socalrider

The best jacket I have bought has been a Nalini Sinchi Fleece jacket.. Nice fleece lining, easily can ride into 30 degree weather with just a baselayer and jacket.. Bought from seller overseas.. I have a Banesto and Mapei jacket..

https://www.supercycleclothing.com/jackets-237-c.asp

EffSizzle

Gore Windstopper. 'Nuff said.

cyclezealot

Curious Jarey, what is cold to you. West coaster might be So Cal? To me, cold is under about 43. Frigid, under 32.

socalrider

I agree that the windstoppers work well but they do not breathe well at all.. I have a Santini windstopper and use it sparingly..

Terex

I have a Castelli Freddo that I got on sale at Performance. Maybe $120. People always like it when I ride, but it's not very breathable. I have PI Gavia that I got at the PI outlet in CO and is one of my favorites. Much more breathable, and good down to about 30F.

Jarery

Im in Vancouver BC. So my winter is from 30-50 F. We have a few weeks around freezing, but most is around mid to high 30's and in the 40's.

At those temps Windstopper I find to be crap. If i wear a windstopper jacket, i have to wear just the jacket, no base layer or jersey and even then I have zips open. Unless you want to wash your jacket every day, thats just nasty. If your in sub zero weather, the cold makes materials that cant breath for crap seem very cozy and warm.

I wear an Ibex jacket made from clima wool which is basically Dryskin Extreme from schoeller made with some merino wool. Its too warm through most of our winter. This year so far on my 35 F mornings I wear a base layer, long sleeve jersey, and a 4 oz windshirt.

If i was in areas where its 10 below and howling wind, id be wearing something like windstopper also. For PNW, its fine for people who dont pedal fast or who just like to go from the car to the mall

cyclezealot

Jarey. Goes to show how great personal differences cane be . Below 40, some of us think we are re-entering the Ice age.But, yes, I agree with you ; with my Windstopper, I did not need much more of a base layer.

Jarery

Haha, so true.

The most common mistake is overdressing, which is easily evident by just reading threads. How many people have underdressed so much they were really really cold and uncomfortable, and how many have overdressed so that they sweated so much they were uncomfortable. Id bet most everyone has overdressed, repeatedly.

The hardest part is convincing yourself your dressed correctly with only a base, a jersey, and a thin pertex wind shirt when its at freezing and your looking outside from the warmth of your house.

The greatest part is 20 min into your ride when you realize your dressed perfectly and you have so little on your up and hammering past traffic because you dont have that restrictive bundled up feeling.

I also own lots of those thick, streatchy, awesomely cozy feeling jackets. I just cant cycle hard in them without overheating.

cyclezealot

True. Another aspect of the windstopper. It's stretch, keeps me aero. Some of my other jackets bellow out like sails.

toshi

Anyone use one of the Craft baselayers with Windstopper? Such as this:

Jose Perez

+1 on the Sugoi Invertor

michaelmc

I have that exact one. I find myself reaching for it surprisingly often... with just that, arm warmers, and a ss jersey on my upper body, I'm good down to high 30s/low 40s.

michaelmc

If money's no object, I'd go with either a Beyond Fleece or Rapha softshell. Beyond used to offer bike pockets in the back, but I haven't seen them on the website lately.

If money is an object (isn't it always for us broke-ass grad students?), then I can highly recommend a Marmot ATV jacket* or a Voler Stratus Tempra Tech therma jacket (great with just a ls baselayer down to the 20s, or maybe even lower).

*The Marmot ATV seems to be discontinued, so maybe you can find them on closeout.

Brandy

LOVE my 2XU Membrane Jacket. I've worn in down in the 30's and up in the 60's and have always been comfortable in it.

https://www.2xu.com/uc1202a.html


They also have a new jacket this year, the Sub Zero, that I want. I'm just not sure that I'll ever need it in the conditions we have here in southern California.

https://www.2xu.com/uc1203a.html

cyclezealot

This is certainly a miracle fabric. Maybe we should do a poll on how cold can one go out with just minimal cycling gear and not freeze one's arse, by wearing a Craft undershirt. Maybe it those acclimated to the northern climes are more like snowmen , than the rest of the population. Guess, they brance about in Green Bay, Wi. on New Years day in little more than what cyclists wear and don't get double pheumonia. Just find it hard to believe , in the 30's I shiver like a scared deer looking down the butt of a rifle. Sure would be nice to go out in Summer gear tho when it is cold outside./ So, it's Craft up above, what about down below? The cost of the stuff, I sure hope it would work.

michaelmc

Miracle fabric, indeed.

Down below, I have some Craft Winter Bib Knickers. Fleecy and nice, decent chamois. PI AmFib tights for the really cold and wet.

Also, Craft S3 windblock shirts (generation before Gore) on sale: short sleeve, sleeveless.

charliekeri

Don't try Assos. You WILL find a way to buy it. Theeir stuff really is that good.

Pearl makes great stuff. Their barrier jacket heavier than the Gavia (as much as their advertising doesn't make it out that way.) Pearl told me so after I returned the Gavia.

fueledbymetal

I just bought this and it's been great down to the 30's:
Adidas Response Long Sleeve Jersey
https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=1111

I also have a North Face jacket that's fleece lined & wind resistant with side vents that I picked up at my LBS for even colder weather, but I couldn't find an online link for it.



Chamberlain

AchiLLe..s

https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=1130

mrbubbles

Most of it is probably just that.
Last night at 32F, I wore a single layer gore windstopper jacket with summer weight longsleeves and baselayer t-shirt underneath. I had pit zips wide open and still overheated.

Usually around 35-45F, I dress with arm warmers, summer weight jersey and no sleeve baselayer, light wind vest, knee warmer, bibs, and toe cover. I pack away the gloves once I warm up.

Windstoppers come in different layers, the windstopper Jarery mentioned on post #31 I believe is a 3-layer windstopper. I had a Gore Finish line jacket which was made out of that stuff, way too hot for long rides in 30F-50F. On my second ride with that jacket, I had to take the bus home because it was way too hot wearing that Gore jacket and it was 40F (was wearing a Defeet baselayer with that jacket). I did like that jacket though, too bad it was stolen from me.


A lot of this acclimatization can be done, and it also extends the range of your winter clothing as well. I've seen some people riding in shorts at 35F in morning, I thought it was crazy at first but I figure once you work down to it, it's no big deal.

TruckerMike

Second vote for the PI Gavia jacket. Great fit, nice finishing, sheds water and is generally well thought out for materials.

DaSy

My Rapha softshell is awesome, very flexible with lots of venting options, the pockets are perfect (6 in total, 3 zipped, plus a pump pocket which holds a micro pump). It looks good too...

tarwheel 

I've been on a quest for the "perfect" winter jacket this fall, as I didn't really have one. In the past, I've worn heavy jerseys like the PI Kodiak with a vest on the coldest days (low 30s). This year, I plan to bike commute all winter, so I need something warmer.

Recently I ordered two jackets from Performance, the PI Gavia and Castelli Freddo. I didn't even need to "test ride" the Castelli because it felt like a wet suit, very rubbery. I could tell just from putting it on that it wouldn't be very breathable and it didn't have any vents. It did look nice, however. The Gavia looks like a keeper. First it is very bright in the day-glo yellow, which I like for commuting. It is very light and doesn't seem like it could be warm. However, I actually got too hot wearing it yesterday on a cloudy day in the mid-40s. It could use a few vents, but seemed to breathe OK for a warm jacket. It fit well, but I ordered one size larger than usual because Pearl Izumi says it's one of their "form fit" jerseys, which fit much smaller. Generally PI's jerseys fit me perfect in size Large, but the Gavia in size XL fits about the same as for example a PI Kodiak Light.

I have also ordered a Craft windstopper jacket but it hasn't arrived yet. I tried on a friend's Craft, and it fit very well. He tells me that it is warm but breathable, and it is probably the best looking jersey of the three. Not available in yellow, but the red is very visible.