So i wanted to give a thumbs up for a few gear purchases i just made at Performance in case anybody is shopping for cold weather bike clothes.
i got the following for a total of like $260:
Pearl Izumi Escalation Jersey - $80
GORE Finish Line Windstopper Jacket - $120
Performance skull cap and shoe cover things - $9 and $20
LG Wind Tex-Eco long-fingered cycling gloves - $31
... i already had some tights.
The Escalation Jersey was nice as a non-windproof jacket for temps in the mid to upper 50s. probably could do 50º with a long sleeve under it for somebody who wasn't as big a wimp as me.
The GORE Windstopper i just tried out today for the first time in mid 40s weather. It's a great piece of gear - it's totally windproof, it has a nice athletic cut to it, and it's well designed and constructed with zippery things in the armpits good snugness around the neck and wrists. i'm 6'4" and i got the XL and it's not baggy at all really - which is more than you can say for all the wind-breaker type jackets. I thought the price was fair too since I've seen this jacket for like $160 at a few other places.
The LG gloves... i dunno... they might have to go back. I like that they're not too beefy because it feels better for shifting and braking but they've got no real padding in the crook of your thumb and pinch a bit and also i feel like they may be too cold if it gets much colder than it was today. maybe i can put on a pair of those silk glove liners or something to warm them up.
okay, here's pix - stay warm everybody and happy holidays!
To add to this, I have some legwarmers made by Gore that I love--my problem with my previous pair of legwarmers was that the wind just cut right through them, leaving me cold. These things stop it completely, and lowered the temperatures that I can ride in with them by about 10 degrees.
vrkelley
11-30-04, 08:44 AM
The full zip jersey's are the best, easier to layer on-off (without taking your helmet off) in winter
sailor
11-30-04, 08:47 AM
One question: did you find that jacket online or in a store? I cant seem to find it anywhere, but it fits what Im looking for perfectly: a snug, athletically cut, windproof jacket for riding in weather around 40 degrees.
bac
11-30-04, 09:38 AM
I bought that Gore jacket last year, and it is excellent. I really like the pit zippers for temp control, and the inside is lined with mesh, which also helps regulate temps.
boze
11-30-04, 09:58 AM
i got it on sale at Performance but they only had it in XL. price was originally $160 - and i've seen it for that at a local chain store too.
yeah, it's not easy to google for - especially with a brand name that is half of the word "goretex".
recommended if you can find one.
cool to know about the leg warmers. i was looking at those and the arm ones too but they're like $40 per arm or something.
Allen H
11-30-04, 10:31 AM
i got it on sale at Performance but they only had it in XL. price was originally $160 - and i've seen it for that at a local chain store too.
yeah, it's not easy to google for - especially with a brand name that is half of the word "goretex".
recommended if you can find one.
I tried Performance online, and there's nothing like it (well, 3 or 4 other Gore jackets, but not that style or at that price) - do the stores commonly have items that aren't even online??
Anyone find it anywhere else? Surely this wasn't a Performance exclusive?
bac
11-30-04, 11:36 AM
I tried Performance online, and there's nothing like it (well, 3 or 4 other Gore jackets, but not that style or at that price) - do the stores commonly have items that aren't even online??
Anyone find it anywhere else? Surely this wasn't a Performance exclusive?
I bought mine last year through Performance Cycle. However, now I can only find it here:
Gore Finish Jacket (http://www.concurve.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=11359&catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&categoryId=10254&langId=-1&firstLevelCatId=10254&secondLevelCatId=10259&pageNum=1)
i got it on sale at Performance but they only had it in XL. price was originally $160 - and i've seen it for that at a local chain store too.
yeah, it's not easy to google for - especially with a brand name that is half of the word "goretex".
recommended if you can find one.
cool to know about the leg warmers. i was looking at those and the arm ones too but they're like $40 per arm or something.
I paid something like $42 for the pair of leg warmers. Same price as the Pearl Izumi ones, with the added benefit of being windproof.
sailor
11-30-04, 12:12 PM
What is the inside of that jacket like? Does it have any sort of microfleece lining or anything, or is it just more of a shell?
bac
11-30-04, 12:37 PM
What is the inside of that jacket like? Does it have any sort of microfleece lining or anything, or is it just more of a shell?
It's lined. There is a mesh liner + some more stuff (windstopper?) underneath. However, it is also relatively thin, so it's very comfortable (and warm!) on the bike.
boze
11-30-04, 02:22 PM
yeah, Performance is fuct: the website and the stores have almost no contact with each other despite the fact that the stores have a red phone that you can use to call the warehouse or something for special deals.
the coat has a mesh lining that's poly and slightly fuzzy feeling but not fleecy. it's a nice mix of stiff windproofing and insulation that isn't bulky at all. i've only worn a jersey under it to this point but when it gets colder i'll be doing a base layer of some long underwear from REI or maybe a fleece pullover or something.
about the arm/leg warmers - that's good news. maybe i just didn't notice since they weren't like packaged in pairs when i saw them.
i wouldn't be surpised if you had trouble getting the price i got. i'm known locally for getting the best deals on things. people i don't know will email me saying "i work with your friend so-and-so and she said not to get a laptop without talking to you first" or something like that.
i got some Pearl Izumi Vortex shoes last week on clearance at REI for $40. that was my latest really nice score. i tried to help two different people who i know are looking but neither of them made it there fast enough because of the holiday and now they're gone.
PaulBravey
11-30-04, 02:29 PM
I just got some of the Triflex tights w/o chamois yesterday, they're only $48 and change in the stores (though they're 65 online I think). All I need now is a skull cap and I'll be toasty. Just in time for it to drop to almost freezing in the bay area!
sailor
11-30-04, 04:16 PM
Wooo! I found one! Went by the local Performance and they had one. Black, size medium, $120. Me likes... Im gonna try to ride with it tomorrow but if tomorrow is anything like today, it may actually be too warm... Its definitely cut tightly--Im not sure I could fit a full size fleece under it, but I like it tight so that it doesnt flap, and honestly I think its warm enough that I wont be wearing anything but a base layer under it anyways.
Also saw those PI jerseys... Very nice, but I think if I wore one under this jacket, I could ride in weather down below freezing, which it rarely gets around here.
sailor
12-01-04, 06:41 PM
I just have to say... This jacket kicks ass! Went for a ride with it today, it kept the wind off, fits *perfectly* on the bike, and doesnt flap around. About the best $120 I ever spent...
Allen H
12-01-04, 10:45 PM
I found it at my local Performance store, but not in my size :(. (All the winter gear was already very picked over, since we've had a real cold snap the past week or so.)
It looks terrific - very sharp, really fitted. I'm going to try another store tomorrow - looks like the perfect "coldest weather" bike jacket, and fits really tight (if you can get the right size!).
jaypee
12-02-04, 07:59 AM
Not to jack the thread, but I just picked up a Perl Izumi Instinct Jacket and I love it. It's just a shell, but it's wind-proof and water-proof and fits -perfectly-. I recommend it for anyone looking for a lightweight cycling shell. I've been riding in 15-20 degree weather lately wearing nothing but a base layer, a wool sweater, and this shell and it rules.
http://www.pearlizumi.com/pearlizumi/image/product/4744-2.jpg
boze
12-02-04, 08:55 AM
Sailor - congrats dude! i'm glad you scored one..
Alan - good luck finding your size - hope it works out.
(who knew there was a winter clothing sub forum? i'm glad this thread found it's proper place)
Allen H
12-02-04, 03:39 PM
2nd store didn't have my size either in the color I want (the black looks much sharper than the blue, IMO).
I tried on the blue in XL, and it was so snug I wouldn't wear anything but an undershirt underneath it - so it's more of a tight torso-fitted wind-proof jersey than a jacket.
cristoff
01-09-05, 10:40 AM
I wear a Louis Garneau jacket that has a windfront nylon and is fleece lined . The back is "airdry"and fleece lined and the arms are just poly. I wear a garneau drytex baselayer and I'm quite comfortable below 0c. I add a cheap vest and homemade arm warmers for really cold days. Just pedal and enjoy you'll warmup.
cristoff
01-09-05, 10:42 AM
just wanted to add that it is a drytex 3000 layer witha zippered neck, very handy for temp. control.
iowarose
01-09-05, 12:41 PM
You can go to www.gorebikewear.com (http://www.gorebikewear.com) to get the Gore jacket (or similar model). Thanks to a coupon I had in the goodie bag of my club century ride, I got a free Windstopper vest when I bought something from the site. The Goretex socks are high quality, and as cheap a price as I've found. The vest is very well designed for cycling too - lower cut in the back plus gripper so it stays where it should. Mesh lining and the Windstopper fabric is killer. Also, it folds up into its own little bag. I love it.
Bikerbarb
01-09-05, 07:35 PM
sigh, they are sexist. There is no jacket for women w/the zippers under arms, etc. I get so tired of this, you'd think things would have changed by now.
Simplebiker
01-09-05, 07:48 PM
sigh, they are sexist. There is no jacket for women w/the zippers under arms, etc.
I was just checking out the women's section a few days ago, and I noticed that there was much less of a selection for women. Do the jacket's in the men's section not fit women well?
Merriwether
01-10-05, 04:22 AM
Good luck finding women's winter cycling gear. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of demand for it, even compared to the low demand men's winter cycling stuff. It's a niche within a niche-- even the road cycling chicks around here stay off of the road during the winter.
Hopefully, you can find a jacket that will do during the winter months. Sometimes ski wear or cold weather running stuff from the sporting goods store can be useful.
I should say that there's only other person around here who's anywhere near as hardcore as I am about riding in the winter, and that person is not man. She seems to use some kind of windshell outer layer; not expensive looking stuff.
I've got the version of this jersey from four or five years ago. With an underlayer or two, two of these jerseys, one on top of the other, keeps me warm down to -10F, or so.
They're a great buy at this price.
Bikerbarb
01-10-05, 07:43 AM
No, men's wear doesn't fit. It is out of proportion in the hips and shoulders. Fit one and the other doesn't. i.e. fit my shoulders and the hips too small, fit my hips and the shoulders too big. Don't call me a chick either. Maybe I'll go look at Team Estrogen or Terry and see what they have. But let me say, guys, this isn't YOUR sport. And I was probably out cycling before you could walk.
cmarkey
01-12-05, 12:53 PM
I got most of my gear from Foxwear (www.foxwear.net), the guy makes it all himself and can tailor it to your needs. Here's my list of winter wear:
Foxwear E-Vap jacket (with polartec powershield "soft shell" front): $70
Foxwear Powerstretch heavyweight tights: $40
Diadora Explorer MTB shoes (waterproof, warm): $50 (from Nashbar at the time)
heavy Capilene shirt: $30
Heavier EMS Fleece shirt: $70 - (I got it through an employee for $50)
For gloves I just use fleece liners & my normal biking gloves, if it goes down below 25 F or so I have Nashbar lobster glove shells that I use.
The jacket I have may not be as streamlined, but I like that I can use it as a normal jacket as well. Someday I may go for a tighter fit, but I'm not too worried about it.
Anyway, just wanted to plug the foxwear really, I've been very happy with my gear from there, plus the website's pretty funny.
charlesw
01-13-05, 04:56 AM
Ah! Winter clothing threads, I love them.
Could you all chime in about what pants/tights you use? Here in California we suddenly had all this rain- and I'd rather not ride around with snowboard pants on.
Also, how breathable are these jackets you've mentioned?
Terex
01-14-05, 01:27 PM
Re tights - I've got C'dale windfront. They're good in cold weather but too warm in cool weather.
Re jackets - price/performance/fit are the issues. I've been riding in my No'face performance shell. Not bike specific, but has longish sleeves and tail, is wind resistant, very breathable, and slightly moisture resistant. Problem is that it's black. I need a bright yellow vest for better on-road visibility. Mtn biking I've got a bulkier C'dale cycling jacket with sleeves that zip off. Just bougt new silk base layer tops at EMS for 1/2 price. I love riding in the winter.
Ken Cox
01-14-05, 02:16 PM
Regarding tights, I wear Performance Triflex Bibs.
They have a wind and water resistant front and a breathable back.
I have worn them down to about 5 F with no underlayer, and with complete comfort.
I question their durability, but I got them on sale for $59.
Regarding windbreaker types of over-jackets, I wear a Concurve Windstopper.
It has removable sleeves and an over-the-butt cut with a drawstring.
The label says it has something called PIFE lamination and it has a mesh liner.
It keeps me dry, from the outside and the inside, and, with a mid-weight Pearl Izumi jersey (no underlayer) and my bib overalls, I stay warm down to, as I said, about 5 F.
On the coldest days here, I wear booties, but my hands....
I still haven't found a glove system that works for me.
I wear Descente WeatherWarrior gloves, and sometimes augment them with thin wool liners.
On the really cold days (not very cold compared to the temperatures some riders have reported) I just grin and bear it.
My hands remain my biggest problem.
Terex
02-07-05, 11:51 AM
Just a note - PIFE is probably PTFE, or polytetrafluoroethylene, or more commonly known as Goretex.