Cold weather commuting clothing
 

Any good companies that sell light cold weather clothing such as gloves, pants, jackets for the cold Northeast weather that comes in the winter? I have been using sweatshirts for years now and bulky gloves.
Any suggestions or experiences with certain brands? It's like 100 out right now here, but was discussing the other day with a neighbor what we might purchase this year for the cold season only a few months away now.

You can find what you need in bike shops & online (Nashbar, Performance Bike, REI). Selection may be minimal until later in the summer. The online stores have reviews available for their products, which is very helpful with making a selection.

This is one of my favorite questions and topics EVER. I have ridden through many a cold winter, and I would like to think I have whittled down my clothing choices by now.

Rule number one -- no cotton. Remember, wet cotton (from sweat or elements) sticks to your skin much, MUCH longer than polyester or blends.

Rule number two -- try to go with merino wool as much as possible. Yes, it's more expensive but, in the long run, will prove more reliable, long-lasting, and comfortable. Try sales in September-October-November at your local Marshalls or TJ Maxx. They will have brand-name merino sweaters, for instance for about 20-40 bucks -- last year's models/styles basically that originally were prices at 80+ dollars. I bought about 6 different ones there in the last couple of years that proved very good in the winter -- super warm, THIN, and you can even wash them by hand in the sink and then lay them flat to dry (I sometimes even buy them size up to allow for shrinkage).

Also, at these discount store you should look for winter gloves at dirt-cheap prices. I happened upon a pair of HEAD winter gloves that I absolutely LOVE. Here, you will play a game of trial and error where two seemingly similar gloves will have drastic differences in how they keep your hands warm.

I have worn these HEADs in temps down to -15 F with wind chill with no liner gloves, and my fingers NEVER felt numb due to cold. I don't know what it is (they have thick fingers but not much more than other brands/styles).

Another thing -- good shoes/boots I REALLY like Keen Winter boots. They are not heavy to pedal in, they sustain temps below 0 F, and they have low maintenance.

MY other favorite brands are Icebreaker and GoreBikeWear. I only like to buy them on Amazon or at discount places, not directly from their online sites.

Gorebikewear is one of very few brands that does, in fact, make fast-drying, moisture-control, light, well-made, long-lasting, really rain and snow-proof clothes (like jackets and pants).

Yes, I actually miss riding in snow or winter rain right now when it is close to 80-100 outside because I am not wearing these clothes. Kind of crazy thinking, and I know I will have my time for this (in about 5-6 months) so I should enjoy my summer clothes. Oh well.

I use a rain parka, and pants of a 3 layer waterproof-breathable fabric.
some folks like the features of cycling specific rain jackets.
Showers Pass a good brand.

sewn gloves won't be waterproof , rubber ones will, but get clammy inside.

I got a Carradice Pro Route cycling rain cape, that solves the jacket,
and dry hands and the rainfall from above,
Then I got another thru Rivendale, heavier and a bit bigger..

could sell the Carradice, .. like new..

Most shoes fare adequately , for my commute..
though I got a pair from LLBean, they make them, with rubber lower half
this past winter..

Thanks for all the suggestions going to look at all the stuff this afternoon.

I do ok with mostly everything except hands and ears....both get very cold out there. I stay moving steady so everything else is fine, but the fingers are freezing being at the front like that. I really need a warm set of gloves that are very thin without the bulky pair I have been using.

What's your budget and what kind of weather are you planning to ride in?

I really like Taiga gear. It's expensive, but it's also top quality and is built to last. It's all made in Canada. https://www.taigaworks.ca/Cycle-Clothing-c10

I've had horrible luck with ShowersPass gear. I had two jackets and a pair of rain pants. All three fell apart in less than a year.

For gloves I use Patagonia expedition weight glove liners inside of a Gore-tex shell when it's really cold. They are lightweight and have good movement.

We've had many great rundowns of this topic in the winter cycling forum here.

In late autumn when it's raining and dark, I was wearing a regular wind-breaker with sweaters of varying thickness underneath. Using layers, ideally of wool or wicking fabric, will make it comfortable. The wind breaker I wore is a MEC one that has armpit zippers so that is nice if it's sunny but still cool. I have also acquired a campmor rain cape and it's nice and roomy underneath so I will be using that until the rain turns to snow, since I can wear whatever kinds of sweaters I need to underneath it. I highly recommend the cape cold rains.

When it becomes full-on winter I have a high-vis construction parka that I wear. My choice of winter footwear is water proof sorel boots. I ride on BMX pedals exclusively in the winter and they grip the boots well and my feet have yet to get wet or cold, despite riding in temps below -20C. The big sorel boots show up in thrift shops around here too. If the weather is mild and dry I will usually just wear wool slacks from the thrift store. When it gets cold I put on long johns... and if it's snowy or the roads are sloppy, I wear splash pants on top of that. It was a great setup for a 10km stop and go commute through town. I might gear down a bit if I were doing longer or faster rides.

The other key part of getup was a scarf... could wrap it more like a balaclava if it was windy but most of the time I use it just around the neck as I rarely wore anything on my head... let all the heat out that way and if I was getting too hot it's easy to unzip the coat a bit and let some air out without letting draft in, the scarf is essential gear for me.

If you live someplace where winter doesn't get too cold, you could likely get by using galoshes over your shoes to keep your feet dry and warm. They're also nice in the fall/spring when the big boots are too warm.

I think these are very interesting from the Taiga site:

https://www.taigaworks.ca/cart.php?m...t_detail&p=395

That is exactly what I am looking for in a glove really. The weather here usually get's to around 5 degrees at the lowest with wind chill on some notable cold winter occasions, but it never freezes up like our northern friends have to contend with.

That Taiga site has a lot of great stuff actually thanks for posting that will be threading carefully through it later this evening.

Check out the Salvation Army, especially if you are in a colder climate. I've picked up a few pair of wool gloves, hats, ear warmers, and a few base layers for less than $10. I wear regular clothing and as mentioned before, layer.

Usually an outer shell for weather conditions, an insulating layer for warmth, and a base layer for temperature control.

Depending on your handlebar type I'd suggest going w/Pogies and a good set of Goretex mittens like the Gordini Summit 2 or Izumi Pearl Lobsters gloves. They're available @ http:www.campmor.com Pogies are available @ http://www.winter-cycling-gloves.com/pogies.php The pogies while usually designed for flat bar bikes can be adapted to drop bar configurations. Who knows? There may be a drop bar design already in the market. I just haven't seen any yet.

Get a neck tube/buff. Ive used synthetic and merino and prefer wool.
Wool gloves are pretty good if you can deal with the wear and tear.
I'm sure there are lots of threads in the Winter section.
I'm not a huge fan of cycling-specific gear for winter. I think general hiking equipment is better.

Screw gloves, bar mitts are my favorite winter accessory. I still wear gloves, just light comfortable ones. And my hands are warmer.

(bar mitts is just another brand of pogies -- same thing really).

except Pogies are amongst other uses , for Kayak paddling in colder waters,
so will be in the middle of the paddle shaft.

Another great source is Lou at Foxwear. All my dry weather cold, cold, cold, gear is from him. All his stuff is custom made, and it's extremely affordable and high quality. Made in Idaho.

http://www.foxwear.net/products.html