And individual tolerance to cold varies widely. A friend of mine uses electric shoe heaters (developed for ski boots) at temps I just wear toe covers.
I find knickers to be great, as are knee warmers. But I think leg warmers are silly (I bought a pair on sale before I came to this realization tho).
Regular cycling shoes with vent holes in the soles can be warmed up a lot by taping over the holes, or putting in some aftermarket insoles with no holes.
You lose lots of heat thru your head, so if you keep your head warm, your core (and fingers and toes) will stay warmer. I have several cycling caps, a beanie, and three different balaclavas in different weights. I don't use a helmet cover because I like to keep my head dry as well as warm.
When you ride in the winter, the sun is much lower during the day. That's one reason I like cycling hats - the visor can be turned up most times, and turned down when needed to block the sun.
If your ears are cold, turtle fur headbands work the best (for me). They keep your ears warm without blocking out much noise. I have a really expensive Goretex headband that I never wear because it blocks out the sound of approaching traffic and other important aural signals (like "I gotta stop to pee.").
I probably have 8 pair of long finger gloves, every thing from Pearl Izumi lobsters to light glove liners that I wear under regular fingerless gloves. I'm still looking for the perfect winter glove.
Toe covers rock. I put them on in the Fall, and leave them on all Winter. When it gets cold enough, I add shoe covers.
Shoe covers with velcro on the back work way better than the more expensive kind with zippers. The zippers always fail.
Shoe covers keep your shoes clean. It's easy to wash shoe covers. Shoes, not so much.
"Gore" brand tights don't fit most men. Maybe they fit women. Maybe.
If you're old and slow, wool clothing works great. If you're old and fast, wool clothing is just wet and heavy. Carry a cat or a small dog with you if you want the same effect.
As others have noted, bright clothing and blinkies really help in low light conditions. Never wear black/dark clothing - at any time of the year.
Sorry you live in NE Ohio. I lived the first 40 years of my life there. Winters really do suck. I ride all winter in NJ, and rarely miss a weekend most years.
And the coldest thing about NE Ohio this time of year is the Browns. My wife and I are still big fans. A horrible loss today. No warmth there...
