Originally Posted by
cyccommute
You need a whole bunch more equipment to deal with the cold and with riding at night.
Not necessarily. If you want to look like a faux racer then yes, but otherwise the normal clothes that OP already has can very likely suffice just fine. I don't wear special clothes for walking or driving somewhere nor is there a need to do so for riding a bicycle. People in the US try to make bicycling way too complicated.