SethAZ 

I became certified (and got my advanced cert, though have done no other specialty certs beyond that) while on a military deployment (yes, really) and got in around 70 dives, including 20 or so night dives (mostly in low-vis). The water where we were at was almost always around 80 degrees, so my wetsuit was a fairly thin (2 mil?) affair, and even with a relatively thin suit like that I completely agree with you that there is zero time when you are comfortable in that thing out of the water.

This reminds me, I really need to get back in the water. I don't want that to be just this thing I did during one period of my life and then never did it again. Btw: people think cycling can be an endless money pit. LOL.

PedalingWalrus

yeah. it's completely normal. Please don't forget to wear the flippers too.

mercator

I tried wearing my neoprene paddling gloves once a few years back.
They were really warm and toasty at first, then my hands started to sweat, then they froze solid (temp was about -5F)
Would not recommend.

trainsktg

Sooo...for maybe three months in the late fall, early winter of 1990 I commuted maybe 7 miles each way to and from the Navy base in Bremerton WA on a 27" hybrid. On especially cold, rainy days I wore a 3mm wetsuit, because being a rec diver, its what I had and it seemed to work just fine...under those conditions. For weather that is not both cold and wet, I don't think it would be a viable option at all.

Keith

Machka 

I wore a rashie on one ride. Not as heavyweight as scuba gear or a wetsuit. Never again. Talk about sweating up a storm!!

I also have two wetsuits for when we play in the water with the body/boogie boards.

There's a reason people go into cold water in that sort of gear.

Marcus_Ti

Because most all cycling specific clothing is designed/sold for fairly mild European winters....where maybe the mercury gets to 30F. Not Siberian-grade winters of even 20F or below (with evil wind). It just isn't. I've yet to see cycling-specific clothing, particularly bottom half rated that low or lower. I have a cycling-specific jacket from Voler good down that low by-itself....but even Voler's coldest winter tights say "down to 35F".....basically your only choice is to layer like the dickens.



Cold makes you think up all kinds of schemes to beat it. I've wondered about wetsuits myself, being a landlocked land-lubber where our winters make Russians who fled Siberia think, "I did not move here to live in Siberia again".

mcours2006

Where I live is not exactly Florida or SoCal but I never thought, hmm, a wet suit might just be the ticket...so full marks for creativity.

You can have really warm stuff, or you can have stuff that allows you freedom of movement and air/moisture circulation; but you can't have both.

AlmostTrick

Next question: Where can I get SPD flippers?

Coasterbrakefan

Um...jeans and a T-shirt?

joesch

Yes that the key point "Remember that when you sweat it's locked in". Great for staying warm in the cold water but not what you will want cycling. Use layering with good materials to allow air flow.

Honusms 

I have over 1500 dives in a variety of water temps wearing wetsuits, drysuits and all kinds of layering. Remember that wetsuits are designed to keep you wet, with a warm layer of water between your skin and the suit. If the moisture is your own sweat, the neoprene gets nasty-smelly in a hurry as soon as the bacteria get to work on it. Also, peeing in your suit on dry land is not a good idea.

jefnvk

I've worn my Nashbar tights down to single digits. Never felt the need for anything else. Of course, such things are personal, but my legs generate quite a bit of heat when moving and not much is needed. I suspect with some long underwear, they'd take care of any realistic riding scenario I could find myself in.

caloso

I think a better bet would be to look at XC skiing clothes.