Notso_fastLane

What temperature do you switch from your normal warm weather gear to your cold weather gear?

My 'normal' gear is:
- fingerless gloves
- bike shorts
- bike shirt/compression shirt (short sleeve)

That is usually good down to about the upper 50s, maybe 55 or so. Once it drops below that, I put on the microfleece long sleeve and tights. I can usually keep the fingerless gloves down to about 50, but then I get out the full length gloves (Izumi Pearl is what I have now).

If it gets down to the mid 40s, or wet in the 50s, I have some heavier tights and wind/waterproof jacket that comes out, but they are noticeably bulkier.

Once it gets below 40, the wind/waterproof tights and jacket are on regardless of conditions (water doesn't make much of a difference at that point), and I add my leather, water resistant motorcycle gloves.

If it's cold enough for ice/snow, I'm driving my AWD 4-wheeled cage.

Machka 

It depends.

It depends on things like ... wind, rain, cloud cover or lack of it, and time of day.

It also depends on how I'm feeling. Sometimes I just feel cold, and will be in tights and a jacket at 20C. Other times I feel very hot and I'm around and about it T-shirt and shorts at about 12C.


BTW - "winter" cycling doesn't really start till you get down to 0C ... freezing.

modernjess

Winter and summer don't flip on and off like a switch. It's all a matter of degrees isn't it? I ride in temps that top 100F in the summer and go well below 0F in the winter. There is a lot of weather, and clothing options, and bike set up changes in between those extremes. I have the stuff i need and adjust on a daily basis.

chriskmurray

for me once it hits 50's I am usually wearing a windbreaker and gloves, still wearing shorts though. 40's I will probably be wearing jeans (I only have a 7 mile RT commute) with the windbreaker and maybe a long sleeve t-shirt underneath or a very light fleece. 30's I wear my heavier winter gloves and a heavier jacket but it is still fairly thin, it is one of those ones with the reflective liner on the inside and not much insulation. Below that it does not change much except maybe wool socks and if closer to zero I will throw long underwear on under my jeans.

Short commutes make things very easy, if I had a longer commute I would dress much different.

WC89

Generally:
- Bib shorts down to 55 deg F. If 55 F all day, then shorts and long sleeve jersey w/ another jersey underneath
- short sleeve jersey down to 60 F
- Below 55/60: medium/light weight tights, long sleeve jersey and maybe 1 or 2 layers under the jersey, medium duty gloves, light duty hat
- 20 - 32 deg F: booties, heavy duty gloves, polypropylene tights, several torso layers, 2 or 3 pair of socks, polyproplylene hat that can cover ears, heavy duty cycling jacket (windbreaker front & sleeves/ with fleece back)
- Teens down to 10 deg F: maximum gear (only exposed skin is my nose) - my warmest/thickest polypro tights, about 5 layers (one is a turtleneck for neck protection) under cycling jacket, polypropylene balaclava and skull cap, lobster claws then medium gloves then polypropylene liner gloves, 2 pair wool socks, 1 pair neoprene socks, my warmest booties