Wilfred Laurier

be careful you dont get too sweaty in your windbreaker
the irony is
you may have been better off without a windbreaker
because the wind cutting through the cotton will speed evaporation

while you are at walmart
look for something like this
not too pricy
but should help you stay safe and comfortable while riding

also
if you are dressing for riding in nc
the same as you used to dress for snowmobiling in nb
you are dressing incorreclty for riding

fietsbob

Aged Past the road -lycra look in my riding , commuting, daily use..

50's is winter high .. summer low , here .. my recent apoption is sweat pants /track warmups

a compound jersey knit, nylon on the outside , polar fleece on the inside ..

Russell , 1 pair Bangladesh , 1 pair Egyptian, sewn.

Notgrownup

My tee's are wicking fabric...got them at spoting goods store for $14.00 the ones at Walmart were just like cotton... I think at 40 degrees , a regular tee shirt and a windbreaker will do the trick...i can unzip for venting...No, not bundling up like the skidoo days...LOL... i remember the 1 piece snowmobile suit, deer skin mitts with wqool mitts inside and big ol Gum Shoes with the felt liner... Wool ski mask and all...Would go check my traps after school every day... good memories there...

bbbean 

As luck would have it, nearly every bike shop, website, and catalog sell these things. Well worth the investment.

Versatility is key. I love my arm and knee warmers, and the sleeves come off my jacket, making it a vest. If I ride long enough for the weather to change or to get a lot hotter or colder than I thought I would, I like having the option to go from shorts and a jersey to full skin and wind coverage with just a few pieces.

Icculus21

Really? That sounds pretty heavy for 41, then again, everybody has different comfort levels. At this temp I'm good with shorts and single cotton or fleece layer over a wicking t-shirt or jersey. No gloves, warmers, etc. However, into the 30's I'll want to put on gloves, leg warmers or tights, and some kind of wind-breaking layer on top.

Notgrownup

Man, you so tuff and brave...LOL...Live down south for 22 years and your body acclamates to the heat and humidity...Plus circulation problems and arthritis.... When i was in my 20's living in Canada i could've said the same comment as you did above but not now... I don't have to prove my manliness to anybody anymore and i like to stay warm when it's cold and cool when it's hot...Getting too old for the chest beating from the mountain top...LOL... Been there, done that , Got some Enbrel.
Peace out my Cycling Brother, from another Mother.

Gramercy

Any recommendations on cheap tights to put over bike shorts? I don't need PI $100 tights.

RoadHolland

I'd pair up a nice vest with a really nice long sleeve wool jersey -- maybe even throw in a base layer if it is really chilly. Enjoy your ride.

caloso

Just go to the running section of your nearest general sporting goods store like Big 5, Dick's, Sports Authority. You could probably find some at places like Target or Kohl's as well.

Carbonfiberboy 

Never cotton . Long sleeve Craft tee, long sleeve medium weight jersey, shorts, PI running tight ($65) or leg warmers. Wool socks. Booties if wet road, wind vest to start with, might take it off later. Many people would wear a 3/4 tight but I don't have any.

rumrunn6

last Saturday qualifies for these temps, I did 44 miles with this:
- stiff brown Merrill walking shoes, they must be 8 yrs old but they are still awesome
- thin brown socks
- tri shorts
- Novara headwind pants with Walmart suspenders, I felt chaffing in the creases surprisingly early on. was I too wet? should I have worn just my Lululemon thin cycling pants to start? Probably but I forgot my ankle bands and those pants are quite loose at the bottom. I would have needed a bigger trunk rack to carry all the changes of clothing I cud consider. It would have been good to have lubed the creases with something before I set out. gotta remember a little dab of something for rides over 30 miles. I managed ok by getting out of the saddle and adjusting my layers and "things" from time to time.
- Short sleeve thin capilene base layer
- Short sleeve athletic shirt
- Long sleeve Brooks Podium 1/2 zip running shirt (shud have used my cycling wind break w zip off arms. I made it OK without it but just a few degrees cooler and it would have been the right thing to have with me)
- Fingerless gloves 1st half and fingered gloves 2nd 1/2. Fingers were considerable chilly in both directions and any colder I would have wanted a step up in that dept for wind/thermal protection.
- Helmet alone 1st 1/2 and I added a headsweat for the ride back. I was borderline gonna slap on the shower cap wind break that I always promote over the helmet but, like the other areas, if it was a few degrees colder I wud have. That's an easy item to carry.
- Clear sport glasses, I can use a new pair, but they were fine. Toward the end, in the dark they were less than clear and fogged a tiny bit. If my light died I would have gone without them to see better in the dark.

Bakerb24

Being in NC, you're asking about our basic everyday December temps. I did 33 miles this morning with temps right at 50 with a strong wind. Now I'll admit that I was the only member of my group that didn't have leg or knee warmers on. I rode in Regular Shoes and Socks. Regular Bib Shorts. Long sleeve compression shirt (nothing very heavy), regular jersey over that, full fingered gloves, helmet cover. I was pretty comfortable all day.