I see a lot of posts here asking questions about commuting clothes and I need some input. Is it too minimalistic to say that perhaps some warm up pants and a couple of layers from goodwill will do the trick? I currently commute in some nike warm ups, a pull over (VERY YELLOW) champion windbreaker, and various layers of other stuff all purchased for under 10 bucks at the goodwill. I will concede that there are other things I have splurged on (i.e. my messenger bag) but I ask you guys (and gals) how important the clothing if your commute is under, say, 12 miles?

I'll add, if you believe there are some essentials, especially for winter riding, what are they? When is goodwill not enough?

Whatever is comfortable to you. Stay dry and warm. If goodwill does the trick, so be it.

If it works for you, that is all that counts. Commuting does not require OCP membership and lots of fancy gear. One of the advantages of commuting by bike is saving money, not spending it (though I admit I tend to spend my savings on bike gear). Years ago my lights consisted of flashlights taped to the handlebars and rear rack, the rear lense colored red with a magic marker. Even today, even though I make a pretty good living, my winter clothing includes a lot of non-cycling specific gear, including sweatshirts, a $40 jacket from Xmart, and a mty favorite ancient, sweat-stained ball cap. You just use whatever works best for you and hold your head up high while doing so. :)

Check out how they do it it the Netherlands and China, were people REALLY commute. You'll see all kinds of warmup suits,sensible shoes and people holding umbrellas in one hand when it rains. You don't have to dress like Lance, or ride his bike to commute. Spread the word.

Yeah. Wear what does the job. That being said, circumstances may dictate the some gear is easier to handle than others. For example, I really like my new tights that I layer with additional windblocking pants. I then change at work. I found that even though temps were below 32 F, I was sweating and/or making enough water condense that my street clothes got just moist enough to give me a bit of a chill when sitting in the office. Why not just slow down and not work up the heat? I seem incapable. I just get toodling along and, well you know, you ride a bike too. It's fun.

I buy bike-specific clothing, I just try not to spend more for it than I would for equivalent non-bike-specific items. Mostly this means waiting and buying stuff on sale. I find that everyday all-weather commuting is hard on my clothes, and the bike-specific stuff lasts longer, so over time I save money. For instance, the bike shoes I bought for $40 on sale have lasted several times longer than $40 running shoes would have in cycling service. The problem with this approach is it takes a while to build up a wardrobe.

I say go for it! You're all set. I commute 365 in Seattle wearing a lot of cotton pants and croppers, wool shirts and sweaters.

I like thrift store (wool) clothes for even long rides, some of my favorite cycling tops are merino wool shirt/sweater type thingies from Goodwill. Right now around the (unheated) house I'm wearing a charcoal Sacks Fifth Avenue Merino wool boatneck top I bought for biking for 5 bucks at the Goodwill yesterday. Looks good off the bike too.

I like making knickers out of thrift store pants for riding, just chop them off about 4 inches below the knee. finish with a hem and a drawstring if you're handy with a needle or have a sewing machine, but totally unecessary.

Dude, my winter gear is ridiculous, but so far, so good.

I have two expensive things. A pair of Sugoi SubZero tights and an UnderArmour base layer. Everything else is makeshift. I've got a nastiferous old trench coat which I occasionally saturate with Cavalier Protect-All. I layer an old wool sweater under that, then pull a pair of baggy cords over my tights and tuck them into knee-high wool socks. I use a fleece headband around my ears, then sock that down with my helmet and wind a scarf around my neck and pull it up to my nose.

If it is not too bad out, I just use the base layer, pants, sweater, trench coat and headband, but if it is very cold, I add those wind tights, too, and can add a lighter fleece sweatshirt between the base layer and the sweater if I need.

I'm going to get myself a ski mask or balaclava and a pair of goggles this weekend in anticipation of worse weather. I already have a pair of heavier gloves for worse weather, though so far, just my normal full-finger gloves have been sufficient.

I was describing my cold-weather gear to a friend's mom this past weekend and she asked me if anyone had ever assumed I was homeless based on my ragged and peculiar garb. I told her no, but I haven't had a hoot or holler from a street-corner Romeo in months, so my garb is doing more for me than just keeping me warm!

I like a poly undershirt and long sleeve cotten tee shirt for temps down to about 34. riding my recumbent I can wear my work clothes for the most part.

I think that whatever works, works. Most of my stuff comes from walmart, really. Its all I can afford. The only cycling specific clothing I have is my Cannondale Roam shoes, and Louis Garneau booties, oh, and some cannondale gloves that aren't as warm as I'd hoped. I wear running/warmup polyester pants, a pair of thin ones and pair of thick ones. When its under 30 degrees or so, I double them up with the thinner pair as a base layer. Then a polyester shirt for a base layer, then a cotton long sleeve shirt over that, and a cotton hoodie over that. I know, if cotton gets wet... but its what I can afford. I also have rain gear that I bought at walmart that works so far, although I have yet to go through a torrential downpour here. Won't get that until spring.

So, do what works. The less spent, the better IMHO. I only ride 5.5 miles each way, so its not like I can't change out of my clothes when I get to work. The only problem I'm having so far is that carrying rain gear, 2 layers (3 up top) and work clothes is really bulky! I carry my shoes to work, too, since I only have 1 pair of regular shoes, but I am going to remedy that and buy some for work that I can just leave there.

I started commuting on the cheap in Minnesota with normal winter cloths. Although my commute was less than six miles, I also rode in single digets and wind. I was a student and I also had public transportation to back me up. Now my commute is 15 miles, I can afford to get good stuff, and I don't have public transportion backing me up I have started buying better clothes. Having said that you can use alot of stuff that outdoor construction guys use in the winter, which does not cost as much as cycle specific cloths. Look at Sears for non-cotten base layer stuff, socks, gloves, etc.

Frankly, I don't think there is any bicycle-specific clothing appropriate for really cold northern winters. You don't have any choice but to wear your everyday winter attire.

I suppose a scuba dry suite might work if it was colorized to look like something for bicycling. Otherwise, you might as well wear your ice fishing clothes. That's what I wear - swamper boots, face-mask and all.

Fresh out of college, commuting three miles each way in the snowy Finger Lakes region, I wore mostly layers of regular clothing. Believe me, it would get COLD and regular clothes were fine. Many years later I now have a fairly full complement of bike-specific clothing for most weather conditions. My commutes have been much longer (up to 10 miles each way), and let's face it, bike clothes are more comfortable on longer, more intense rides.

OP, do what makes you comfy and is practical but don't go cheap for the sake of being hardcore, what would be the point of that?

Retrogrouch status. Yesterday I wore knickers and a 50 year old red wool sportsman's doublet.

Bike specific stuff is nice on long rides. I can't see riding a metric century in carharts and sorels, but for commuting, thrifted, non-bike specific clothes are no problem.

Could not agree more with that sentiment! Yeah, sometimes the cycling specific gear is nice to have because it's been engineered for a specific purpose. But so what?! Wear what you like, what keeps you warm, what works for you. Ride on :)

I go back and forth between regular clothes and bike-specific cold-weather clothes. I notice subtle advantages to the bike-specific clothes, like less rubbing of pants on the bike or my legs, and less wind resistance. My cold-weather tights have wind-stopping panels on the front of the legs but not the back, which keeps my knees warmer in cold wind but also breathes well.

Having one pair of bike-specific cold-weather tights isn't that expensive. But buying enough to have a clean pair available every day of the week can get expensive fast. If you're comfortable in more affordable clothes, then frugality makes sense.

I commute wearing stuff from goodwill. You're not the only one, davidmcowan. No bike-specific clothing for me.

i have a puffy coat that i use only on the coldest of cold days. i feel so warm in it, the only problem is massive sweating. and i don't even realize it - but when i take my coat off my arms are actually dripping with sweat beads.

I agree with you minimal. but not much to talk about

a good think to pick up at the thrift store is a tight-fitting wool sweater. this with something (anything really) to block the wind on the outside will keep you toasty up top.

What! No matching tights, jersey, and bike! How dare you! :) j/k

What works works. :p

I started minimal and am slowly adding more bike gear. The long rides I tend to take are more enjoyable with more appropriate clothing. Appropriate does not automatically mean cycling specific. One of my favorite items is a nike pro fit shirt.
However, the most important for the long rides are my cycling shorts. Otherwise, massive pain in not so nice areas.

i'd splurge on the stuff that makes contact with your skin.

a good base layer and bike shorts/tights really make the ride more comfortable.

on top of that anything that keeps you warm is good!

for my top half nothin expensive out there works better than a wool sweater or two over he base layer.

down bottom i am a sucker for tights when it gets cold but you can find running tights on sale and they work just as good as the bike specific stuff worn over the regular bike shorts on cold days. i got mine for under 20 bucks ( i did just splurge on some THICK ones for real cold days those were maybe 50 bucks?)

some key places to save:

gloves (some fleece mits i got from sierra tading post for 3 bucks)

socks (milatary surplus wool socks 10 pairs for 17 bucks)

I commute 5 miles each way. I just wear normal work clothes. Ive also got a bright jacket and some wind pants for rainy weather (just in case). With the brooks saddle I don't need to wear bike clothes for short to med. distances, not that I wear em for long distances either...

Under 8°C, and when it rains.

I've found that the most important piece of gear is a windbreaker of some sort. You can wear 5 wool weaters, but if the wind gets through there's no point. When it rains, I simply throw on my surplus poncho, (make sure you have fenders if you use a poncho!)which also acts as a winbreaker. I like wool mittens to keep my hands warm, and wool socks for my Converse All Star-clad feet. This stuff can be done for very cheap. Of course, I work as an auto tech, so I don't have to show up looking like I'm going to church.