Originally Posted by
scoatw
Depending on what you get. It's sometimes cheaper to spend the $$ on good quality gear. It'll last longer. My stuff from Sport Hill will be starting its seventh season of everyday cold winter riding use. The XC pants they have retail now for $120. Back in 07' they retailed for $105. I got em on sale for $65 w/ free shipping at Amazon. Their Symmetry jacket, at the time retailed for $250. I got it for $140 at Sierra Trading Post. The winter boots I use are LL Bean Snowsneakers, still going strong after six years. $65. I'm working on my second Showers Pass elite rain jacket as my outer shell. Those are difficult to find on sale. I use that all year long as my primary rainjacket. But in winter it gets used everyday. My gloves are simple cotton jersey gloves that I pick-up at a convenience store for under $3. I use those down to the 30°f mark. Lower, I go with Loki convertible mittens. Check em out. They're nice. I use very little cycling specific clothing in winter. Maybe a helmet cover and the Showers Pass jacket. But that's it. I look forward to getting many more years out of my Sport Hill cross country ski clothing. That way I can spend my money on other stuff.
OMG! We bought nearly the same stuff! Sweet!
I bought my Sporthill jacket, xc pants, xc sweater for nearly peanuts on sale and that was about 7 years ago. They wear like iron! I also wear LL Bean Snowsneakers and they are comfy and warm for winter cycling. I layer with LL Bean's medium weight wool long underwear and they are warm and wick away sweat like crazy, and machine washable. I even toss them into the dryer because I'm lazy. Both sets are in perfect shape. My rain jacket is a fleece lined rain jacket from Lands End and I can't kill the thing. My gloves are actually spandex and fake leather work gloves from Home Depot which look very similar to long fingered bike gloves except they cost $9.95 and fit my small paws. I wear a pair of waterproof ski gloves (name brand escapes me) but I don't think I paid more than $25 on them and they are at least 7 years old.
Sales, make them your friend. Also, unless you like matching outfits and are rather fashion conscious, don't worry about the colours. For example, the sage green Symmetry jacket is just as warm as the dark berry Symmetry jacket. But if sage green is $50 bucks cheaper, I'm buying sage green.