Being from California, I don't have a lot of warm clothing, but there's still an occasional need to go for a ride with the temps in the 40's or even high 30's. Specialized bike winter gear costs an arm and a leg, and cost-benefit ratio just isn't there. The warmest combo I have consists of a long-sleeve jersey, bib shorts, leg warmers, and a thin cycling jacket (not much thicker than the jersey).

I'm wondering if people have any opinion about military surplus physical training gear. I'm looking specifically at Army IPFU jacket and pants. They are dirt cheap (~$20 each pre-owned), come in a wider choice of sizes than bike clothing, have vents, and generally look like they could bring down my tolerance level another 10 or so degrees, if I wear them on top of what I have.

That said, I haven't seen them in person, I'm just looking at pictures and specifications online. Given the amount of money spent on military in the U.S., I'd assume that the least they could do is design high-quality physical training gear for soldiers.

http://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/doc...&docid=1514905
http://www.alleghenyoutlet.com/alleg...pantsnew-1.jpg