Basil Moss

You can pay down the nose for stuff from a bike shop to keep you warm. Really silly money. But it needn't be so, people rode in the winter long before Thermatec ultra duo wicking nyloprene baselayers TM were invented, they wore thermal vests! Lets hear your clothing solutions.

I'll start- plastic bags in shoes. Put your (woolly socked) feet into said bag, then put on your shoes. Then put on an old sock with a hole for the cleat before you put the overshoes on. Toasty feet all the way to the tea shop!

botto 

assos intermediate jacket.

Daytrip

I use an old pair of black, nylon x-c ski tights. They're racing tights, so they fit snug and keep my legs warm in temps well below freezing. When it gets too cold or nasty to ride, they work pretty well for skiing, too.

And my winter long-sleeve jersey, which I wear under a regular short-sleeve cycling jersey, is also a piece of ski apparel.

brianappleby

My favorite long sleeved baselayer is a thick polypro rashguard. It didn't cost much less than other baselayers, but I already owned it...

roadiejorge 

Now that would look great with the plastic bags around his shoes.

GreenD

Basil Moss

Inside your shoes. Nobody need ever know why you don't grumble about having cold toes.

stapfam

You can layer up plenty to stay warm in winter- but Feet and hands need the real McCoy. I tried the plastic bag trick and latex gloves under two pairs of mitts and it never worked successfully.

Finally I took the plunge and Sealskinz socks and gloves. They worked so well- I got the Assos Jacket the following year.

botto 

back in januray/february i found myself on a group ride with a guy using the bag trick.

drove me insane, having to listen to that cheap ass plastic flap in the wind.

coasting 

i bought bib tights this year. let's see if i can ride in the cold at last. i used to wear shorts and never minded the cold lower legs but the feet turning to blocks of ice i could not take.

botto 

fredelicious.

coasting 

better fred than dead.

i got it wrong again haven't i?

Basil Moss

Don't know about freds, maybe they are an American thing? I was suggested the plastic bag trick by Emma Pooley's coach, who isn't called fred... He also pointed out that the ugly wooly jumper your grandma knitted you for christmas is actually much warmer than a longsleeve jersey and copes better with being wet. I'll point out that he isn't entirely ignorant of the need for fasionable kit- he once told me off for wearing black socks on one of his rides!

As to the bags flapping, you pull your leggings over them, how else do you stop them getting in the chain?

coasting 

layers. 3 t-shirts keeps me nice and toastie.

Daytrip

Gaiters might not be such a bad idea.

botto 

sure.

Daytrip

Thought you'd get a kick out of that imagery, botto.

Cyclist01012

Skip the plastic bags in your shoes, wool can not do it's job if it can't breathe.

I kept an eye out at the local goodwill and bought every 100% wool sweater I could get A couple of them have the sleeves removed for use as a vest. depending on how cold it was depended on what layers got worn wool cycling jesery wool sweater whatever.

roadiejorge 

Your soon to be warm knees will thank you.

Ritterview

Merino over-the-calf men's dress socks. Thin enough to wear over regular bike socks, provide warmth up to the knee warmer. Your wife thinks your buying something for work.

heavyMetal

I raid my ski clothes stash - Goretex thinsulate ski gloves work really well, as do wool sweaters, as already pointed out. When it gets really cold, Helly Hanson long underwear as a base layer.

JonnyV

2 pair of socks (one thick one thin), the poorly ventilated Adidas Adistar Classic shoes and Pearl Izumi Barrier shoe covers keep my feet nice and warm down the low 20's. PI Lobster gloves for the hands. Those are my tricks. The rest of the body is easy to keep warm, I can't stand cold hands and feet.

tFUnK

picked up one of these at a marshal's a year ago. i'm not exactly a jacket connoisseur but it's the best jacket i ever tried on. more than just a shell

clausen

For around freezing temps polar felt insoles and old wool sock over shoes between shoe covers.

mustang1

Before I started using merino wool jersey and gore windstopper jacket, I wore 4 layers of regular tops: 2 t-shirts, 2 long sleeve tops. Layering is great. This winter I'll try wool socks and gore windstopper gloves.