winter clothing guide??

[corefaction]

I'm looking at getting some convertible mittens, since the concept seems like the best choice for combining warmth and dexterity. Most of those that I've seen online are fleecy or knit like these ones—warm but not necessarily wind/water proof—and I don't know how well they would hold up in inclement weather:

Let me just plug insulated wool convertible mittens. I found a pair similar to the ones attached at a thrift store. They are wool outer, with a thinsulate insulation and a leather palm patch. The mittens fold over into fingerless gloves which are handy for zipping up your jacket, locking up, etc.

They aren't windproof, but the combination of the wool outer, the insulation, and the mitten design has kept my fingers cozy down to the single digits F.

Link to ones at campmor, $10

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...berId=12500226

I'm thinking weather hardy like ski and snowboarding mittens, but so far I haven't come across any convertible mittens quite like that.

To me, this combination of features would make for some great cold weather cycling (and all-purpose) hand wear: hefty, durable, wind and waterproof, suitable down to single-digit temps (F) or lower, with a grippy palm surface, close-fitting finger holes, a fastener to keep the flip-top open, a thumb wipe and reflective stripes on the back of the hand, and maybe some palm padding for comfort on the bars. Something to clip them together and attach them to a jacket would be nice, too.

Has anyone seen anything like this? Am I over-thinking or overdoing the features?

[rekall]

base layer (two piece or one-piece, usually for hunting) and then slacks, good thick socks, undershirt (not cotton, go for capilene or similar), long sleeve shirt, jacket, gloves, and something under your helmet to cover your ears (baclava, beanie, or other... i use a piece of cloth i cut from a hoodie which fits into my helmet and the straps fit through slits i cut and it covers my ears nice and snug).

i'm in philly and i'm here to tell you that if the wind isn't that bad, and there's no slippery nonsense on the ground, you can still jump on your bike.

[Project 999]

Here is a quick link to a article that helped me through this past winter. I'm sure it is appropriate for everyone in most seasons.

http://hubpages.com/hub/What-to-Wear...her--bicycling

[olan]

i know it's hard to ride a bike when it is cold outside but why you just try to work out indoor while it is pretty cold outside?

[bikegeekmn]

dress in layers for cross country skiing-their gear works best.The only problem is it's as or more expensive than biking clothes

[luketg08]

That is the silliest thing I've ever seen. Why not just use gloves?

[scoatw]

dress in layers for cross country skiing-their gear works best.The only problem is it's as or more expensive than biking clothes

I agree that cross country skiing gear is best for riding in wintry conditions. I use Sporthill. I first discovered it reading Peter Whites' website. Its not cheap but I searched around and found their stuff at almost half off. Their XC pants are the best you can get for cold weather. The thing about buying good quality gear is the fact that it should last you several years. I'm into my third year of daily commuting and my stuff is holding good.

[riff]

That is the silliest thing I've ever seen. Why not just use gloves?

Because when it gets really, really cold, gloves won't cut it. Pogies give that additional protection from cold & windchill, while still allowing you to maintain dexterity.

[luketg08]

Because when it gets really, really cold, gloves won't cut it. Pogies give that additional protection from cold & windchill, while still allowing you to maintain dexterity.

I suppose that makes sense. They still remind me of these

[riff]

Yeah, they do look goofy. But they do let me ride comfortably, in the coldest of weather!

[nayr497]

Alright, I'm gearing up for the coming winter and I've been upgrading stuff every year. A few questions and looking for a few new things:

1) Base Layers. I know there are TONS of options. On Friday in 36*F weather that was windy and damp I wore a Craft ProCool mesh base layer, then a Patagonia Capilene Level 2 long sleeve shirt, then a nice Descente jacket (not really heavy but wind resistant and fleece lined - mid weight). When I got home I was damp inside the jacket. Is this just how it goes? Do you think a cycling specific LS base layer would help? The Patagonia capilene gets great reviews, but maybe not the best for such high intensity activity.

Was considering this to solve the problem. Will it, or are you always a bit damp after riding?
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Cr...er/5360044822/

[nayr497]

Okay, I'll be in upstate NY through January, then heading to NC for good. I'm trying to get away with either knickers or tights for this year. Currently I use bib shorts + knee warmers or bibs under all-around exercise tights on really cold days. I ride down to 25*F.

I was thinking I could use the knickers in a variety of temps, put leg warmers on over when it gets colder, then just use the tights over them on really cold days.

Was thinking of these, as I really like Assos bibs. Anyone use them? (I think you do, Riff). And anyone think that full tights are a better option? (I'll get the next option next year, but NC is like the tropics to me!)
http://www.coloradocyclist.com/product/item/ASSXDYD9

2) Already asked about skull caps above.

3) Balaclavas. I currently use a cheap, thin one I got on eBay. Some knock off brand. Does well though. On really cold days I need to couple it with a thin skull cap. Would like to find one warm enough that does both. Anyone have one they love? Castelli makes great stuff and I own some. Wish they'd always publish the temp. range.
http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=C0320

4) Overshoes. I currently have Belgian booties (which are just like wool socks) that are good down to the mid 30s. I also have neoprene toe covers (terrible investment on my part). Was looking for some good overshoes for 25-35*F that are warm, wind & water resistant. I don't ride in the rain/snow, but I'll go out after it has rained/snowed. These seem to get good reviews:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/En...es/5360020535/

Okay, hopefully those are all my needs & questions for now. Thanks for the replies. I know everyone is different, just looking to get some good feedback on my specific issues/needs.

[TurbineBlade]

After years of wearing merino wool and other high-tec materials and still getting too sweaty from overdressing, I now pretty much just use regular clothes - including khaki pants, wind pants (like the adidas swish pants), a skull cap, gloves, and various t-shirt combos...even COTTON...yes, I went there.

I once work a cotton waffle layer and a t-shirt, gloves, and skull cap in the 30's and felt completely fine....cold at first, so no sweat on the cotton.

Cotton sucks when it is wet from perspiration, but if you don't over do it you're fine IMO. As a bonus it doesn't stink like polyester and polypro.

If I lived where it was below 0F and was out riding for a long time, I would probably avoid it though.

[digibud]

I commuted for an entire winter one year. That doesn't sound like much, but in North Pole, Alaska it gets chilly. Both my wife and I rode all winter although we drew the line around -25F. We had a chart that we used and wore different clothing every 10 degrees of temp. We wore polypro or a variation of it next to our skin - some mixture of thin and thick layers. Over that we wore a reasonably tight - but not very tight jacket that had windproofing on the front only. The back was not windproof at all. That was the key layer. Down to about 0, we wore nothing over that jacket. After 30 min of riding we would stop and brush each others back off to remove the frozen sweat. Under 0 we would add another windproof jacket over that layer. That jacket was somewhat loose and had no more insulation. Our warmth came from how many base layers we used. We could take off the outer layer and brush the inner layer free of frost. We used poggies on our bikes and medium weight synthetic gloves that were plenty warm inside the poggies. We kept very warm gloves in our panniers in the event of a breakdown, along with a very warm jacket for the same reason. We had big, warm mukluks for boots. No clips or peddle attachments. A balaclava under the helmet was used. We learned we had to start out so underdressed we were quite chilly the first 10min or so, otherwise it required us to stop and remove a layer. Our pants were one or two layers of base polypro and an outer layer of windstop front/nonwindstop back pants. The key is the outer layer that has no windstop on the back side. If you are riding with some effort you WILL get sweaty inside, no matter what. I suppose you could ride slowly and not sweat but then I doubt you'd stay warm. We kept work clothes with us in our panniers. I just took deliver on new Nokian 294's for this winter. We don't commute any longer (retired) but we'll still do some winter riding and probably flake out around -10F cause we are wimpy as we close in on 60. I'm heading to the deep South (Anchorage) to ride the Resurrection trail this weekend. Cross your fingers for me. It will be a difficult challenge for me at this point. Just remember to have clothing to put on in the event of a breakdown. Oh... a small cotton towel to dry your skin off in the event of a breakdown is also a big help. You don't have to strip naked, but just being able to get some sweat off you is a help.

[dizzy101]

wow impressive, hats off to you guys!

[Randochap]

Hey, wanna see my underwear?

[GT-FOUR]

Extreme Cold Gear (-20C and below). This keeps me comfortable on my daily commute for 1.5 hours. This setup is good for the -20 to -35 Celcius range, although with an extra layer on the legs and body you could extend into the -40s.

Head:
-Thin wind proof Earband, fleece on inside
-Face coverage from neckwarmer or ski type protector
-Ski/Snowboarding Helmet
-Ski Goggles

-Body:
-Wind proof shell
-Insulating layer cycling jacket
-Long sleeve jersey
-Regular jersey

Legs:
-Leg warmers
-Cycling tights, thicker ones if possible
-XC Skiing pants, part spandex mix with a mostly windproof outer
-Cycling shorts/bibs

Feet:
-Winter cycling boots
-Wind proof booties
-Battery powered insole warmers: http://www.hotronic.com/ (I LOVE THESE!!)
-Two pairs of socks

Hands:
-Snowboarding gloves, thick insulated

[digibud]

Extreme Cold Gear (-20C and below). This keeps me comfortable on my daily commute for 1.5 hours. This setup is good for the -20 to -35 Celcius range, although with an extra layer on the legs and body you could extend into the -40s.

Head:
-Thin wind proof Earband, fleece on inside
-Face coverage from neckwarmer or ski type protector
-Ski/Snowboarding Helmet
-Ski Goggles

-Body:
-Wind proof shell
-Insulating layer cycling jacket
-Long sleeve jersey
-Regular jersey

Legs:
-Leg warmers
-Cycling tights, thicker ones if possible
-XC Skiing pants, part spandex mix with a mostly windproof outer
-Cycling shorts/bibs

Feet:
-Winter cycling boots
-Wind proof booties
-Battery powered insole warmers: http://www.hotronic.com/ (I LOVE THESE!!)
-Two pairs of socks

Hands:
-Snowboarding gloves, thick insulated

That's a good layout and I will look at the hotronics. Thanks. I prefer a polypro long underwear worn under cycling pants that are windproof on the front and open weaved in back. Even at -20F my legs stay warm as long as I have a windproof front. My biggest problem is a sweaty head. I have not tried ski goggles over my glasses. Glasses are a real pain in the rear.

[BearSquirrel]

Slvoid....I'm printing your what-to-wear chart out....I't's awesome!

I think Slvoid is an Eskimo. Vented shoes at 30-40 F, I don't think so.

My 32-40F ... AmFib tights, Cycling boots (no covers), 2 shirts covered with a thin softshell, headband and thin balaclava.

[digibud]

The title is said in jest but the upshot of all of this is that nobody can give anyone else very good advice for cold weather riding. People can name some brands of shoes they like and point someone to a source for overboots or say why they like this jacket or that pair of gloves but there is a huge variation on what people wear. The only smart thing is to record what you wear at what temperature and learn for yourself what works. Make a chart and check the temp before you leave. Dress cold for your first 15 min or be ready to strip a layer after you warm up.

[asuperstar103]

I wear two pairs of socks, one wool. Gloves, no coat. :-) Long johns with loose fitting pants, short sleeve shirt on top of the long johns with a hoody in case I need the extra coverage for my neck/ears. I use to wear ear muffs, but found they squeezed my head and affected the use of my sunglasses, so now (because I sell motley tubes now and had no idea what they were before!) I wear a Motley Tube (polyester or fleece depending on how warm you get when riding). The Motley Tube covers your face, neck and ears depending on how you decide to wear it. In the winter I never leave the house without carrying one, riding or not. They are small and easy to stuff into your pocket when not using. I have also used a Neoprene Face Mask when it's below 20 degrees. It's important that you use Neoprene Material to prevent the material from getting sweaty and making you even colder! If you do not know what a Motley Tube is here is a pic. I'm not just saying these are great because I sell them, they are great! Best thing ever made!

[scoatw]

Here is a website I discovered while following the Iditarod Trail Invitational. http://www.montbell.us/ Good quality winter gear tested out on the trail. That's good enough for me. Their rainjacket looks like a good all-season jacket. Here is a picture of Jay and Tracy Petervary this year with the hard-core stuff on. Standing in -20 or -30 something. More pics here. http://www.jaypsdirt.com/

[CannondaleM400]

so you guys don't advocate indoor trainers for the off season?

[scoatw]

no! .......and what does "off season" mean? You're in the Winter Clothing Guide forum. I'm sure there is a Indoor trainer forum here somewhere.

[zepphead80]

Today was 37 F as I arrived at work (according to the CNN thermometer on Columbus Circle). Being the first really cool ride of the season I thought I'd post what I wore today:

• ankle-high thermal socks (Endura Thermolite, but I'm sure many brands work)
• padded underwear, pair of thermal tights (Uniqlo heat tech), Dickies shorts on top
• long sleeved synthetic (also Uniqlo heat tech), long-sleeved t-shirt, fleece vest (wasn't really necessary)
• bandana under helmet
• cheap form-fitting stretch gloves

As the weather gets colder I'll put a polypro base layer on my feet with a wool blend over them, drop the shorts and use a pair of running tights over the thermal layer, make the fleece standard on top, and drop the bandana for a fleece skull cap.

Let the winter begin!