gerv 

I think the change between fall to winter and then winter to spring puts more commuters off than we imagine. For example, at this time of year in Des Moines, it's typically below 32F. By afternoon, it could easily be hitting 50F and there's no way the clothing I wear for my winter commuter works at 50F.

I keep wearing very light layers that I can swap out, but I invariably miscalculate and have to stop somewhere on my commute to work or home so that I can add or remove clothing.

In fact, lately I've been carrying two pairs of gloves, a winter heavyweight and a lighter pair for the ride home. Works out to a lot more weight.

Anyone else doing this?

pdlamb

Gloves are a given (winter in the morning, summer in the evening). Also have to find room in the panniers for the jacket and the tights. I find a merino wool jersey is a wonderful thing -- not too cool this morning at 35 F, and only a little warm tonight at 65.

Alan@TreeFort

I generally dress in layers. A thin wool baselayer, then a warmer middle layer, then a shell. For bottoms I wear bike shorts, then tights, then on really cold days, jeans. For gloves I use the Giro Proof which come with a thin liner and then a warm outer winter glove.

I carry a large messenger bag, and dress warm in the morning and appropriately for the ride home, and just carry what I'm not wearing in the bag. The gloves are really helpful, I'll wear winter glove in the morning and the lighter glove at night.

no1mad 

Yep. Can't wait until it warms up for good- I can kiss the layers and big arse backpack/mess bag good-bye for the summer. I can make do with a seat wedge and insulated lunch bag during the hot weather. These temperature swings makes it awfully hard to "lighten" the load somewhat...

JeffS

Two pairs of gloves. Shortly I will start carrying a slightly thinner hat. Other than that, removing the tights and/or removing the jacket get me where I need to be.

For several years I had to stuff the discards into a small backpack (old camelback). Now, I've usually got panniers which is good because it's easier, but bad because I'm always carrying around too much stuff.

Jim from Boston

Here in Boston as an early morning commuter, I think we get an extra four weeks of winter riding, well into April, because of the temperature differentials. I love Boston for cycling, but I could see living in Virginia or more southernly to enjoy Spring in March, early in the AM.

lbj

Yeah - it can be tricky in the winter. I commute, but when it's really cold/windy/nasty in the morning, I cheat a little...I have a folding bike, so I ride the train most of the way in and then ride on the way home, once it's a little nicer. Also handy for those days where it's nice in the morning but turns bad later in the day - I can take public transit home, I don't have to leave my bike at work, and it's not so bad when I forget my rain pants!

tarwheel 

I'm going through the same issue. We often see 30-degree swings in temperatures between my morning and afternoon commutes. Eg, today it was about 35 F on my way to work, and the afternoon high is supposed to reach the mid-60s. I ended up putting a bag on my front rack to hold a long sleeve jersey and wicking t-shirt to wear home because the jacket and Craft thermo layer I wore in the morning will be too warm this afternoon. I also often carry a second, lighter pair of gloves for the afternoon commute as well as a lighter head covering.

Dressing for two different "climates" can be challenging at times. We sometimes see 40-degree changes in temps as well as big differences in wind speed as well. That's the main reason why I need a large seat bag -- to carry clothes that are too warm to wear in the afternoon. In the summer or during really cold weather I can get by with a smaller seat bag because I can wear the same clothes on both commutes.

cmolway

Jim I could not agree more (and my wife is from Virginia). They had temps in the 70s last week.

Left the house at 6:30 with temps in the low 20's. This afternoon's temps should double that. Got an e-vent jacket for my birthday and I find it has simplified my morning dress-out. The jacket significantly cuts down the wind-chill and allows me to hammer a little more without overheating. Typical day like today I wear thermal bib-tights, baselayer, SS jersey, winter weight long sleeve jersey, jacket lobstaah mits w/ liners and winter booties. This afternoon I'll ride in the tights, baselayer, SS jersey, booties and the jacket. Another 10 degrees and I'll switch to bib-shorts and leg warmers and ditch the long sleeve jersey altogether.

pallen

Apart from a few random cold snaps, this is pretty much winter in TX. I look forward to not having to carry so much bulky junk home in the evenings.

newenglandbike

+1 on the layering. Even for the hands-- I use military-issue wool. In the morning I have three layers on each hand: two thin and one very thick knitted layer as the outermost. I'm finding that on my ride home, I can get by with just the two thinner layers on the hands, here in Boston/late February.

My bike has a basket with bungee net on the front. When I need to adjust layering, the article of clothing goes-into/comes-out-of the basket, and I usually don't have to stop.

MNBikeguy

Ever wonder where "military wool" comes from??

MNBikeguy

Lately it's been around 10 for my commute in and around 20 going home - not much of an issue now.
However in about a month I'll need an extra layer in the AM to peel in the afternoon.

crhilton

Same trouble here. I plan in the morning to wear one or two fewer layers in the afternoon, I'm usually comfortable.

I almost always bring a lighter pair of gloves. If it's 50 though, I'm not wearing gloves and I'll have my bar mitts unzipped.

Sure beats winter in the morning and winter in the evening, but it kind of spoils me in the evening and the next morning I just really don't want to deal with it.

Seattle Forrest

Cashmere is one of the warmer fabrics on earth, until you begin to sweat. Then it gives up almost all of its insulation power. Once you cool off, it starts to warm you again. It's warm when wet, but a combination of heat and humidity turn on its air conditioning. It sounds like magic, but it's been keeping me comfortable in conditions ranging from 23 F while I'm standing still at midnight for a fireworks show to 55 F and sunny when I'm doing hill repeats on 18 % grades.

You can get a cashmere sweater for $5 to $20 at the thrift shop. And you can wash it the same way you'd wash merino. The superior warmth-to-weight ratio and anti-wrinkle goodness mean it's easy to stash if you do start to overheat.

Fizzaly

I gave up on trying to dress correctly for the weather years ago, Boise ID is about worthless to have a weather forecast as its likely to do something entirely different. The only place ive been that has more unpredictable weather than Boise is Laramie Wyoming where I once saw the temp go from mid 80's to below freezing and start sleeting mind you this was aug. There was a quite a few days the temp change was more than 60 degrees how the hell do you dress for that change.

What I do is I keep shorts and a T-shirt at work year round, its 28f and snowing right now but two weeks ago it was highs in the mid 60's so its easier to have a completely different change of cloths for when I need it.

BILLB58

I commute about 300-330 days per year, and have for the last five years. 11.3 miles each way
Obviously down here I don't run into the harsh weather that most of you do, but during the winter, many times I can ride into work at 6:10am in the low '30's and will be coming home at 6:00pm in the low '70's or high '60's.........this is the formula I use.

Here is my cool weather formula….

Note that as degrees goes down, everything is an add

MULTIPLE LAYERS !!!
Legs:
Have light wool socks (smartwool)
Then leggings up to top of thigh under bib shorts Then tall Sealskin socks over socks and leggings.....sealskins are water/windproof.

Wear my normal riding bib shorts, and normal sandals on feet

Top:
One tight armor tee shirt
One loose tee shirt
Then sweatshirt....light for 45-50 temps...heavy sweat shirt below that Arm cover...(like leggings, go from wrist to shoulder) Wear regular jersey....white or bright color as am riding at night both ways now..
Below 45 also wear bike rain coat...(seals out wind)

Full gloves and wool watch cap under helmet...

Different combinations of the above depending upon temps.....ie

Above 70 - regular bib shorts & jersey
70-65 add 1 loose tee shirt under jersey
65-60 add 1 armor tee shirt under loose tee shirt
60-55 add arm covers, add gloves
55-50 add knee wamers, wool socks and sealskin socks
50-45 replace knee warmers with full leggings, add light sweat shirt, add wool watch cap
45-40 add heavy sweatshirt in place of light one....if windy, add rain jacket
40-30 add rain jacket
30-25 add rain pants

Rain pants and rain jacket have Velcro straps to seal arms, legs, etc...

Sealskin socks are very important part, as I need to wear sandals.....do have shoes, but if it is raining, shoes take 2 days to dry out vs sandals.....doable with sealskin socks, not doable without them...

Most important part is that I dress to freeze for the first half mile or so....if comfortable for the first half mile, then I overheat on the way......overheating very, very bad......when you are real damp from sweating, then spend 2-3 minutes at a stop light, you really freeze....

some days I bring a panniere in the morning and stuff the "add on" clothes in there for the trip home, some days I just roll everything up and zip tie the roll to my rear rack...

so far from December 1, have had two morning commutes at 27 degrees, 14 commutes in the '30s and 12 in the '40's....this is about the same as last winter, but this winter and last have been far colder than the previous 6 or so....

exile

I understand your problem gerv. I'm glad I have different combination's of clothing I can choose from. I also keep an extra hat and pair of gloves in my backpack as they tend to be my cold spots.

Fizzaly

That's it im moving to Florida

gerv 

Right now the biggest decision for a commuter isn't the clothing. It's a question of which bike? Is the weather safe enough for my summer commuter or should I ride the studded tires??? Usually those nice spring days are followed by cold night where all that snow melts turns the roads to hockey rinks.

nashcommguy

Yeah, that's the rub. It isn't the 40 mi rt daily that grinds it's the constant clothes changing, storing, etc. that wears on me. Had a job for a while where a uniform was required and it was great not having to concern myself w/storage at all. Carried a lunch, but didn't have to. Just wanted to save money.

dedhed

Yeah spring and fall are when my bag is packed full on the way home. Of course I'm still shoveling "spring" here.
+1 on the freeze thaw puddles in the morning. Also the arrival of pothole season and all the gravel on the side that used to be pavement. Pot holes are fine when they're frozen but deep when thawed.

newenglandbike

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LOL

crdean1

Just started commuting consistently (2/3 times per week, 40 miles round trip), and I'm dealing with this too. It was 35 deg on my way in, and it will be 65 deg on my way home. I thought I would just wear my bike shorts and add a vest, and I froze my rear off this morning. My legs are bright red, I guess from the wind. Perhaps I can use some tips in this thread to develop a better plan.

truman

Dress for the wind chill, not the temp. I get a lot of mileage out of a PI Zephyr convertible jacket/vest. With a wicking tee shirt under a light merino baselayer, and that jacket, I'm good to the low 30's, then I can ride home in the tee or the merino, as appropriate. 10 degrees warmer, I wear a merino tee and arm warmers under the Zephyr and the tee, with or without the vest, going home.

On my legs in the lowe 30's, I wear some Novara Headwinds semi-tights over shorts (They don't sell them anymore, but I saw something generally similar at REI last week). Going home, I can just rock the shorts. +10 degrees, I wear bike shorts, Champion synthetic golf shorts from Target or some Cloudveil over the knee shorts (shants?), and Ibex knee warmers, then lose the knee warmers and possibly the outer shorts for the trip home.