Originally Posted by ohplease
That's why I like the zip out back panel on my Canari. Low levels of venting when I want to stay warm, Much higher levels when I needed to cool off.
In truth, through Chicago winters, I went with the shell and sweater, but my commute wasn't very long. Had it been much longer, I would have personally went with feeling cold at the beginning in favor of the more breathable options, but that's me. I'd still pack extra layers, just in case.
The point that I'm trying to get across is that the original poster will probably be better off with several layers instead of going with the single layer softshell. Yeah, they work great in most conditions, but at the extremes, they don't work very well, and cycling as an activity happens to spend more time in those extremes than not. YMMV.
I'm with you, I prefer lots of thin layers and a hard shell to one thicker soft shell. But then again it depends on what I'm doing, and the temperatures outside, however that is my primary modus operandi too.
