Now that it's getting cold...
 

... what are you wearing to keep warm? I'm in Southern Ontario and fall is here. Was looking into long bibs, jackets, and foot warmers. What's good, waterproof, durable?

Go have a look in the Winter Cycling forum ... there are lots of threads there about winter apparel and other aspects of winter cycling. :)
http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl...Winter-Cycling

There is a whole Winter Forum with many many threads on the topic.
Basic answer ... layers. And I have different weights of items for different conditions.

Thanks, didn't know there was a winter forum. Ill head over there now

I got real winter shoes. Was worth the $150 or so when I caught them on sale.

I pity anyone who lives somewhere who has to give a thread this title in September.

I'm not into snow yet, just coming up on the first frost. I just want to be prepared when I HAVE to ride on 8°C and below days.

8C? That's ideal riding weather. As long as it's dry; 8C and rain is a recipe for hypothermia.

Cold? What's that?

I'm in Louisiana, and it's still staying above 70 at night. The "coldest" it's gotten this fall is 64 degrees.

Ah, to live in Colorado ..... (dreamin')

Here in South Florida winters are brutal... it get's down to the upper 50's sometimes early in the morning when a really strong cold front moves through. But most of the time it's a still very cold 62 - 65 in the morning. All kidding aside, I miss my days in Northern California... ahhhh hills

OP, I know exactly what you are talking about... I'm in the valley...

For now you need arm and knee warmers, toe covers, a wind vest and base layer to go with your typical kit. I wear long finger gloves and add a windbreak cover when it starts getting closer to 10c. Replace the SS jersey with a long sleeve jersey when the temps dip a bit, say below 8C. Look into some full length tights, booties and jacket for when it's getting closer to 0c. You'll also need to beef up the gloves and have a proper head cover for the colder days and quite possibly a balaclava. Depends on how cold you wanna go.

The thing to remember is the cold weather gear lasts a while and it's important to dress appropriately for the conditions so you can actually enjoy them.

Shoot me a PM if you got any specific questions...

Just did a "riding in the rain" post on the 50+:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...1#post16095642

Riding when it's cold and not raining ain't no thing. Unless you're ice-biking, that's another story yet.

I commuted on a mountain bike throughout a couple winter seasons. It got to the point of it not being worth the effort anymore. I'll take the bus. Though I'm on my way at lunch to pick up gloves and some arm warmers at lunch..

I picked up the older version of this jacket and it served me well in cold and sloppy conditions.
http://www.mec.ca/product/5018-642/m...02+50021+50089
Sized large enough to fit a couple layers of close fitting fleece underneath. I'd say the worst thing I experienced was cold hands and crappy drivers.

I grow old & soft. You guys in extreme winter climates deserve to be commended for persevering through the cold. Here in the Bay Area, we are accustomed to Indian Summers. Weather in Berkeley typically stays in the 70s through October.

That said, I have a nice thick Descent vest I like to wear in the winter. Granted, my cold temperatures are still mild by comparison. Nonetheless, it's nice that it keeps the core chest area warm, while allowing me to add arm warmers, and an outer shell as needed without being too bulky.

I used to have some winter gloves with both half-fingers and a mitten cover. The mitten cover would keep your fingers extra warm when riding, but could also be flipped up and velcro'd to the back of the hand exposing your fingers (say, for a roadside repair, or to open a snack, etc.). I really liked those gloves for winter riding. I don't know if anyone makes something similar nowadays...

???

If you get naked and law down in the dirt, maybe. But 8C and rain is the forecast here from November until March. The only people who get hypothermia are the homeless, and the ones who go hiking in cotton and get into trouble. Everyone else wears a jacket.

I just ordered these:

http://www.probikekit.com/sports-clo.../10749594.html

They had a US 15% discount when I ordered them last week, so they were only $45!
I haven't received them yet, but I ride their PBK Elite bib shorts and they are great quality. Got them for around $32!
You have to keep an eye on them for sales and clearances. They put out some great deals and the shipping is free for over $40 purchase, but not sure if that's to Canada, as well.
I've ordered quite a few items from PBK over the years, and it can take as little as 5 days or up to 2 weeks. Great company, and they get pretty good reviews on the forum.
Good luck.

S

Now that's funny $hite there....I just asked the same question a week ago and i am from eastern NC...LOL

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

You're right. What I meant but didn't write was "without proper clothing."

It's 82* out there now. Due to hit 96*.

"Bay Area"? The OP is in what some people call the "Bay Area." Not many, though. In any case, Indian summer is in fall when you get a stretch of warmth after you've already had a day or night below 0. It doesn't mean "extended warmth in fall."

The horror...I'll take southern Ontario's 1 degree and usually dry roads from December to February over rain any day. It's really weird how people in Vancouver like to taunt other Canadians in the winter because they don't get as cold as we do. As if 6 degrees and rain for eight months of the year is preferable!

First snowfall 2 days ago! Oh well, time to drag out the fat tire, MTB or Cross. Still plenty of choices.

I worked as a messenger through winter in Montreal. 8hrs a day on the road all winter; dry, rain, freezing rain, snow, slush, hail, -40, you name it. Here are a few things I learned.

-Merino wool lives up to the name. You may be wet, but you'll be substantially warmer.
-Water proof shoes or gaitors, whatever you can. Dry feet are happy feet. I prefer this to fenders even, since fenders get filled with gunk and require a little more maintenance. You need to invest in VERY solid shoes and socks then though.
-Athletic baselayers are worth the money. I use the Helly Hanson top and bottom and they're fantastic.
-Cycling caps that have earflaps under a helmet. Again, wool here proved to be worth it. On the -40 days, I used a balaclava + the cycling cap.
-Lobster style cycling gloves. Mittens don't given enough control I find, and gloves don't allow your fingers to radiate their own warmth to each other. Wool liner glove can also help. Go for a bigger fit than you think you need, the extra air pocket will keep you warmer longer.

Don't be led by brand names here, focus on materials and fit more than company.

Hope this helps!

I am in the group of "What's winter??" I have to worry about heat stroke, though not as bad as Texas (from what I hear). Last night it was in the mid 70s.

Thanks, a fellow Hamiltonian