It's starting to get cold here in Ann Arbor, the morning and late evening commutes are no longer as fun as they were.
I'm thinking about picking up some tights to wear under my regular clothes.

Anyone do this? I'm trying to figure out whether to get a plain merino wool base layer (Patagonia or something like that) vs. trying to find cycling tights (w/o a chamois..do they make those?) to wear under my regular pants.

Same thing for the upper body..anyone have suggestions?

underarmor will keep you warmest

I have a pair of Pearl Izumi tights without padding, although now I wish I had something with a little cushion, as I have fallen in love with riding in my MEC 8-panel shorts. Upper body-wise, I don't know much, since my torso is about 2 degrees cooler than the surface of the sun most days.

Depending on your local weather and personal circulatory system, I'd recommend some "penguin" gloves with a good wind-blocking layer. I have some 5-finger winter cycling gloves, but they get kinda cool after a while.

I just use a common pair of long johns, as well as some regular biking shorts from Mec. Keeps me warm for those cold Toronto mornings, but not too warm once mid-day rolls around.
Once it gets to zero or below however, I'll be switching to actual cold-weather-cycling gear.

Long johns or under armour. ftw

For what it's worth, I don't ride a long distance, just short commutes from home to class/around town. Probably a total of 3-4miles a day, sometimes a bit more. Winter does get brutal here and at times I've walked instead of ridden because of that.

Cotton kills... synthetic undergarments are your friend.

Steepandcheap has some great deals on this stuff. Sliders(spandex long underwear) are nice too to minimize swamp ass.

If I'm all geared up, I usually wear a pair of tights (from a dance store) under my summer bike shorts. Usually does the job and keeps my legs warm. I wear a long sleeve under armor under my jersey, but this doesn't help too much as it doesn't really help keep out the wind. I guess it keeps my core temperature regulated.

In addition, I use a balaclava to keep my neck/ears warm, but this usually gets too hot once I've ridden a bit and I have to pull it off and suffer frozen ears. I pull on whatever windbreaker/shell I can find to keep the cold out for good.

pearl izumi tights are amazing. i have a pair and the are really warm and worth while. they dont have a pad but all hte riding i did was on my road bike so i just wore a bib under.
patagonia capilene or wool long underwear are really good too

A decent windproof jacket is your best option. I rode all winter in Indiana with an Arctyrex thin-shell and some under layers. Wind protection is the biggest factor in keeping your upper body warm.

Anyone who rides in the cold knows that the biggest problem is keeping your hands warm. I bought an expensive pair of thermal motorcycle gloves and even they were useless after about 5 minutes in the teens.

>>If anyone knows of good thermal gloves PLEASE make a post<<

synthetics generally are better. I'm not a big under armour fan. A pair of sugoi midzero tights should do the trick. I'm actually psyched to try out cwx stabilyx insulated tights, but probably overkill. The key is to move moisture away from the body and not have it cooled by the wind. So up top a thin shell over a skin tight base layer and maybe a half zip mid layer depending how how hot you get.

This works great for running. Should work well for biking, but I haven't gone through a winter yet.

dougland knows what's up. So many companies are better.

I bought a neck gaiter today so I'm excited about that.

I'm thinking about dropping the bank on a short sleeve wool tshirt (smartwool or ibex or icebreaker) but I don't know whether it's worth the cash...

yup, i got a pair of patagonia midweight capiene long underwear, just was looking for something a bit more..tight.

Cold water diving gloves. Seriously. I've used a pair of Stearns for years and they work fantastically. Excellent warmth and great dexterity.

I have two pairs of wool union suits. I could bike to the south pole if needed. And I do not need to mention how sexy a union suit is.

I'm down with UA stuff all the way. It keeps me nice and warm when I snowboard in sub-zero temps with kooky wind, and works just as well on the bike.

Patagucci capilene is the bomb.

Merino wool regulates body temperature better than most synthetic material, cold or hot. It also is unlikely to collect odor, a common problem found in many synthetic material. Best combo is to have merino wool next to your skin, and then an outer shell that is wind-proof.

Hmmmmmmmmmm... this is rather interesting.

yes that's the combo i'm going to go with. now it's just a matter of finding the cheapest merino wool baselayer..

Merino wool FTW, nex to to your skin is key, does not get smelly, stays warmer than anything else when wet.

Just ordered Smartwool midweight wool bottoms.

I'm really looking forward to not having to layer much this winter.

+1 for wool. Synthetics are nice and blingy, but they stink, are expensive, and are generally inferior to wool. While some companies offer really nice merino wool selections, they are often pricey. Go to your local army surplus store and pick up some wool bits. They usually have long underwear that is great for layering under pants/tights/shorts. You will save lots of $$$. I also like polypropylene (spelling?). Its pretty good stuff for a synthetic.

Also +1 for NO Under Armor (ie anything poly/spandex blend). I have it. It sucks. Horrendiously stinky. Not at all warm in the winter. Too hot in the summer. I guess football players like it though...

I still haven't found the perfect way to keep my hands warm AND comfortable (you may as well work on a perpetual motion machine at the same time) However, here are a few suggestions: Thin wool or polypro glove liners, then gloves. As for gloves, they may be dorky, but real leather cowboy work gloves with or without a furry liner are great. My dad even uses them on the ski hill. They are waterproof (when waterproofed) windproof, and comfy. Oh, and what is better than the smell of rich leather. These are available at cowboy stores and some hardware stores. When its really cold, get some big mittens/gloves and stick one of those chemical hand warmer packets in there. Mmmm cozy.

For my head, i usually wear a beanie under an oversized helmet, the thickness of which depending on how cold it is. How warm you keep your noggin often regulates the rest of your body temp. Then, I have an old fleece neck gaiter that i zip under the neck of my jacket to keep my neck warm. Roll it up to your cheeks and mouth when its really cold, roll it down when you start heating up.

Don't forget your feet. Smartwool socks are amazing.