Fly2High

BF,
When someone talking about underlayers, is it typically only under a jersey or do some put long johns under their tights?

dh024

If it gets really cold, I will sometimes put on my merino long johns under some loose fitting urban cycling pants, or for more warmth, wear rain pants over winter tights. You need a bit of air space between the layers to really make it work.

MNBikeCommuter

"Cold" is certainly relative to the location and rider, but here's what's been working for me for many years (roughly. I "fine tune" based on wind, sun, mood, length of ride, etc., etc.):

Legs:
45-60ish: lightweight tights
30-45F: heavier tights
Below 30F: wind pants (looser than tights, so that underneath I can wear) lightweight polypro, mid-weight polypro, fleece. The latter doesn't come out until maybe 10F or colder. Given the movement of the legs, I try to minimize layering, as compared to:

Top:
35-60ish: wind breaker
Below 35F: hooded wind breaker
Mix and match short sleeve polypro, and light/mid/heavy longsleeve polypro. I skip the jersey if I can't show it off. :-)

TriDanny47

When it's below about 40F, I wear a thermal base layer underneath everything else. I'm easily chilled and I wear as many as 6 layers on top, 3 or even 4 on the bottom at times. I've found that Under Armour Base 4.0 is my favorite for "normal" conditions. They now came out with Base 5.0, may have to try that. I also have a set of battery heated baselayer for extreme cold.

Leebo

I use poly pro tights of various weights depending on temps. Wind pants over that if needed. I wear merino wool base layers, wool sweaters and some kind of outer wear. Usually a wind proof vest or a running jacket.

1983

Put as many layers on as you need to stay warm. An under layer is a base layer is a layer.

Non-tights layers under a pair of tights tends to be awkward and uncomfortable, because the nature of tights (we are talking form-fitting lycra/spandex-type tights right?) is to scrunch up the "extra" material on anything under it which itself creates uncomfortable points of friction. My solution for this is to instead wear a thicker, single layer eg Polartech fabric rated for whatever temp I'm riding in.

Adding layers over a form-fitting top is a norm; I use a synthetic/wool tight top with one of two cannodale cycling jackets in my closet, depending on temp and visibility.

thin_concrete

I treat it as I do skiing - I will wear Under Armor under my shorts, and will vary them based on temperature. The colder it is, the thicker the base layer.

jamesdak 

For me wool has proven far superior to the newer under armour type materials for serious winter riding. If your baselayer gets wet from sweat and then you have to stop for any reason like to fix a flat anythinb but wool get's cold really fast and then takes forever to warm back up when you get moving again. Just what I've learned over several years of winter biking.

PaulRivers

I don't wear tights, so I'm not as sure about those. I commute to work sometimes, don't like walking in wearing tights, so I wear stretchy pants that are windproof (also sometimes bikes to other destinations that I would feel silly in tights in). Under those I wear fairly form fitting wool. Ditto with the top - windproof jacket over wool baselayer.

Not sure what people do with tights, if they wear form fitting layers or buy warmer tights.

berner

Bottom, I wear tights below 55 F and two pair of tights below that. Top, I wear a long sleeved base layer and a cycling long sleeve jersey over followed by a light puff jacket and a wind-proof vest over. It it is really cold, say in the 20s F, I wear a micro fleece jersey under the puff jacket. Miro fleece is tightly woven and is wind resistant.

Today was mid 40s F when I left the house about 9AM wearing cycling shorts, two layers of tights, two layers of long sleeve jerseys and the puff jacket and wind proof vest over all. My upper body and legs were warm but feet were a bit cold for the first hour. On my hands were liner gloves with wind shell gloves over. Hands were a bit cold also so next time I will wear slightly heavier fleece gloves under the liners.

I have a rack and trunk bag on the bike. As temps warm up and outer layers come off, there is a place to put it all. I warm up slowly so wear plenty of clothes starting out. There are people in out bike club in shorts and long sleeved jersey when I look ready for winter.

caloso

Today it was 37F. Next to my skin I wore bib shorts and a polypro longsleeve undershirt. On top of that, a pair of generic running tights and a longsleeve jersey. On top of that, a windvest, but I had to take it off after 15 minutes. On my extremities I wore a fleece headband that covers my ears, medium weight full gloves, and toe warmers.

berner

You're one of those people who produce lots of heat where I'm the opposite. I'm ofter very surprised at the range of metabolisms. I once was on a hiking outing to New Hampshire in mid-winter with 3 feet of snow on the ground and temps in the mid to high teens. As the group I was with went up the mountain we encountered a group descending. One member in that other party had no shirt on and was drenched in perspiration. I've since seen other similar sights but that was the most extreme. When people here ask about dressing for cold, it is difficult to provide a useful answer. Maybe it should be said to bring plenty of clothes and if too warm, remove some of it.

cyccommute 

Wow! Just...Wow! I know...and understand... that people have very different tolerances for cold but you are way out on the tail of the distribution curve. Please don't take this the wrong way but most people would be dying of heat stroke with that amount of clothing at 55°F. Use what works for you but realize that you just ain't normal I wouldn't wear what you are wearing until the temps drop below 20°F.

For me, today started at around 30°F with some low spots where the temperature dipped down into the mid 20°s. I wear over the knee wool socks, bike shorts, regular jersey, bib tights, a light long sleeve jersey, a slightly heavier long sleeve jersey, a wind jacket, ear warmer and gloves. For temperatures below 60°F, I wear tights or leg warmers and maybe arm warmers in addition to regular summer bicycle clothes with regular bicycle gloves and regular bike shoes. Below 50°F, I usually add a jacket and maybe light long fingered mountain bike gloves. Below 40°F, I add a long sleeve jersey, switch to waist high tights, add long socks and change to a warmer shoe with which I may or may not use shoe covers. At about 35°F, I add another long sleeve jersey and switch to bib tights and change to my winter boots...Lake MXZ303. From 35° to around 20°, I add heavier gloves.

I've found over the years that things start to get interesting below about 20°F and the amount of clothing starts to increase exponentially. If I'm sure that the temperature will hover around 20°F all day, I'll break out the Pearl Izumi Amfibs bibs. They are a great, warm bib but they are just too hot above about 20°F for me. From 20° to about 15°F, I add a light sock under my wool socks and a light balaclava. From 15°F down to about 10°F, I add in another jersey and either leg warmers or waist high tights. Below 10°F, my wife starts to question my sanity but I add the mountain bike gloves under my heavy gloves. At 5°F to 0°F, I begin to question my sanity and the amount of clothes I'm wearing.

Realistically, below about 5°F, I just add a car

jfowler85

Warmer tights. I thought it would be colder than it was this am; I was sweating in my polartech tights in a 40f wind chill. You'd be pleasantly surprised at what a single layer can do.

Leebo

So that's like real CA winter?

Leebo

Tights of various weights. Top with wind pants. Easy. Some of my tights look like stretchy wind pants. Just not like pale blue track suits from 1985.

caloso

Mid 30s is a pretty typical winter low temperature for Sacramento and the rest of the Valley. We'll get some freeze warnings each winter but it's not an every week thing. But you can't really say it's typical for all of California: low of 19 in Truckee, low of 57 in San Diego. It's a pretty big state.

rumrunn6

cycling specific wear against your skin, other layers over. I like thin lined shorts, then a thermal layer - basically whatever you want, then some kind of wind barrier shell. play with that middle layer and until you find wutz right for any given temperature. some days you might find that just bike shorts and snow pants will suffice. some days you might need a fleece layer or "long johns" in between. but stick to bike specific garment against your skin or you might get chaffing

scoatw

My base layer are my work clothes that I wear riding in the morning. From 50f/10c to 35f/1c I'll add leg warmers. Below that I wear my Sport Hill XC pants over the work pants. For the aftn ride home I wear shorts and/or tights. Or the XC pants by themselves. They're good to 20f/-6c by themselves. Below that I'll leave the workpants on underneath. All winter. The Sport Hill XC pants are a well made, loose fitting winter cycling pant. Good with no base layer or thermals to about 20f. Windproof and Coldproof. Not cheap. Around $100. But they last. I've had mine for nine years. And the second pair for about five years. I also have their Infuzion pants which are good from about 55f/12c to 25f/-3c. I use those when the temps initially start to fall.

Fly2High

For those of you not wearing cycling specific clothing like ski and work clothes etc., you use rubber bands or Velcro to keep the pant leg out of the chain?

Is tucking into the sock enough? I find when I do either, my pant leg or socks get black from the chain as it is nearly impossible to keep the two from contacting.



If not, how?

erig007

No need with my current pants as they are narrow enough at the ankle. With my other pants i use velcro reflective bands. I've also switch to a smaller 22t chainring instead of a 42t which helps but it was already not an issue with my current pants.

cyccommute 

Um...aren't "tights" just stretchy pants?

Please clarify. I'm not sure what you are asking. If I need another layer under the tights, which is seldom, I wear another pair of tights.

jrickards

So, all those clothes AND a car? You need to fix your heater!! LOL

I find that at the beginning of the season, when it first dips below 10C/50F I'll put on tights over my shorts and long wool socks and I'll wear a long-sleeved light merino shirt under a long-sleeved jersey but a few weeks later when I've ridden in at 0C/32F in the morning and am riding home at 10C, I'll be riding home in only shorts, short socks and a long-sleeved jersey: my temperature tolerance will have changed so I'll need fewer clothes.

jrickards

Yes, you do want to keep your pant leg out of the chain and while a rubber band or string or velcro will work, at this time of year, with reduced light, I'll don a reflective ankle strap (actually on both legs). Depending on how thick your pants are, you might be fine with one of those slap style ones but if not, go with a velcro style.

chasm54

As far as layering is concerned, a lot depends on how much effort one is making. If you're going hard, too much clothing will have you sweating like a pig even in cold weather. Usually my max is a pair of tights over bib shorts, a long-sleeved merino baselayer and a long-sleeved cycling jersey. Maybe a gilet if something to keep the wind out is a priority.

With the extremities it's another matter. Plastic bags between socks and cycling shoes, neoprene shoe covers, two pairs of long-fingered gloves, a stretch hat that covers the ears.

All that keeps me good to go down to freezing point. I rarely ride much in sub-zero temperatures.