For you roadies - I'm set on gear when it's hot, and when it's cold. But what do you wear when it is 'cool' outside? I'll define cool as above 32F, but below 65F. I'm looking at purchasing some gear for the fall, as I've been using a hodgepodge of random things that is never really right, and is bulky anyway. Do you guys use armwarmers/legwarmers, full length tights, jacket of some sort?

I'm relatively new to cycle specific clothing, so any input would be appreciated.

I have one of those Pearl Izumi "convertible" jackets where the sleeves zip-off. It's absolutely fantastic. I'm personally good into the 50s with my "normal" gear, the addition of arm warmers, and usually a thicker/winter skullcap under the helmet. Down into the 40s, and below, it's bib-tights and the convertible jacket. We seldom see colder than that here.

Right now, I can't even imagine cold weather. Our coolest day this week will be 96º. The overnight low last night was 85º.

I wear a wool baselayer under my jersey and arm warmers. I can always pull the arm warmers down if necessary.

I've got bib knickers and wool socks. The knickers cover your knees and my calves at least don't feel the cold so much. But I start with knee warmers with my regular shorts. They are easy to remove if necessary.

When it gets colder, I'll go with long sleeve jerseys; there are some that have a bit of windblocking on the front which really helps. Then swap the short sleeve baselayer for a long sleeve one. Knickers get replaced by tights only when it's as cold as I care to venture out. My windbreaker vest is quite useful; I can ball it up and shove it into a jersey pocket if I don't need it.

I dislike cold ears so I've got a number of headbands to keep my ears covered.

I follow the ten minute rule: if you aren't cold the first ten minutes of a ride, you are over dressed.

Sounds good. I'll give the leg warmers a try, hopefully those will keep me toasty until it starts snowing

I rarely put anything on my legs, be it tights, or warmers, just don't like the feeling. I live in NorCal, so perhaps that's why, it just rarely gets *that* cold. And for my body, I don't really recognize "cool". It may start off cool, in fact I may be uncomfortable for 10 minutes or so, but once I warm up, I just don't get cold again. If it's cold enough, I'll put on knee warmers (IMO, thinner is better, the thicker ones tend to bunch behind the knee, and don't stay in place very well). If I need something on top, I have a very thin, stuffable cycling jacket. The key is getting one that is FITTED. Nothing worse than feeling like you are a wind sail, and the associated LOUD flapping. For me personally, it doesn't take much to keep me warm up top, so a very thin jacket works well, inevitably I end up taking it off. Another plus to a very lightweight thin jacket is I can just wad it up and stuff it under my jersey if I'm moving and don't want to stop to stow it properly in a pocket.

Oh, I do use arm warmers. My arms can get quite cold, even in "cool" weather, but IMO arm warmers are all the same. One brand is as good as another.

It's 102 right now in Walnut Creek and the next 2 days could exceed 110. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!! Bonus, air is choked with smoke. Oh man after this I'm gonna crack on and do some VO2 max intervals!

Gloves. Gotta find gloves that fit and you are comfortable in. It took me a few pairs to find the right ones.

Also, if you're really riding in 32-65, that means 40s and 50s...neck is a big thing for me once it gets below 55ish.

And...hydrate even if you're not sweating. Colder temps tend to make people feel more comfortable. Don't get caught off guard with regards to fluid intake.

Knee warmers, arm warmers, wind vest. That gets me from low 60s to the mid 40s, which is most of fall here.

I don't have a neck gaiter, but I gotta admit, the cycling gaiter is a good look. Don't know what it is, but they just look cool, especially when you see those slow motion videos of pros doing their winter training. I'll have to get one so I can be cool too. I just don't know if I'd like something around my neck and up near my face...

32-65 is a pretty broad range and covers multiple pieces of clothing for me. Actually I wear normal summer stuff till it gets down to around 60. From around 55 to the low 60's I wear shorts or bibs and a light weight long-sleeve jersey. below around 55 I wear tights with a variety of tops depending on the temp. I have a Nashbar thermal long sleeve that is good by itself down to the high 40's. Below that I can put a thermal layer under it and when it gets really cold, or if it's damp, I have a cycling jacket that is waterproof. I check the outdoor temp when I wake up and then dress accordingly. I've figured out by trial and error what works at what temps.

Generally my cold weather rides are in the early morning, like 4:30AM and I'm only out for a little under an hour. The tights on their own are good down to freezing for that amount of time, but if I was going to be out longer, I would probably want something heavier on my legs. I would probably also get some heavier socks as my feet also get a little cold sometimes.

On weekends when I do longer rides, i can wait till it warms up to high 40's or so.

I layer. At about 55 degrees down I'll use some combination of wool socks, fingered gloves (I have insulated and non), regular bike shorts with long bike tights, a Cabellas light silk long shirt, an Under Armour T shirt, an ancient ugly Performance long sleeve poly fleece bike jersey and an equally ugly (but not color matched) Pearl Izumi windbreaker...and a Lycra skull cap under my helmet. My head, hands and feet tend to be the first to go in the cold, so wool or poly fleece best for me...but head and hands are the place I start peeling to regulate body temp. I carry a cotton ankle sock in my pocket to put da junk in if required (works great at cutting cold drafts). Works for me, your opinions and experience may vary.

Wool is comfortable over a broad temperature range. From the 60s F to high 40s F, a long sleeve wool jersey works well for me. Below that, a silk long underwear works until its below freezing. Then a nylon windbreaker shell works. As it gets colder, the biggest problems are my hands and feet, not my core.

Knees covered (knickers, knee warmers, or tights), long sleeve base layer, Thermal long sleeve jersey, Thin knit nitrile-coated palm work gloves

under regular ones (full or 1/2 finger depending), Giro merino cap w/ ear flaps (flip up & down as needed while riding),

shoes covers (thin, or neoprene). Eat a little heavier prior to ride.

32 is beyond cool- ski gloves, etc. but I rarely get that.

Something wind resistant for the top half -- I like to use a long-sleeved thermal jersey with a wind vest over it. Some decent full-fingered gloves. Maybe a cap under the helmet. Bottom half -- leg warmers. Technically you should be wearing them in anything below 70 degrees F.

As noted 32-65F is a really broad range. And to be honest, everyone is different enough that while you may get ideas from others for pieces of gear I doubt you'll find someone who needs to dress exactly like you in all weather, and even more importantly, for all of the various ride intensities and variations in terrain you subject yourself to.

As it gets colder, one of the tougher things to manage is the heating and cooling effect of climbing and descending. In the 30s it is not that big of a deal for me but it quickly becomes one in the twenties and teens. Your temperature range might vary from mine though.

In the end expect to have clothing options suited for each 10 degree F increment.

Legs can tolerate a wider range. I never had or saw any advantage in leg/knee warmers until this past spring. They're good for longer rides where it starts out cold but warms up into the 60's +. If it's just chilly (upper 50's, low 60's), usually riding will warm them up sufficiently, but if it's cold, the knees just don't get comfortable and the legs, while they may not feel cold, just don't loosen up. Aside from that, if it doesn't look to get out of the 50's during the ride, I'll put on tights.

Arm warmers, similar concept - most useful for rides with a cold/chilly start when one expects it to warm up eventually, but not in much less than an hour. However, for the upper body, wind is more of a concern, and arm warmers are not much help in that respect. A highly-compressible windbreaker - one that can be easily packed into a side jersey pocket - is much more useful for cool days, and a vest is good if it's generally mild, but with wind chills likely during descents.

I'll address temperatures close to freezing. The basic idea is this: For upper body, a baselayer to wick sweat, a middle layer for insulation, and an outer layer for the wind. How cold it is will dictate how thick those last two layers are. You can't avoid the bulk when it gets to freezing.

Leg warmers under shorts or 3/4 tights might be enough, but longer/thicker tights might be warranted.

Do not neglect your fingers and toes. Thicker gloves can be cumbersome, especially for shifting, but cold fingers will make you miserable. Shoe covers or winter shoes will keep the cold out of your toes. Shoes that are less snug will let your toes wiggle around and promote circulation, thus warming them.

Wool sweater with a layer of newspaper on my chest. And wool tights.

OK, so the leg warmers seem to be legit...just struck me as a bit odd lol.

Yea so I've got a long sleeve jersey that is pretty comfy down into the 40s...lower than that and I get out the fleece lined softshell jacket, which with a thin wool sweater works down to 10F or so. I guess really my question was about the bottoms. I had been doing wool tights under MTB shorts when it got cold...but that's overkill at 55+...but I don't like cold legs so I did it anyway haha. Seems like the leg warmers are exactly what I'm looking for. I always assumed they would just fall down, or bunch up...

Yeah your temperature range is pretty wide really. Basically it comes down to your own personal warmth level (for lack of a better description) and the temperature. There's no one right answer especially with that temp range. When things get under 70 deg for the entire ride I start thinking about things like base layers, arm warmers and knee warmers along with heavier socks and or toe covers. Also very possibly a vest. A bit cooler and I'll go to a LS jersey, full finger gloves, ear cover...say when it's low 60s and a lot of 50s. Get into the 40s and I'll put on tights (I hate leg warmers) over my bibs and break out the thermal jerseys (I have 2 of them) and think about insulated gloves and shoe covers. Ride in the 30s will be my Assos winter cycling jacket over a baselayer (this is some hybrid of a jacket and a jersey is the best way to describe it...VERY warm) and I'll go to cold weather cycling shoes and for sure insulated gloves and a helmet liner (this sort of hat with thin fleece and a wind stopping layer).

If you're going out for a specific road ride it's best to be cool not quite cold when you leave. If you are roasty toasty warm then when you get going and building body heat you will be too hot and then you've got to think about taking stuff off and carrying it and worrying about that sweat freezing.

On an unrelated note....WTF is up with the T-Rex arms? I've been cycling a bit more this year than in other years...up to averaging about ~100 miles/wk since late winter/early spring. Upper body is really leaning up, without losing any weight. Shoulders and arms are eerily lean right now lol.

It's real easy to overheat when your legs are too warm. I just wear wind-blocking pants until around 15 F, then a merino layer underneath. Lot of hills around here, the work keeps you warm.

Have a warm drink before you leave, and dress for a few miles down the road.

I think of covering the knees not so much for comfort, as for long-term health.

A car engine gets most wear in the minute or so before reaching operating temperature,

and knees will also work better and longer protected from cold.

Arms, etc. are about overall core temperature (possibly frostbite) without much joint movement.

I consider there to be two main reasons to use arm and leg warmers. One is to expand the period for using your existing shorts and short-sleeved jerseys beyond spring/summer (w/ additional layers on top). The other is most relevant for longer rides. You can peel off warmers if you start to overheat as the day warms us and stuff them in a pocket.

You are not wrong to be concerned about this. Depending on the fit of the warmers, you may go through several pair before you find some that fit w/o being annoying in some way. Personally, I prefer the "one item" solution of bib knickers. They are comfortable in a wide range of temps and don't move around.