Alertshirt.com Jackets?
 

Even though it's summer I'm looking ahead for commuting in the winter - my commute is short, only 3.2 miles, but the weather around here can get pretty wild and the distance isn't long enough to really get warmed up. It doesn't get too far below freezing in the winter, but lots of precipitation in various degrees of solidity. I've been looking for good insulated, hi viz cycling jackets but haven't found any. Last year I made do with layering under my Sugoi windbreaker, but it wasn't always adequate, and since the windbreaker was purchased to be a fairly trim fit I can't get too much stuff under it.

I've purchased some t-shirts and tech shirts from alertshirt.com and am happy with them, and was wondering if anyone has experience with their insulated jackets? Would they be suitable for riding a more upright bike? How well insulated are they?

Cannot help you out here too much but good for you that you are thinking ahead to winter. I do the same. Better to be prepared for the next season.

Is the jacket waterproof? Since you commute is short, that might be a good idea. I think areotech has a nice waterproof jacket but it gets REALLY warm even when it is raining and cold out.

Last year, I just sucked it up for the 22 mile RT trip. I still need to dial some stuff in but it worked last year.

Do you have a link to their jackets?

http://alertshirt.com/hivisjackets.html

Here's their jacket page - If I get something it would be either the thigh-length coat or the bomber jacket. I can see the benefits of both - the longer jacket would keep my crackal area covered on the bike and be nice to walk around in, but I could see it getting hung up on the saddle depending on how long it is.

Mostly I'm thinking about this because now is the time to get good winter gear for cheap and I'm a tightwad. :D

I use and like the Alertshirt.com wicking ANSI green tees. I have considered but have not tried their jackets. In cold weather I wear several layers, with a large bright green windbreaker on top. Then as I ride and heat up I remove underneath layers but keep the windbreaker. I'm not sure that an insulated jacket would work out for me. I suspect I would either be too cold at the start of my commute or too hot at the end. Curious to see what others think.

Yeah - if my commute were longer I'd be worried about getting too hot, but since it's only 15 minutes if I pedal at a sedate pace (and I work nights so I'll be commuting in the dark) I probably won't warm up in time.

I wish the high end bicycling jackets had as much reflective stuff as those alertshirt ones. I glued some onto my J&G jacket. But why can't they do it in the first place?

http://www.bicycleclothing.com/Water...n-Jackets.html

I bought a jacket, parka length, from a work clothes specialty store in Astoria.

Neon lime , with multiple 2" wide bands on the body and sleeves ..,
just lacks bikie details like arm-pit zips and such..

this past winter I got a Cycle rain cape, I offers less reflective material, and yellow.
but I'm Dry under it, in my own traffic cone.

Dunno anything about those jackets, but if you are cold, see if you can get a thin cashmere sweater to wear over your work shirt & under a windproof jacket. Sometimes you can find cashmere at the thrift store, and Macy's usually puts theirs on sale around the end of December.

I own and am happy with many AlertShirt shirts.

I own and was disappointed with one AlertShirt jacket--the pullover windbreaker. The reason I don't like it is the cut. It's cut for fat guys sitting on backhoes all day. While it fits well in the shoulders and arms, I could make a whole second jacket with what flaps in the wind around my middle. For reference, I'm 5'-10" 175 pounds and bought the large.

Since then, I've found the AlertShirt folks are very good about returns. And they're very good on the phone. You just have to remember that their primary market does not have a cyclist's physique.

I have a neon lime/yellow cycling windbreaker that I wear over layers in the winter. When it's cold (low 40s) I wear a couple of shirts underneath, with one being a long sleeved UnderArmor shirt. If it's warm (50ish), I just need a cycling jersey under the jacket. I recommend layers. My only complaint is that like typical windbreakers, it doesn't breath all that well. I just deal with the sweat. YMMV.

I've got a Illuminite Commuter jacket would work for you if they still made it. It's a heavy duty windbreaker with pitzips that has kept me warm and dry in a 40 degree downpour. There's room to layer under it, and it's too warm for me most of the time, especially in the arms. My arms usually sweat when I wear it, but something like that might work for your 15 minute leisurely commute.

Hi kookaburra,
I'm a little bit up north of you in Vancouver, CA. Similar weather, I imagine (though we are somewhat sheltered from the Pacific by Vancouver Island) and a similar commute (4.7 miles each way). Anyway, a few winters back I bought a Gerber hi-viz EMS coat (w/removable liner). It's similar to the ones sold by alertshirt (specifically the ANSI class 3 bomber), very good quality, but a terrible coat for Winter commuting by bike.

I'd intended on using the coat only for the worst weather conditions that might make the use of my e-bike (it's AWD-ish, for snow and ice, not that we get any here.) a logical resort. Only problem is that on the odd occasions that I do haul my e-bike out from retirement I find myself trying to meet or exceed the electric motors output resulting in mad high-speed sprints that aren't conducive to a cool and relaxed riding style (This riding style carried over to my non-electric daily commuter which completely rules out using the Gerber EMS coat for commuting. I'd die from heat exhaustion or an MI or some damned thing). The coat is a little too bulky for my tastes, not very breathable and more often than not I'd wind up as wet inside from condensation as outside from the elements.

Coats like these aren't designed with bicycle commuting in mind. I've found that, for myself, going with more bicycling specific clothing for my outer layer(s) works much better. If hi-viz is required I bring along a hi-viz vest or sash. The shirts are good though, really like those, but I'd pass on the road crew/emergency services coats and go with a good, single layer, bike specific, wind and water proof jacket with the usual assortment of pit-zips and such then layer up underneath as necessary.

Thanks for that post, I've needed a bike specific jacket. And that looks like a good one.

A few weeks ago I was looking at this jacket by Endura, it's really nice but pretty pricey. Has anybody got that jacket?
http://www.endurasport.com/Product.a...22&prod_id=229

I think it is a great idea to get one. If you plan to, drop me a pm and let me know how you like it. I would like to hear your opinion before going with one.

I wear layers under a windbreaker - for a windbreaker I use a rain jacket. The layering underneath ranged from just a compression top and a T shirt to possibly an acrylic sweatshirt between the two.

To date I've ridden in temps to -25*F with that; a compression top, a sweatshirt, a T shirt over that, then a rain jacket.

At about 35*F I start wearing a neck gaiter and pull it up to cover my ears. At around 0 I put on a scarf, and switch the gaiter to a balaclava. At about -10 I switch the balaclava to a neoprene face mask.

I wouldn't buy an insulated bike jacket because I think it would only be cold enough to wear it maybe 20 days a year, when it was < 0*F out, and I can just layer up for those days.

Will do - I think I'm going to go with the thigh-length one. For multiple reasons, layering doesn't work as well for me as it does for others. (Too many, and I'll end up spending more time getting dressed than actually commuting!) And with the long one, even if it doesn't work out for cycling, it should be a good walk-to-the-store- in-winter coat, which I also happen to need.

Darn you...Now you got me thinking about what I am going to do for the winter. 16-22 mile RT, half street and half MUP. Winters are usually very mild in Southern Cali. It can get down to frosting temps in the AM though. I have only done fair weather riding and am not even close to equipped for winter weather and winter lighting, i.e. dark when I leave work.

I don't intend to hijack the thread I just don't see a point in starting a new one so...anyone have ideas for me?

Lol.... you high jacked the thread!

Did I ever send you the list of my winter stuff? If not, I can tomorrow when I am at work. I would say start thinking of getting the stuff now. Much easier to work out the kinks before you actually need them.

LOL. Lemme look. I may have it but figured it for the colder areas of the nation. Around here 50* is freezing. lol

I just got a MagicShine headlight and PDW Radbot1000 - both very bright lights. I work nights so it's only during high summer when I have daylight to use, and a Bell Lumen LED light and a PB Blinky 7 worked for me if the Magic Shine and Radbot are out of your budget. The Bell Lumen light (21.99 at my local department store) was better than many $25-$35 lights I tried, so I recommend it if you're watching your $.

On a longer commute like yours I think layering makes sense - personally, when it's chilly I'm much more comfortable if my "points" are covered. Ears, nose, hands, feet. Warm silk socks, headband/balaclava (especially one that can be taken off easily as you get going and warm up.) I have this thing that I love, my mom got it for me waaaaaay back in 4th grade for skiing, it's this long stretchy tube, and it can be worn as a hat, headband, neckwarmer, or balaclava. No idea what it's called though.

Ha ha, I went to college in Santa Barbara - I remember being in shorts and a tank top while my classmates who were native Santa Barbarians were bundled up in down coats and shearling boots.