Those are all good suggestions. I would add that, if you're broke or something, any gloves can be made windproof with the addition of a few strips of duct tape or carton tape. This also has the advantage of raising your dork factor to new levels.

Heck, the coolest homeles guy I ever knew had a set of blaze orange hunting coveralls that were completely covered with transparent packing tape!

While I will wear just about any Walmart winter glove, I do have a balaclava that I regard as the essential piece of winter clothing. It is amazing how a think fleece covering can keep your ears, neck and chin toasty. I won't leave home with it.

Two simple items that will do better than the fanciest trek gear to keep you warm: long johns and a neck scarf (AKA muffler). Like gerv's balaclave, it's amazing how a simple little piece of fabric can do so much good.

Although gerv, I'm not real clear on how a Greek pastry can keep you cozy!


http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/pub...r10bdDixzKim58

From answer.com

Roody if you bought balaclava at the store and they told you it was Greek, you've been fleeced... :)

http://www.bikebandit.com/grabber-ha...LAID=791032918

Best thing that ever invented for hunting and ice fishing, biking too

My winter gear hasn't held up well... it was cheap. I need to spring for some new stuff.

Suggestions?

Oh man that's an AWFUL pun!

:D

I assume you're talking about clothing?

I would start at a resale shop, preferably in a ritzy neighborhood. (I'm lucky--I spend a lot of time in northern Michigan, where thrift shops have lots of high-end skiing, hiking and hunting gear.)

Look for good wool sweaters that are soft enough to wear next to skin. I bought a Brooks Bros. cashmere sweater for $3 at Salvation Army that was my winter undershirt for several years.)

You can buy good long johns at discount stores. I like the ones that are mostly polyester, with a little lycra so they hug the skin.

I could go on and on, but I won't. If anybody has any specific questions, I (and others) can try to give you agood answer.

Have you tried poggies? If anything will work these will. I would post a link but i am playing on my fancy phone.

I was referring to clothing, sorry. I bought two wool sweaters at Goodwill a couple of years ago. They seem to be in short supply around here. One is comfy but tattered. The other is scratchy and a little small.

I haven't owned long johns in years. I'll have to look into that. I also need good cheap windproof pants.

If you get the long johns you probably won't need special pants. The pants I like in winter are But truthfully, mostly I just wear cotton Dockers or jeans. That brings up a good point. I am mostly a carfree or everyday cyclist. I usually ride only an hour or two a day, and that's broken up into shorter legs. I don't get very cold because my exposure time is short, and I'm exercising. (As a carfree person, the only time I get cold is when I'm waiting for a bus.) My sense from this forum is that most everyday cyclists fall into this category. What we need is sensible clothing that's reasonably warm, comfortable, durable, and versatile. We don't really need to dress like we're conquering Everest or cycling to the South Pole.

I own technical winter gear, but I use it mainly when I go ice biking, or on a long winter road ride. If I had a 20-mile commute or store run, I would also want specialized clothing. But I commute to work wearing long johns, khaki pants, long-sleeve undershirt and shirt, and a soft shell jacket. If it's really cold, say < 20F, I will throw on a wool sweater. I don't have to change clothes when I get to work, and I'm ready to ride when my shift is over.

Good points Roody. My commute is short, so exposure time is limited for that.

I do go on the long rides in the winter though. I guess I've been lazy. I need to hit up the thrift stores again, and Target, and if I get desperate, the sporting goods stores.

I hate shopping. I really do.

Well, I just got some new thinsulate gloves. Unlike the older ones that are fleece covered, these have a nylon shell. Hopefully. that will cut the wind enough to give me some warmth.

So that's what is wrong with me no brain.:eek:

The problem isn't the snow so much as the salt. Snow and salt makes a deadly slush that will kick up and get in your chain, wheels, cassette, bearings etc. If you ride in slush and then leave your bike somewhere to melt for a while, it eats away at everything rustable. So either leave it below 0 and don't let it melt, or take it in and wipe it down, or just let your bike rust over the winter.

Maybe even more than the salt, I think the mud and the grit (road crews mix sand with salt) are also culprits. Yes you should rinse your bike off and wipe it down. That said, I never do it. I'm way too lazy to stand in the cold and polish my bike! I like to ride a nice but not too pricey MTB in the winter, preferably with an aluminum frame. I think I replace drive train components and parts more often, but it's no big deal.

A trip to the self-serve car wash is the only way I've found to clean off that nasty winter sludge. Other people might have better solutions. Fenders will keep some of the sludge off the bike (and the rider).

It's been a weird year so far. We've had a few fronts blow through and I think, well, this is it. Then we have days like yesterday. I did an evening group ride yesterday, wore shorts and a t-shirt with a flannel shirt over top just in case, and ran all evening with it unbuttoned since it was so warm. When it does get cold, I feel less tolerant of it than in past years.

Yes, it is variable. By the time your first winter is over, you'll be able to "read" the snow and ice and adjust your riding to it. Deep fresh snow is almost like riding through sand--a little slippery, but a lot of HARD WORK. After cars have churned it, snow gets slipperier--more like riding through mud. On unplowed side streets, ruts will eventually form and it's like riding on poorly maintained singletrack with lots of roots and rocks.

Remember, in most cases the main roads will be plowed and salted. A few hours after the snowstorm, and these main roads will be no different than riding on a wet highway in the summertime. This means that most winter riding is no different than summer riding. Worst case,mMaybe you will have to walk your bike on some of the side streets after a big storm, at least if you don't have studded tires. This is especially likely if there's a little uphill. Your tires might just spin in place, amusing onlookers but getting you nowhere. Just maintain a flexible and adaptive attitude, and you will get through!

Sounds like you might need new pedals more than new shoes. Try BMX pedals, or metal pedals with little "teeth" that grip your shoes. Some people like toe clips (the kind with straps) or something similar. And of course clipless systems (where your shoe has a little metal thing that clips into a cleat on the pedal) are very popular.

I'm sure that others will be able to add a lot to answer your questions. I will just add that it's mostly psychological. Life isn't really about arriving at a destination. It's about how you got there--and the fun you had along the way.

I don't know why it's so hard to find good gloves, but it is. :(

+1 on the Thinsulate gloves.

Merino wool jerseys made for outdoorsy activities usually cost an arm and a leg. But I've found a bunch of merino sweaters at the local thrift shop and on craigslist, for anywhere from $1 to $10. They're soft enough to wear next to your skin, are lightweight, keep you warm and wick moisture away from you. And the wool supposedly has a natural antibacterial property that keeps you from smelling too manly after riding (or womanly, as the case may be).

I don't know if it's antibacterial, but wool almost never gets funky. The cashmere sweater I had was worn next to my skin almost every day for two or three winters, and I never had it washed or dry cleaned. This is really not as disgusting as it sounds!!

What do you do for headgear? It would be great if there were an alternative that you could wear under your helmet, and then just keep on when you go into the store or wherever. I've been considering a traditional wool cycling cap, if for nothing other than the extreme dorkiness of it. I guess a skull cap could work, too.