Hi All,

New to riding, picked up a 80's steel 12 speed in July, and have about 800 miles in this summer. Would love to keep riding into the fall for a bit, what will I need as far as gear for the cooler weather (in Michigan), I have just a few pair of Bib shorts and short sleeve jerseys, which have been fine for summer. Are there long sleeve jerseys comfortable for riding into the 50's temperature wise? Should I be looking for long pants, are those even a thing? What about keeping my feet warm? I ride with platform pedals and running shoes, I may look at riding shoes this winter but I will be a very hard fit.

Let me know what gear you use, including gloves, if you can.

Thanks.

For temps into the 30s I wear a base layer and a breathable winter jersey and over that I wear a Windstopper vest. Low 30s I might add a heavy jersey and maybe a jacket. I always wear bike shorts but when it's cold I add leg warmers. I have some that are light and some heavy.
Long pants with chamois are available, as are windproof cycling pants. You can wear long johns or tights.
50s or lower I like a wind resistant cap that covers my ears, it's a big help.
Most of the time I wear glove liners under fingerless gloves. If it's really cold I have neoprene/leather gloves or when descending in the snow on the mtb I wear ski gloves.
I like Merino wool socks and neoprene toe covers. I've been in the 20s and used chemical warmers under the toe covers. It works great and I learned it from a BF member.

I choose a lot of stuff based on the fact that I sweat buckets. Even gloves, if they don't breathe they get soaked. It's why I prefer a vest over a jacket most of the time, I can take it off and stash it for a climb.

Take my comments with a grain of salt, because I live in Florida, but winter temps can get down around 40 degrees or even in the 30s sometimes, and while I dress warmly and don't suffer too much, the coldest part of my when I finish a ride in cold weather is my feet. So, think about how you're going to keep those toes warm.

When your feet are cold you're not having fun anymore. For extreme conditions I have Gore Tex socks but they're very sweaty
If the OP is using flat pedals he could use any shoes, even hiking boots.

For the 50F's I will wear a L/S thermal jersey with a full zipper or a 180 degree wind jacket. Any more than that and I heat up too much, get wet with sweat, and will get too cold on descents. Of course, humidity, cloud cover and wind chill all are factors to consider.

Arm warmers, knee warmers, and a wind vest. That will get me down to the low 40s.

OP, big john raises an important point. We're all different and you're unique. You need to find how so. Go make mistakes and adjust over time. Ex: my feet don't get cold. Two fingers get cold but otherwise my hands are fine. My legs generally do fine but my torso gets cold. We're each different. I often think of my winter cycling choices as slowing heat loss vs keeping warm. I can be very comfortable riding at 30degF but rapidly get cold when I stop. So, experiment then adjust.

I have no "cycling kit" but have numerous breathable shirts and pants found at Target, Lidil, Costco, REI and EMS. Pants with wind proof fronts and breathable backs. Wind resistant soft shell jacket. Windproof gloves. All sized so I can layer up then remove if I get too warm. I get great benefit from protecting my neck and carotid arteries. I fit a handlebar bag or trunk to hold layers I shed if needed.

Hard won experience - it's ALWAYS colder when you get started than at the car or in your driveway. You will always be cold for the first 15 minutes. "UGH! I've gotten it wrong. Better go back, too cold." No matter what, do not quit and turn back. After 20 minutes you'll realize that you're fine and it just took some warming up. Enjoy. Maybe if you're still too cold after 40 minutes then rethink it all.

50s aren't bad, depending on humidity, wind, and sun sometimes I'll just grab a warmer short sleeve jersey. (After you ride long enough, you may accumulate a wide variety of jerseys!) Below that you may want a t-shirt (aka "base layer") under a long sleeve jersey, ear warmer/headband, and knee warmers. Low 40s call for real tights and a jacket. Below that, check out clothing posts in the winter riding forum.

Don't have to worry about temps now, but years ago when it got cold I liked poly pro gloves, tyvek jacket, and leg warmers.

scott s.
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And I've found that my favorite cool weather gloves (50s-freezing) are inexpensive Head gloves from Costco.

Yeah, your right. Like some other things I've learned, it really comes down to trial and error. I do appreciate everyones ideas though. I need to have some idea what and where to start. Like, my feet generally get cold doing other things, so I'll think about how to keep them warm.

My friend told me the same thing about seat height, etc. We got it close, now ride it and see how it feels.

Make sure your shoes aren't too tight or have any pressure points. If you're on the bike, curl and flex your toes and pull up if you're using any kind of foot retention.
Sometimes I extend my legs and stretch and shake them one at a time. If it gets real bad you can take your shoes off and massage your feet.

Don't forget about hydration. If you get cold dehydration will make it worse. If you're working hard in the cold you still lose hydration through breathing even if you don't seem to be sweating a lot.

With all the forest fires, Now, I'm looking forward to the onshore gales bringing in heavy rain squalls..

After each ride, think about temperature and wind and what you were wearing and consider something like this:

I was noticing that this rider doesn't cover his knees until 45F. I'm old school: once it gets below 65, I'm wearing kneewarmers.

Yeah, I like to cover them when it gets into the 50s. It helps with my overall warmth and even helps keep my feet warm.

like others have said, wool socks and hiking boots work great

in that Michigan cold, I'd layer up all over (feet, torso, head) and hit it, then adjust accordingly

Clothing for the non -sporty people who ride for transportation

Nope. Sandals forever (with socks of course), and then I switch from eggbeaters to pinned platforms and winter boots when the studded tires go on. I like the sandals as things get colder due to being able to open up the straps to accommodate the thicker socks. If I add in loose booties the sandals are good down to quite chilly temperatures, I just prefer the boots once the studs are on.

I know, right? Not only an early adopter of a better design, but capable of selecting a single footwear that works comfortable across a 100 degree range, but able to memorialize the learning that occurs over the 50,000+ miles biked so far and increase the efficiency of clothing selection in a way that speeds me on the commute, compared to the fumbling-in-the-dark old-school approach of a Myers-Briggs perceiver type making a new synthesis and choice each time, before climbing up onto the post of the antique to hunch up onto that tender spot for the duration. I never thought of it like that before, but thank-you for the compliment.

How do you get knee warmers to stay in place?

You have to find the right combination of warmers and shorts/bibs. I use full length leg warmers and some of them will not stay up. I have some with sticky rubber on the outside and they work.

I've had good luck with Castelli and LG leg warmers. It helps if they have silicone grippers on both the inside and outside so they grip your leg and the inside of the shorts. And I've had some (ChampSys and Nashbar) which were absolute crap and never stayed up.

When it gets below 55*, I wear technical (breathable) athletic pants over my bike shorts. I have a couple different thicknesses of pants, depending on temperature and whether there is dampness involved. For actual winter conditions (30-40*) I have flocked lined, shell pants over the chamois shorts. You can get neoprene toe covers for your shoes that will keep your feet much warmer. There are also neoprene covers for the whole shoe for winter. A breathable base layer shirt, then a lightweight long sleeve jersey with zippered front and then a jacke with venting and pit zips. I have a heavier goretex jacket for winter, also with long pit zips. Venting body heat and moisture is very important in cold conditions too! A couple different weights of gloves. A helmet liner...one just covers my ears, the other my whole head. As someone already noted, start your ride just a bit chilly. yOu will warm up and be unzipping vents within 20 minutes.