it that would feel comfy in 30-50 degree weather? I would prefer a jacket that is shaped like a jersey I guess vs the traditional shape of jackets.
I don't think I'll be needing anything much heavier than what I am wearing. My legs may need more wind protection as it gets much colder, and I will need a face mask, grab a warmer set of gloves, and put on boots rather than my Merril Ventilators. Otherwise the three layers above should keep me comfy till about 20F. Time will tell as this will be my fist winter riding. My snow tires should be here early next week. Good thing too as the 1st snows have already fallen at the souther end of my county a few times during the last week. I don't want to be caught on a possibly icy/snowy road without more traction.
Happy riding,
André
tjspiel
It hardly rains here past Nov. By the way, what do you call a "softshell"??
Thanks for the replies, but let's try again to be a bit more specific:
1-when getting tights, which types do you get that have no pad and can be wore under your regular padded shorts?
2-are those tights and shorts over them better/warmer than shorts plus leg warmers? When do you choose one or the other?
3-Is it better to just go ahead and get some padded long riding tights?
4-For the top, there seems to be several choices. When/why do you choose one over the other?
*ls base layer plus ls jacket
*ss jersey plus arm warms
*ss jersey plus arm warms and jacket
*ls base layer plus ls jersey
*ss jersey plus arm warmers plus jacket
5-what type of jacket would be good with another single layer below it that would feel comfy in 30-50 degree weather? I would prefer a jacket that is shaped like a jersey I guess vs the traditional shape of jackets.
Just a comment or two on the tights, but it applies to other things as well. A lot of this comes down to personal preference and what you buy may be influenced by what you already have on hand.
I prefer not to deal with combinations when one garment will do the job. During the winter I don't do much recreational biking, -just commuting. It's 25 to 45 minutes each way depending on conditions and how hard I feel like working ;-) For that distance, I'm not going to worry much about being able to shed layers during the ride. Unzipping something is usually enough.
So for me, I'd rather wear padded tights in the morning and throw a pair of shorts in the bag for the afternoon if I know it's going to be warmer rather than mess with leg warmers. I'm in a chronic hurry and I
know I'd be running all over with one leg warmer on while trying to find the other.
If I knew I was going to be on the road for hours, then it might be different and I'd want to be able to peel off the warmers while I was riding.
For me, a pair of padded shorts alone and a pair of thermal padded tights alone are adequate for 80 to 90% of the conditions I ride in. If it's really wet and/or really cold, I'll need another full length layer, and in extreme cold, maybe two.
FWIW, I don't think I'd ever wear padded shorts over tights, - not for any particular reason other than it seems odd.
This is in Minnesota BTW. I could see in Florida wearing shorts almost all the time and keeping a pair of leg warmers around just in case. I'll ride comfortably in shorts down into the upper 40's if it's dry and not too windy
Machka
1-when getting tights, which types do you get that have no pad and can be wore under your regular padded shorts? -- unpadded, and they go over your shorts
2-are those tights and shorts over them better/warmer than shorts plus leg warmers? When do you choose one or the other? -- yes, tights are warmer than shorts and leg warmers. I choose leg warmers when it is warm out (i.e. 40-50F degrees) and tights when it is cooler (below 40F degrees). Or when I'm touring, I go with leg warmers.
3-Is it better to just go ahead and get some padded long riding tights? -- no
4-For the top, there seems to be several choices. When/why do you choose one over the other?
*ls base layer plus ls jacket
*ss jersey plus arm warms
*ss jersey plus arm warms and jacket
*ls base layer plus ls jersey
*ss jersey plus arm warmers plus jacket
-- It depends ... this is something YOU have to experiment with. These days the temp is about 30-40F here during the day, and I'm in two long sleeved tops (I rarely wear jerseys in the winter) with my rain jacket.
5-what type of jacket would be good with another single layer below it that would feel comfy in 30-50 degree weather? I would prefer a jacket that is shaped like a jersey I guess vs the traditional shape of jackets. -- I have an MEC rain jacket I really like. Waterproof breathable with long pit zips
tjspiel
Just be clear, when I say I prefer not to use combinations when one garment will do the job, I still believe in dressing in layers. I just tend to use full coverage layers as opposed to combining shorts with warmers or shorts with tights.
rufus
I go tights instead of knee or leg warmers because with them, you have two layers keeping your junk warm. nice on cold windy days.
the rest is all personal preference and weather conditions. If it's bright and sunny out, I can gey by in the 40-50 degree range with just a SS base, SS jersey, and armwarmers. Add a little wind, and I'll add a windproof vest, or long sleeve jersey. overcast and a little colder, maybe a longsleeve base and jersey. I also have several longsleeve jerseys of different weight and design that I use depending on conditions.
A lot of it is trial and error, finding what works for you in what conditions and temps. Everyone's different, and what is too warm for some people might not be warm enough for you. Especially if you're in Florida, where people dig out the winter clothes if it drops below 70.
dgasmd
Everyone's different, and what is too warm for some people might not be warm enough for you. Especially if you're in Florida, where people dig out the winter clothes if it drops below 70.
I know you meant that as a joke, but it is actually true. As I rode this evening, it got to 60F. I was looking at one of the bank's thermometers and saw an old lady getting in a car wearing a short fur coat!! It is comical though to see the hair colors match the jackets:D:D
Thanks again for all the replies, even the one from someone answering what was not asked! Your replies have been detailed enough, and I think I get the idea. I just spent a few minutes talking to some of the guys at a LBS about this stuff. They have not been the nicest people in the past, but they know their stuff considerably well. They ride quite often as well, so I think I got the low down on the local weather dressing routine and such. At least I hope. They tell me a sleeveless base layer, a SS jersey with arm warmers, a sleveless jacket (gillet), shorts, and +/- leg warmers is as bad as it gets locally even in the worst of scenarios for the past few years. Peel layers as necessary to fit the occassion.:D