Originally Posted by
bikerjp
If you are warm, you'll be hot and sweat more and end up even colder.
Yep. I always start out feeling pretty cold. It takes at least 3-5 miles to get to full operating temp at which point I'm sweating. It doesn't take much in the way of clothes. In the 40s I wear a long sleeve jersey, thin jacket that's windproof in the front and porous in the back (to let sweat out) and leg warmers. I wear a beanie under my helmet and maybe a helmet cover if it's colder. Windproof shoe covers are a must. Below 40 I'll mix and match two thermal or merino wool jerseys under the jacket and wear tights with windproof fronts. I have a variety of gloves to choose from, but none are thick or bulky. If it's really cold I'll wear a balaclava.
Today for example, it was in the high 40s and I wore a long sleeve jersey and vest with windproof front and mesh back. No beanie, no leg warmers, no shoe covers. Once up to speed I needed to unzip the vest a bit.