Just moved to Philly and began using my bike as my main transportation. I have a question for those of you who are more experienced in riding in the chillier climates.

What jacket/coat combo do you guys wear that keeps you warm but doesn't make you sweat all over the place. I have a limitied budget (<$50) so I can't afford anything with trademarked fabric names but maybe there is an army surplus solution that somebody here has discovered.

Ideally it would good in the rain too, but maybe that's asking too much.

cycling windbreaker vest with a mesh back and armpits. not gonna help much in the rain, but it protects and ventilates what its sposed to. upside: you should be able to find one pretty cheap, downside: it's probably dayglow

i can't recommend anything specific, but i can say that i always wear less than i would need just going outside to walk or drive. if i'm traveling to somewhere i might throw a jacket in my bag for when i get there, but when i'm riding i wear something really light since i know i'm going to heat up. the first few minutes can be pretty chilly, but then it's quite nice.

I sweat like a pig on my way to work regardless of the temperature. Then again its been the warmest winter ever recorded here so far. I usually wear a synthetic T-shirt, a fall zip-up bike jersey and then a thin water resistant wind breaker. Generally if you're not shivering a bit while you're getting your bike out, you will be way too hot by the time you arrive at work.

You'll want to wear breathable stuff or your jacket will be like a sauna; not so much an issue on the way to work if you don't have long stops though. Stay away from cotton T-shirts and wear synthetic ones if possible or you'll get cold when stopped. Wool is a good insulating layer and doesn't mind being wet, and then whatever thin breathable water resistant jacket you can afford over top. Anything that is 'waterproof' like gore tex or the like will probably not be breathable enough.

I like to sweat on the way to work strangely enough. I feel it kind of gets my blood going and makes me feel more energized when I get there. On long rides I like to stay dry and pay more attention to layering, so I wear multiple summer jerseys with arm warmers, a vest, and a thin jacket so that I can add and remove layers as I or the weather heats up or cools down.

I wear insulated bike pants with cargo shorts on top all winter.

In the cold, the general rule is "If you're not a bit cold on the first streetcorner, you're wearing too much stuff."

I really like my windproof fleece jacket. It's a Sherpa so it's a bit pricey but worth it. Not rainproof but otherwise great. I only wear rainproof stuff when I must (ie. when it rains)
Fleece is really warm and breathes reasonable well. If you're going to wear it without a winbreaker for cycling, you better get a windproof one.

If I am going out just to ride I wear long johns under the shorts I ride in, smart wool socks, a synthetic zip up, with a cycling jacket over that, plus gloves, and a scarf. The gloves and scarf will go a long way to keep up warm. If I am using the bike for transportation than I wear smart wool socks that come up to the knee, jeans, a hoodie, and an east german army navy surplus zip up I found for $15, also the gloves and scarf; if it's really cold I'll also use long johns.

The trick is definettly a combination that breathes, is comfortable and allows for a full range of motion. And with the layers you have the freedom to unzip, or take off a layer that is keeping you too hot, you want to avoid being cold and sweaty out in the elements.

Cheap nylon anorak, wool sweater underneath, long sleeve baselayer.

This will take me down to zero F.

i find anything windbreakerish makes me too hot once i get going.

if it is above freezing i usually just go with a polyester undershirt (bike jersey or whatever really) and a wool sweater on top (varying thicknesses for varyious temps.

the wool is great in that it is warm but still lets lots of air through so that when i start sweating i dry prety well.

that said i am generally a really warm person so if you get cold easily ignore all my advice...

There are some pretty decent base layers at target for cheap. The layers have that fancy-schmancy wiking effect. They work suprisingly well for being sold at target. I think they are worth the 9 dollars I spent on them.