Originally Posted by
noglider
It has been an excellent year for me. I set some goals, and I have exceeded them. I'm about to hit my mileage goal for the year, and there are three months left to the year! September has been the biggest month for miles. I plan to be tougher against the weather this winter, though I think I will mostly avoid icy and snowy surfaces. I have to figure out how I want to handle cold rain, and that shouldn't be too hard. In below-freezing temperatures, I have to figure out how to keep my hands and feet warm. I have to wear SPD shoes, so that adds to that challenge. I have an excellent jacket and a ski helmet, so they help.
Tom,
I the winter time I wear a good pair of rain paints and high top waterproof shoes. High top is the key-you want the pants to overlap the shoe like shingles. If you wear low tops there'll be a gap, and cold rain will find it's way in there. Leg warmth can be adjusted by using knickers or tights underneath.
Chrome makes a nice pair of SPD compatible shoes. It's also available in non-SPD, for those like myself that commute using platform pedals.
If you use nice wool socks your feet may not be warm, but they won't be painfully cold. Last winter there were several days when I rode the 9 miles to work when it was raining pretty hard and in the low 30's, my feet were fine.
Hands are a different story. I think I have poor circulation in my hands. I've found that the best bet is to wear a set of gloves with a rainproof mitt over them for those really cold days.