balsingh

Hey all. So I'm new to the San Diego area, and I was wondering what winter clothing you SoCal riders recommend. I was thinking arm and knee warmers at least. But I was also wondering about the need for leg warmers, knickers, tights, or even a long-sleeved jersey. Thanks for your help.

Bal

Indolent58

I go with knee warmers, arm warmers, and a packable windproof vest. On all but the coldest days you need to be able to remove stuff to avoid overheating. Leg warners are fine, as is a light baselayer under your jersey, but IMO tights and long sleeve jersey's are overkill in San Diego

ggg300

During the day...a wind jacket that fits in the pocket...Early a.m. add leg and arm warmers...

Night ride...knickers (or tights w/o pad over bibs) and two light layers and wind jacket...arm warmers...full glove...and skull cap...

Mike V

I would dress how your body feels. I have never needed more than knee, arm warmers & a vest, socks over shoes.

Did you need to ask people what to wear at the last place you lived?

MV

s4one

What part of SD are you from? I ride in SD too.

johnny99

+1. That should be fine for down to 50F or so. Maybe add a midweight base layer if you're the skinny type and a light shell jacket on rainy days.

esammuli

I usually ride in the morning, around 7, so I'll wear a base layer, arm warmers, leg warmers, and a wind vest. If I'm inland I might wear long finger gloves and a scull cap.

hammond9705

Are you all trying to rub it in to people with 4 seasons?

do-well

Ever heard Louis Black's sketch on weather? Part of it goes:

What’s the best job you can have in the world? It’s being the weather person in San Diego, CA. Doesn’t get any better than that. You are on TV for less than a minute. You get a six-figure income. They go, “What’s the weather going to be like, Lou?” [You answer]: “Nice....back to you.”

OP, I might be underestimating the variance in San Diego's weather, but I'm willing to bet a little experimentation with light layers will provide different options for all the "nice" weather you experience.

balsingh

If you have it, flaunt it. But there's clouds today.

Also, I'm in the north SD area. La Jolla, UCSD.

schnee

Any of you get heavy perspiration?

I commute in the morning from Balboa Park to the 56, so it's a long ride through some pockets of cold canyon air. My arm warmers tend to get sweaty, then when I slow down a bit I get cold and shiver.

Part of it was my trunk - I wore two layers of jerseys, but no wind breaker per se. I just ordered a wind vest, so that should help, but... would I be better off with loose sleeves, or will the wind vest be enough?

johnny99

Maybe thinner arm warmers? The type made out of nylon/lycra (similar to bike shorts) are fine in moderately cool weather (and they they take up almost no space in your jersey pockets when the weather warms up).

powerglide

I use base layer, short sleeve jersey, arm and knee warmers and shoe covers

spry

Most of the SoCal dudes this winter will be wearing a contemporary asbestos jersey,bibs,gloves in a natural white color.
This will be complimented with a midnight black full face respirator and self contained oxygen tank.
Tubeless no air tires are all the rage now to slip through those occasional hot embers.
Dont forget clean undies in your saddle bag in case your address in changed on the return trip.

toucci

Arm warmers when it's chilly and knee warmers when it's chillier. Today, it was a t-shirt and shorts. Barely broke a sweat!

schnee

Hm, the ones I have are lined with a thin fleece. I think I should get some lighter ones. Thanks for the suggestion.

asmallsol

F U.

That is all
(<toasty 19* here)

lspruance

I'm in LA but when I get up to ride early in the morning I don't really do anything different than if I was riding later. For my commute at 6:30 I just wear work pants and a shirt with maybe a sweater, but my commute is only 5 miles each way. For real rides the only thing that gets really cold are my ears and head. I wear a cap and sometimes tie a bandana around my face but within a 10 - 20 minutes I'm fine.

I don't know, but living in SoCal near the beach I'd feel ******** buying arm warmers and all that stuff. Maybe I'm just cold blooded.

And for all you cold weather people - don't hate on sunny SoCal. We all know you just want to move here anyway.

Duke of Kent

It may be nice in the winter, but I'd never want to live in a place where I couldn't see the trees change colors in the fall. How boring. Three months of cold is worth that month, to me.

DaveSANYYZ

Or the other way. Get one with those windstopper type layer on the front.

The coldest winter night I've experienced in SD is 32*F/0*C; mind you that was rare and in the middle of the night. Also, once you're in the shade or doing some long/fast descending in the mountain areas, it can get pretty cold. Full fingered gloves, arm+leg warmers and a warm baselayer for me.

lspruance

Boring? No way. What's boring is sitting inside because it is so cold out. I lived in New York for a few years and while it was nice during the fall and spring the winter was awful. What was boring was being limited by my environment in such an extreme way.

What's not boring is being able to do whatever I want on most any day. I love SoCal because of that. But it's cool if you want to stay somewhere frozen. Now if only you could convince all the other people from the east coast, etc. that keep flooding into L.A. to stay put!

mclodfelter

hey...it rained today...but wait, i see the blue skies already coming back

that being said, i need to get me some arm and knee warmers for those morning rides

opn2itsd

I wear leg warmers mornings and evening (65 or less, cranky knees) and then a windbreaker (dayglow yellow PI), no arm warmers. In the 50s i add full finger gloves, headband (ears), and a light under layer (sockguy). The drivers are worse that the weather in the morning and evenings so bright is better. Haven't needed arm warmers at all, but a heavier sock on occasion might spare your toes some grief,

Darkstar_DD

well there is one rider on the boardwalk that rides in a g-string

GP

What?