RWBlue01

As a large guy, I think I have a problem that other larger people will understand. I have never been a cold weather rider. It is just not fun, but as I try to lose weight I am tempted to push into the cooler weather.

Here is my issues:
There is no gentile easy ride. When I ride, I sweat. In the cool weather, this makes parts of my body cold and other parts hot and when I stop even for a moment everything gets cold. And I don't think there is a solution for breathing in cold air...I don't do well breathing in cold air while exercizing.

I am wondering if there is some bicycle specific clothing I should get to help me deal with the cooler weather. And of course I am large enough hight and width that my local bike shop stuff usually doesn't fit so it looks like I will be buying online sight unseen.

PS> Maybe a jacket with a zipper down the back?

Seattle Forrest

Skip the overpriced bike specific clothes, and get a wool base layer. Wool pulls the sweat away from your skin, and it insulates you - keeps you warm - even when it's wet. Get one with a quarter zip.

Also, the work of riding a bike will keep you warm until you stop.

Chitown_Mike

I am interested to read responses here as well, being more cycling specific.

But I 100% agree with Seattle Forrest. I was an rather avid camper, and nothing kept me at home, all weather types. That said, wool is the best. Not synthetic wool, but real wool (IMO) there is just nothing like it.

As for breathing in cold air, I have been a seasonal asthmatic, specifically when running around hard in the winter I can catch an attack and that's never fun. What I have learned is I use something over my mouth to help heat the air coming in, also breathing in through your nose first really helps as well (if you can).

For Christmas a few years ago, my parents bought me an Underarmor head covering. It can be a full face mask where just my eyes show, cover my head and neck leaving my face exposed, cover just my head, or just my neck. I have used it playing football in snow and it breathes very easily, so when my mouth is covered the huffing and puffing go right through, and I sweat in it because I am warm enough. But since it is fancy it pulls the sweat off my skin and sometimes I get an icy look to my head!

Also, get some good wool socks and good insulated gloves. Cold feet stink, and make sure the gloves aren't too bulky....can't stop a bike then!

But I am interested as well to know what others use for the mid and top layer?

vesteroid

I found that there are two things I need to manage in cold weather. Wind chill, and insulation. I need my insulation to be wicking and breathable. I need a thin light layer to block wind, thats also breathable (as can be)
I found a cycling jacket that is all windblock material on the front of the arms and chest, but is mesh on the back. That allows me to manage both.

If you go the wool route, i have found icebreaker garments to be great, although not cheap. Honestly though I have a few synthetic layers from REI (their house brand) that I like almost as much and are a 1/3 the price of icebreaker.

I dont do anything in a very heavy layer...all my layers are thin and light and I can double up if need to...all my outwear are simply shells...no insulation.

1nterceptor

Pearl Izumi riding jackets have a vent in the back. Sometimes I get too hot
I open the front zipper. I use a balaclava when temps go below 40-45F. I just
use a long sleeve cotton shirt underneath the jacket. Here in New York City,
it rarely goes below 15-20F in the winter.


LITTLE RED LIGHTHOUSE, NYC by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

Seattle Forrest

FYI, my experience comes from cycling through Seattle winters (where it's typically 35 F to 45 F and raining), from kayaking, and from hiking, camping, and backpacking in the Cascade mountain range.

Cashmere (wool or down from goats) is the best insulation around. It's 8x warmer for the same weight than sheep wool. It sheds and repels water instead of getting wet. When it gets moist and warm, it loses its insulating properties temporarily. I sweat less in cashmere than in any other insulation, and, surprisingly, less than if I don't wear an insulting layer.

But your base layer shouldn't be providing more insulation than it can get away with. Its job is just to wick the moisture, to move it outward. If it's too warm, you'll overheat on your ride, and you'll have one less layer to pull on to deal with that.

I wear a goretex parka if it's cold enough, and a windbreaker if it isn't. (Cold means air temp, wind speed, and moisture in the air, so I can't give a specific temp cutoff.) The windbreaker with a merino base layer and cashmere insulating layer will get me through all but the worst of a PNW winter.

Chitown_Mike

I wish our winters in Chicago were that tame!! That's almost shorts weather for me!

Anywhere to find a cycling jacket with a rear vent? That would be something I might invest in this winter.

Acquaspin

My.02:

Not from biking but from hiking/mountain climbing. Layering is usually the solution to ideal body temperature in harsh weather conditions.
ideally there are three layers:
First (base) layer that wicks moisture away from your body (sweat getting cold in direct contact to the skin makes you feel cold really fast), wool is the ideal material but there are other synthetic fabrics that work ok.
Second layer what keeps you warm (ideally uses your body heat to warm up an air pocket trapped between the first and second layers that slows down the heat transfer away from your body). Polartec was a fabric that i remember back from my prime climbing days, super light, breathable and super warm.
Third layer does the wind/water proofing. Nylon is light and does the job for both wind and water. Usually have good vents in armpits and back. Gore is a type of coating used in a lot of outdoor gear that basically seals seams and repels water, works well in my experience.

Depending on how bad things get, each layer could be comprised of more than one garment.
It needs to be breathable. You don't want to cook in your own heat nor feel like sitting on soup during your ride.
Layering allows you to adjust as you go along and find the sweet spot easier. No need to freeze the first 5 miles and/or feel too hot in the last 5 just because my gear selection doesn't allow me to add/remove layers accordingly.
Don't limit your search for bike specific gear. Gear for other sports work just as well and do not carry the price premium of "bike specific gear". Specially base layers.
Hand and feet. Here i think it is better to look for bike specific products. I still have not found gloves that are good enough in keeping fingers warm without being too bulky to make shifting cumbersome. For feet, neoprene covers (if you use clipless) have worked well for me keeping the feet warm/dry.
Head/face. Depends on temperature tolerance. My ears really really hate the cold so i use an ear band cover or a thin beanie or hat pull down over the ears. If the weather gets to the point i'd need to cover my nose/mouth then it is my time to chicken out of the ride.

I like these threads, usually new/nice suggestions for things to try found on these posts...

Seattle Forrest

Our winters would be pretty tame if it wasn't for all the hypothermic water in the air. I'd take snowy and frigid over wet and cold any day of the week, it's less potentially dangerous.

Chitown_Mike

That is true.....cold pea soup wouldn't be much fun to ride in!

bigfred 

We're just entering spring down here in the Southern hemisphere. So, I'm just emerging from my first winter of regular riding in quite a while. The coolest days we saw were in the 0 to -5 centigrade range. So, think 20-30F.

I've ended up with quite a selection in order to accommodate any days expected weather. I also run "warm" and don't neccessarilly require as much insulation as others.

For day's that are expected to remain cool I start with a synthetic, long sleeved, wicking base layer. Sorry wool proponents, it's just not for me. I then add a short or long sleeved, full zip, jersey over that. Then top it off with either a vented wind vest or vented wind jacket. Bottoms will be anything from shorts+warmers to knickers to full length tights depending upon expectations.

Shoe Warmers! I use them a lot. It's amazing what a difference warm/dry feet make.

I also have two different weights of over glove that I wear. One is a light pair of knit synthetic, rubber palm and fingered, work gloves. The other are windstopper fleece with suede palm and finger overlays.

I've ended up with no end of combinations to allow tailoring my clothing to the days weather. There's a big difference between dressing for a day that starts cold, but, is expected to warm up and dressing for a day that is expected to remain cool. The first involves more light layering and the use of arm and leg warmes. The later involves thermal long sleeve jerseys and tights.

I don't own any "waterproof" layers. If you're riding in the wet, you're going to get wet, one way or the other, from either internal moisture or external. So, I opt for shells that have plenty of venting and rely on blocking the wind to remain reasonably warm in any wet weather. Which we have plenty of.

RWBlue01

I may have that, but it only affect me when I am excerting myself hard.

When Walking, hiking, camping...I don't exert myself enough to have an issue. Bicycling, I have an issue and once it happens I spend the day with ah heavy chest.

IBOHUNT

Under Armor gear. Some great stuff imho.

Chitown_Mike

I had more issues when I was younger and a chunky kid, I don't have too many issues like I used to, but playing some tag football with friends last winter and I got really lightheaded because I couldn't catch my breath. A few minutes chilling on the sidelines and I was right as rain.

digibud

Since I ride in colder conditions than you do (applicable to nearly everyone reading this thread ) I'll mention two important things I haven't seen covered. First and most importantly is the need to start your ride in a state of almost uncomfortably chilly. A pair of adequate gloves is important if it's cold enough. There is one big advantage to some cycling specific outer garments and that is the fact that some of them are windproof on the front but very breathable in back. Not breathable like GoreTex...breathable like knitted wool or polypro type breathable. Any shell, even vented, will not be vented enough for a serious effort in cool/cold temps. The colder this gets the more important it becomes. At -20F my wife and I have to stop occasionally to brush off the frost from each of our backs. In warmer temps (but still cool) it means your perspiration will be able to pass through and out entirely but you'll still have a wind block in front. My cycling tights are windproof in front but very "open" in back. Same with my jacket. The jackets are harder to find than tights. There is no good solution to stopping and being cold. None - except possibly using a very large saddle bag. If you are comfortable when you are exercising hard you will be under dressed if you stop. When it gets cold...really cold...we switch to mtn bikes so we can take panniers and extra layers in the event of a flat. In cool but safe temps, don't stop and if you do, have compressed C02 and the ability to fix a flat quickly. End of story there. Learn to start out with the right layers to allow you to ride comfortably. Or buy a grossly over sized seat pack to put a thin jacket in if you're too warm or bring another thin layer with you in the seat pack. My buddy has a saddle pack that looks like it would fit a winter coat. I laugh at it but in cool temps those big bags may actually let you take along an extra layer or remove a layer. And as always, two thin layers are better than one thick layer. Good luck.

bigfred 

Our old solution for this same problem whilst back country tele-skiing and skinning up mountains was to take a highly compressable, light down jacket to throw over top of everything else we were wearing if we stopped for any amount of time.

The lighterweight ones pack down to not much bigger than my rolled up arm warmers or wind vest.

Myosmith

Don't stop riding just because it's cold out. As long as your roads are decent, get out there. There are different theories out there on the proper way to stay warm but if you are sweating heavily in cool/cold weather, you are overinsulated. The usual problems are:

1) Riders try to dress so that they are nice and toasty warm when they first walk out of the house into the cold air using heavy single layers of insulation rather than several lighter layers.
2) Riders try to stay nice and toasty warm throughout the ride and don't shed layers soon enough.
3) Riders don't understand which fabrics work (wool and some tech fabrics including polypropylene) and which don't (cotton, cotton, or cotton).

I rode the Headwaters 100 in MN last Saturday and we started out under heavy clouds at about 34 degrees F with a 12-15 mph headwind. During the day the sun finally came out and temps climbed to around 55 degrees. Here is how I dressed:

Head: regular summer helmet, mid-weight tech fabric cycling cap that pulls down onto the nape of my neck and over my ears.
Torso: tech fabric long sleeve lightweight base layer, tech fabric long sleeve runner's jersey with 1/2 zip front, and fleece full zip vest.
Legs and Feet: Cycling shorts, knee warmers, light-weight unlined runners pants, tech 1/4 socks under 70/28 merino wool and polypropylene hiking socks in regular MTB shoes.
Hands: Fingerless cycling gloves inside slightly oversized mid-weight Thinsulate gloves.

I'll admit, I was quite cool, at the edge of shivering, starting out and was thinking I was underdressed, especially on the fronts of my legs starting out into that headwind, but by the first stop at 31 miles I was warmed up to comfortably cool. I tuned the insulation over my core by opening the front of my vest just enough to stay at that comfortable cool. About two hours into the ride the sun finally started peeking out and the temps started improving. I shed my vest and the heavy gloves and was again very cool, almost chilled, for a short while but as the day got nicer, I was unzipping my jersey to avoid sweating. By the end of the ride I had shed my leg warmers opting to keep the light pants. When I changed clothes for the drive home, my gray base layer (which shows every drop of perspiration) was just slightly speckled in the middle of my chest and none of my other clothes were damp/wet except for the band of my hat where it rested between my helmet and my forehead. As far as I'm concerned, this was a good example of thermal regulation. I had been quite cool at times but never shivering cold and for most of the ride was very comfortable. The amount of clothes I shed easily fit in a small stuff sack on the rack of my touring bike and weighed only a pound or two. On a sunnier day with less wind, I could easily use the same gear to several degrees below freezing.

I'm a 5'11" 220lb Clyde who sweats very easily and profusely. When I hear guys say that they sweat on cold weather rides no matter what they wear I ask "Would you have been sweating in a t-shirt?". The usual answer is "Of course not. I would have froze." The obvious answer then would be to wear something warmer than a t-shirt but lighter than what you actually wore. You will only sweat if your body temperature rises. In cold weather, your body temperature will only rise if the balance between heat production (exercise) and insulation/ventilation is off.

+1 on not needing big brand name cycling specific clothing. If you can afford it, great, but a lot of my winter cycling wear is from Target or JC Penney sports departments, usually bought off season from the discount racks.

goldfinch

I have foregone cold weather, just driving 500 miles south and skipping Myosmith's ride, which I was considering. I will ride only into the upper 40s, which is pretty easy to deal with: Tights, maybe with a wind blocking front, wool base layer, short sleeve jersey, maybe arm warmers, jacket that I can vent, gloves over gloves, wool socks, thin wool skull cap. I may wear my "winter" helmet, a Bern. Any colder and I have trouble with my eyes and likely would need goggles.


Seattle had the good suggestion a while back of converting sweater sleeves into arm or leg warmers. If I was riding in colder weather I would consider that. Old wool sweaters are plentiful.

kevindsingleton 

+1 on Under Armor. Their "Cold Gear" is designed for this sort of duty. Top it with something warm, like fleece, and something wind-proof, but breathable, and you have a great system for removing the sweat from your skin and allowing you to regulate heat by venting or removing layers. The compression effect is a bonus.

I wear a fleece belaclava that I can configure to cover everything but my eyes, or rearrange to expose more skin to adjust for temperature. Covering the nose and mouth helps to reduce the effects of breathing very cold air, which I find to be uncomfortable, and also keeps some moisture in your airway.

Take a look at neoprene mechanic's gloves for a good-fitting, wind-resistant hand cover. Some have breathable backs, which may not be what you want, but some are neoprene all the way around.

I haven't found a good solution for keeping my feet warm. They need to make Under Armor "Cold Gear" socks!

RWBlue01

Well today it is 53 degrees F.
Bicycle shoes
Bicycle shorts
Thin tight jogging pants (these are probably yoga pants)
long sleeved jersey
polar fleese pull over
windbreaker/lightweight jacket
Bicycle gloves

Here is how I ended up:
cold hand borderline uncomfortable
cool feet, cool legs, comfortable
cool chest with jacket undone, I wouldn't want it any cooler.
back and underarms very warm and sweeatty
Arms didn't get sweatty until I stopped.

This is why I was thinking some bicycle specific gear may help. If I had a zipper in the back of the jacket or under the arms.....
And tell me about your pants. I need something a little warmer, but I don't want it in the gears.

RichardGlover

52° at the start of my commute; 65° at the end.

I wore:
Long-sleeve poly-lycra blend underarmor-style shirt (Target's house brand, IIRC),
standard cycling jersey
MTB Full-finger gloves
Cycling Beanie (covers ears and head) under standard helmet.
Standard Cycling Bibs.
calf-length cycling socks
Shoes with toe covers

In the 50s, I find it's not the cold so much as the cold + wind chill from your forward momentum. Anything you can wear to keep the wind from cutting into you does wonders. If it can vent from the back, so much the better.

Seattle Forrest

Every day I'm more tempted to take up telemark skiing this winter. I may not be able to resist.

rdtompki

Where do you live? What are the coldest temps you're going to ride in? Your post above seems like you're way over-dressed for 53 degrees. The clue is you had to undo your jacket; I wouldn't be surprised if you got pretty wet with all that gear on.

If you're working at all a base layer, jersey, arm warms and maybe leg warmers should do the trick. And don't give up on cycle-specific jackets. Unlike hiking, cycling generally requires a pretty good wind-blocking layer in the front, but a lot of venting in the back.

chefisaac

Do a bikeforum search on Foxwear. And talk with Peter_C. I have been doing a little research and will buy form Foxwear. Sounds amazing and they custome make stuff.

chefisaac

Yeah, its best to do some trial and error when riding. For 53 degrees here, I wear a jersey, bibs, sometimes a thin shirt under jersey and if there is wind, I will wear thicker gloves. How long are you stopping for? Maybe stash a wind jacket