ccrnnr9

My team is doing our winter clothing order and we have the option of getting cross skin suits. They are long sleeve skin suits with a fleece lining for added warmth. Do any of you guys wear these for racing? I think they sound great but then again is there any difference between those and just wearing a normal skin suit with a nice winter base layer?
~Nick

ronbridal

No experience with a cross skin suit but I wish our team would do it. The minimum order requirement is too large for us though. Buy one. If you race a lot you won't regret it.

truckin

I'm all for the skinsuit for 'cross (as well as for TTs and crits). We only have short-sleeve skinsuits. In NC, though, it's not so cold that you really need the long sleeves/legs, so I use arm and knee warmers (add base layers as necessary) to complete the skinsuit when it's chilly.

ccrnnr9

Ya we are a large team and use champion systems for our stuff. They count jackets, vests, skin suits, etc into the total for tops and accessories (booties, gloves, caps, etc) as accessories so it is easy for a team to meet minimums for those items. I really like the stuff I have of theirs so far. The skin suit looks to be a long sleeved light fleece lined with knicker legs. I may just hold off and get a normal TT skin suit and use arm warmers to save cash but who knows.
~Nick

welcomdmat

Then for North Carolina, you would recommend going with the short sleeve over an unlined long sleeve given the choice of one versus the other?

truckin

Well, last year was kind of an anomaly because it was so warm for most of the races. I can only remember two that I really needed much in the way of base layers during the races (obviously you can layer up while you're warming up). Short sleeve versus unlined long sleeve? I'd probably go short sleeve simply because you'll be able to use it more comfortably for TTs and crits during the rest of the year as well.

danimal

go with the standard skinsuit. last year i did cross in new mexico, the last few races of the year were in the 40s (granted, it's not new england, but it was chilly) and all i wore was a long-sleeve standard TT skinsuit and full-finger (non-lined) gloves and i was sweating after lap one...

last year was my first season racing cross and i was shocked how hot i got even on the coldest races, i think a lined skinsuit would be nice as a thick base-layer on winter base miles rides but overkill for most of the cross season.

ronbridal

With that said about the skinsuit I would not get it. The fleece would be too warm once you started to race and the idea of knickers seems to bug me a little. Knickers? No. Go with the TT skin suit, you'll be much happier.