geez, I see that I repeated myself about "the fleece stuff under the rain booties" tip from almost exactly one year ago....pretty bad.

Due to a bad rash that has developed thanks to the new cycling tights, not sure if its the tights or possibly the washer I washed them in the first time I washed them, I've dropped back down to riding in cycling shorts only. Thanks the temps have been a bit warmer but yesterday provided for some rather interesting education in winter clothing.

Started off the day with 40 degrees right off the bat. Wasn't at all worried about riding in cycling shorts with wind pants on overtop. I knew I would be plenty comfortable. The forecast was for clearing skies and the wind was supposed to pick up through out the day as the cold front moved through.

The first 20 miles of the 107 mile day started off partly sunny and it looked like the forecast was holding up quite nicely, increasing sunshine. I got to around the 20 mile mark and all of a sudden I found myself feeling a few sprinkles of rain. I said this isn't suppose to happen. I looked up and was seeing some blue sky so I knew it was a stray sprinkle...or so I thought. I continued on several miles further and when I looked up I saw I was heading straight into rain. I said "It's suppose to be increasing sunshine...this is going to be interesting." I've ridden in warm rain but haven't did much cold rain riding.

Sure enough within another mile or so I was in constant rain for 20-30 minutes before it let up. It was hard rain but it still got me quite wet. Surprisingly given how little I had on I was still very comfortable. I had on the same gear I use for winter riding down to the mid teen, thin thermal top with wind jacket and cycling shorts(normally would be tights) with the wind pants. I did have on fleece mittens versus I would normally want the wool mittens on. Toward the end the hands did get a bit chill but with some movement in the hands they warmed back up as the rain stopped. I found myself riding along not worried at all.

After the rain stopped everything seemed fine. The skies remained overcast for the most part and by the time I got home it was snowing. I dropped off some the bananas I bought at the grocery store and picked up the wool mittens and the heavier/wider headband to help keep the ears warmed and headed off to the library. When I left the library it was 28 degrees, 26 at my house by the time I got home. Yes, I was still riding in cycling shorts with the wind pants on. I was surprised by the time I got home that my legs weren't cold. They were a bit chilly at the start but with the exercise they warmed up nicely and felt very comfortable even though they were pretty much unprotected.

I've ridden bare legged at 32 degrees, with no snow on the ground, and have felt fine. Now I see I'm going to have to try riding in cycling shorts and wind pants at lower temps and see where my break point is on riding without tights.

28°F with a 14mph breeze from the north, for a Wind Chill Factor/"Real Feel" of 20° at 7:00AM this morning.

I wore:
- medium/light-weight polyester longsleeved base layer
- heavy-weight longsleeved cycling jersey
- my tried&true Performance cycling jacket from 1996 (windproof panels on front, breathable fleece in back)
- cycling shorts
- medium-weight fleece-lined cycling tights
- wool socks
- Answer winter cycling boots
- polypropylene balaclava
- helmet
- glasses
- Specialized SubZero two-part glove system

To be honest, I was too warm. I think I would have been fine if I had just been going for an easy recovery ride or a gentle commute, but I was intentionally working hard on the hills today and got a bit steamy. Probably should have gone with a lighter-weight jersey (middle layer). Or dialed back the intensity! :)

26°F with an 8mph breeze from the west, for a Wind Chill Factor/"Real Feel" of 21° at 7:00AM this morning.

I tried an interesting (and potentially brazen) experiment for this morning's commute: Rather than wear one of my excellent winter cycling jackets (the Performance piece mentioned in the previous post, or an Assos AirJack 851) I decided to go with a few extra though less substantial layers.

- medium/light-weight polyester longsleeved base layer
- medium-weight waffle-knit longsleeved hooded cycling jersey (from Performance)
- medium-weight merino wool longsleeved cycling jersey (from Ibex)
- semi-insulated Primal Wear wind vest
- cycling shorts
- medium-weight fleece-lined cycling tights
- wool socks
- Answer winter cycling boots
- helmet
- glasses
- Specialized SubZero two-part glove system

I think if I had been going on a longer recreational ride, and had been willing to stuff the vest into a jersey pocket as necessary, it would have worked out fine. As it was, by the time I got to mile 8 of my 11 mile commute, I was overheating (but didn't want to take the time to stop & shed a layer for such a short ride). My arms never felt as warm as they do when I wear a jacket, but my core was just as warm...just not breathing/venting as well.

So I'm not sure if the experiment was a success or not! It worked for these temps...just not as well as some other solutions I already own.

too much for me
 

that would be way too much clothing for me. at that temp I would wear two very thin polypro long underwear tops and a short sleeve bike jersey with a bike jacket that has an open weave on the back. A thin, uninsulated cap and a thin balaclava over that (I'm bald) on my head and two pair of thin gloves inside pogies on the hands. Non-insulated biking pants over biking shorts on the legs.

In my experience, if I don't leave the house and am not quite chilly- uncomfortably so - for the first 10 min, I will be overheated on the ride. I also ride with panniers in such temps because if there is breakdown of any kind and I need to change a flat, whatever clothing works for riding will not work for sitting around changing a tire while sweaty from exercise. No surprise you felt warm. I'd be totally baked with three med weight layers.

I keep a little diary of what works well for me at given temps so if it's been a few weeks since I've seen some given temp I can double check if I need to see exactly what worked last time at that temp. For me, the interesting variation is sun or no sun. I need one extra thin layer on days when it's cloudy or at night compared to the same thing if the sun is out. That direct sunlight makes a difference and sometimes I'll need to add or remove a layer going down into a cold valley or something.

I put chem heat packs in my boots when it gets colder.

29F/-2C, calm, sunny.

From head to toe:

Helmet
Skull cap
cotton t-shirt
cotton button down shirt
wool/silk sweater
cotton underwear
jeans
wool socks
shoes
toe covers
ski gloves

I know that cotton is not normally recommended for riding, but it is what I am wearing to the office today. I have come to the realization that on my short (4 mile one way) commute, all that really matters is that my head, hands, and feet are warm.

0F today, calm, cloudy
I wore:
one thin wicking base
one med wicking layer
Nashbar softshell breathable cycling jacket
Padded cycling under shorts
one thin base tights
Bellwether windfront tights over that
Bern Helmet with cycling beanie
breathable neck and face warmer
Thinsulate snowmobile leather mitts
LLBean merino smart wool heavyweight socks
regular hiking boots

I was toasty, and dry. Probably didn't need the thin base tights. I will reserve those for below 0F.
I find it hard to remember what to wear from past years experiences.

droy45.. you don't cover your eyes at 0F?

22 degrees F and sunny. medium force northerly winds.

---------------


Windproof hat.

Marmot driclime over a merino wool base layer.

Waxed leather work gloves over ragg wool liners.

Cotton flannel lined khakis over basic cotton briefs.

Wool socks and ski boots.

I was going for an hour of cross country skiing. :D

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=291760

I have to admit, I've live in serious snow country, and been riding in cotton pants and simple leather shoes for most of the around town stuff. Only on rides over 20 miles am i dressing up in technical clothes.

Bad weather days, maybe put on the nylon windbreakers and a face mask if its much below freezing, put on some boots, but that's about it.

Tomorrow I need to wear .... SUNSCREEN. All the sun reflected off the snow is starting to give me a balaclava tan and I want to stop it before it gets too noticeable.

-5C, overcast and windy.

windproof hat, helmet, bandanna facemask.

wool baselayers, top fleece and windshell.

Bottoms, some high tech, insulated golf pants.

wool socks and ski boots. leather chopper mittens.

I was going for some serious x-c skiing.

on the way home i wore a second micro layer as it was after dark, and cooler.

Ain't posted here in years!

1/10/13 night XC ride, 12miles, 2hrs total @25f
-REI beanie (had to take off after about 5 miles) under helmet
-short-sleeve merino t-shirt
-Mt Hardwear shell
-PI AmFibs
-cutoff dress pants (always bring style)
-thin merino socks
-Lake MX303
-no gloves (home-made pogies)

comfy

polar fleece neck gaiter pulled over my nose.. made the 30 degree ride home better..
earflap hat,hood on parka up, too..

dense woven shell, fleece lined trousers..
hitting the cold remedies for aches coughing and such.

-10C, very blustery, dry.

Windstopper fleece hat,

Neoprene facemask,

deerskin 'chopper' mittens.

MEC cyclists windshell.

Down vest, wool sweater, work shirt, wool t-shirt.
Nike insulated golf pants.

wool socks and standard Goretex LW hiking boots.

29F/-2C, calm, dry.

fleece ski hat
polypro baselayer
merino wool jersey
wind vest
bib shorts
tights
polypro sox
booties
ski gloves

Coldest ride of the year and I was really quite comfy. It really confirms for me that if my head, hands, and feet are warm, I will be comfortable all over.

-2F, -19C. Windy.

Outdoor Research goretex brimmed hat with earflaps and pile liner.

Bandana facemask. Leather chopper mittens.

MEC cycling windbreaker.

Pile jacket, long sleeved wool base layer.

Nike insulated Golf pants.

Wool socks and USAF mukluks.

14F, -10C. On the leg to work, a light headwind (3bft) same wind but now at the back on returning back home

unknown brand longsleeve merino shirt
Pearl Izumi Pro softshell 180 jacket
Craft PXC storm tights

2 layer polyester socks in MTB shoes covered with Neoprene overshoes
icebreaker balaclava under ski helmet
Northwave convertible gloves/mittens with thin glove liners underneath.

felt warm and comfortable all over except for cold toes :notamused: (I'm still on the lookout for dedicated MTB wintershoes)

This is a day of firsts for me: my first cold-weather ride and my first post on this forum.

It was 29F when I started and was all the way up to 31 by the time I was done. I kept the ride to about 22 miles because I was experimenting and snow is due later and I didn't want to get caught out on a road bike.

I wore:

- Performance bike Lycra bike shorts
- Champion thermal long-sleeve base layer (I still call them long johns, is that so bad?) shirt
- Zimco unpadded thermal tights
- Zimco thermal cycling jacket
- A high-viz construction vest I got from Home Depot
- Thermal socks I got cheap at Big Lots
- Hot Hands toe warmers
- Neoprene booties I got on sale at Performance
- Performance stretch gloves inside of some Thinsulate gloves I believe I got at Kohl's
- A polyester/spandex balaclava from Eastern Mountain Sports

The stuff on my trunk and legs were just about right once I got going and my feet were very comfortable. My hands were kind of odd. They would vary from having my fingertips cold to the point of being numb to being warm enough to sweat. The top of my head got cold on fast downhills but was fine the rest of the time.

I have a buddy who's pretty hardcore and rides in any dry weather who's been sort of mentoring me about this. Overall, I'm glad I asked some advise before trying this because it worked out well.

11°F with a 14mph breeze from the north-west, for a Wind Chill Factor/"Real Feel" of -2°F at 6:45AM this morning.

I wore:
- Early Winters Furnace Shirt polypro baselayer
- Performance long-sleeve hooded jersey
- Performance fleece+WindPro winter jacket
- Ibex merino wool long-sleeve jersey over the top of that
- cycling shorts
- Pearl Izumi Amphib winter bib tights
- SmartWool lightweight sock liner
- fleece-lined neoprene socks
- thick wool socks over those
- Answer winter cycling boots
- neck gaiter
- neoprene face mask
- helmet
- glasses
- Louis Garneau glove liner
- the inner liner from the Specialized SubZero glove system over those
- the Assos lobster-claw outer glove from their 3-piece winter glove system over those

Only went for a short easy spin...mostly for bragging rights, since I'm pretty confident none of my cycling friends are out in this weather! Could have probably skipped the outermost jersey layer if I'd been doing a longer/harder effort. Oddly, my thumbs started to get really cold after about an hour. Everything else was fine.

But I'm not sure I ever need to go out in those temps again. :)

-13C with strong wind today for the local ice race. I was comfortable with my base shirt, poly jacket and heavy wool sweater.

With my Lake MXZ302 and electric heaters, my feet were good for the 4 hours I was outside. Since most of it was standing around instead of riding it seems to confirm that pedaling is a significant contribution to my cold feet.

I got a new pair of aerogel insoles recently, the aerogel part on my old ones stopped about an inch from the tip of the insole, where I really need the most insulation. One thing to keep in mind when buying "trim to fit" aerogel insoles is that there is no aerogel in the trim away part. So for maximum insulation, take your old insole with you and find a size where you need to trim away as much of the uninsolated part as possible. But you don't want to cut into the aerogel part or white powder will spill out. Its easy to feel for where the aerogel starts as when you squeeze it with your fingers it doesn't compress.

35°F with a 10mph breeze at 4:00AM this morning, no sun.

I wore:
- nike long sleeve base layer with arm warmers underneath
- voler team kit bib shorts, short jersey
- wind/water resistant leg warmers louis garneau
-cannondale basic rain jacket(its bright yellow)
- merino wool socks
- PI light cycling boots
- underarmour beanie and cycling cap
- helmet
- glasses
- Louis garneau gloves

Feet slightly cold otherwise not bad,brisk pace.

My Specialized thermal tights keep sagging, causing them to catch on the nose of the saddle when getting started. I finally decided to do something about it and got a pair of suspenders. I was worried about metal teeth messing up the fabric, but found a pair with plastic teeth. They are fairly hefty as I think they are meant to hold up hip waders. Its nice not having to do up the waist cord.

Leather chaps and nothing else...

I love this picture. :thumb:

Windblock boxer briefs / tech t shirt / crew sweatshirt / thin bike jacket / scarf / pearl Izumi barrier cap / Levi's commuter jeans / thick wool socks / cycling shoes / shoe covers / thick gloves / over trigger mitt gloves /

27 feels like 21F