Originally Posted by
HC203
Thanks for the winter riding wear breakdown.
No worries, mate!
Did you see the breakdown that I did on the BBC Listserv? If not, it went like this:
Winter Weather Question - BBCTalk
I have to preface this with "Your Mileage May Vary" (YMMV), because it's a personal comfort thing and there are several variables to consider when dressing for the winter, such as:
1) Temp
2) Humidity
3) Wind
4) Average intensity of your ride
5) Amount of Descending
6) Precipitation
7) Exposure time
This is how I dress for various late Fall, Winter, early Spring temps (I bike commute to work all year 'round):
60-70F
----------
bib shorts
short sleeve jersey
bike gloves
thin socks
50-60F
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bib shorts
short sleeve jersey
"gardening" gloves inside bike gloves
base layer "T"
Merino wool arm warmers
thin socks
Fabric shoe covers
Cycling cap under knitted cap or maybe just cycling cap
* sometimes, I place a trash can liner in front of me between the base layer and short sleeve jersey--if it starts getting damp, I take it out and shove it into a pocket for later
40-50F
------------
bib shorts
Merino wool knee/leg warmers (the ones I have are long enough to be either)
short sleeve jersey
"gardening" gloves inside bike gloves or WindStopper gloves with "gardening" gloves as inserts
long sleeve base layer "T" of CoolMax
Merino wool arm warmers
thin socks, plus Merino wool socks (from Sam's Club)
Fabric shoe covers
Cycling cap, under knitted cap
* sometimes, I place a trash can liner in front of me between the base layer and short sleeve jersey--if it starts getting damp, I take it out and shove it into a pocket for later
30-40F
-----------
bib shorts
Merino wool knee/leg warmers (the ones I have are long enough to be either)
long sleeve base layer "T" of CoolMax
WindStopper gloves over "gardening" gloves as glove inserts
heavy weight sweat shirt made of a polyester/acrylic fabric
thin socks, throw-away plastic bag between thin socks and wool socks, Merino wool socks (from Sam's Club)
Fabric shoe covers
Wind breaker
Balaclava and knitted cap or balaclava, cycling cap, under knitted cap
crumpled bandana as windblock for "the boys"
20-30F
-----------
bib shorts
Merino wool knee/leg warmers (the ones I have are long enough to be either)
long sleeve base layer "T" of CoolMax
WindStopper gloves over "gardening" gloves as glove inserts
heavy weight sweat shirt made of a polyester/acrylic fabric
thin socks, throw-away plastic bag between thin socks and wool socks, Merino wool socks (from Sam's Club)
Neoprene and fabric shoe covers
Thicker jacket like the TeamBBC jacket
Balaclava and knitted cap or balaclava, cycling cap, under knitted cap
extra pair of cycling shorts as windblock for "the boys"