Cold weather bike clothing on a budget

[WillStewart]

Winter weather (normally!) means bundling up to stay warm. Many novices often overbundle or use clothing with materials that absorb and retain moisture, leading to uncomfortable freezing conditions. Underlayers that wick moisture away from your body in the winter leads to far more comfortable riding conditions.

For an overview see REI’s How to Choose a Base Layer (Long Underwear)

However, some of these high-tech garments can be rather expensive when you add everything up. Yet, I stayed warm and dry this morning even after getting on the bike at 29 degrees F with inexpensive clothing. What can one do to ride comfortably in cold weather without spending an arm and a leg?

The answer: take advantage of military surplus. While not always at the cutting edge of the very latest technology, these clothes were designed as wickable base and intermediate layers for active personnel to keep them from overheating and/or retaining perspiration. Some examples include;

Polartec: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/search/eSearch.aspx?SearchTerms=Polartec&eMode=
(I wore this bottom this morning as a middle layer, very comfortably warm http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/tru-spec-polartec-gen-iii-long-john-set.aspx?a=913289 , I wore the top over the weekend, highly recommended for the price)

PolyPropolene:[URL=” http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/new-us-military-ecw-polypro-set-brown.aspx?a=935765″%5D http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/new-us-military-ecw-polypro-set-brown.aspx?a=935765%5B/URL%5D (I wore this top this morning as base layer, wicked very well)

Wicking Crewneck shirts for base layer or top layer in spring/summer/fall: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/2-pk-of-famous-maker-long-sleeved-wicking-crewneck-shirts.aspx?a=887723

Neoprene face mask: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/neoprene-face-mask.aspx?a=119388 (I haven’t tried this yet, they added a note about an extender for people with larger heads).

Wool socks, calf high: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/3-prs-of-new-czech-military-wool-socks.aspx?a=755327 (especially great in cold weather with a lightweight wicking polypropolene sock underneath).

Balaclava (tight, warm hoodies): http://store.colemans.com/cart/balaclava-gi-polypropylene-p-285.html

Glove Inserts(wicking): http://store.colemans.com/cart/cold-weather-glove-inserts-us-gi-2-pair-p-565.html

Look around, there are many other very good values on these sites and other military surplus sites. Just google “military surplus” and “cold weather” and “clothes” (or “thermal”) or click this google search.

Anyone else have good tips/links they want to share on the subject? These were so reasonable in price that I have two sets, so am able to cut my laundry frequency in half.

Note: I’m not disparaging high tech, commercial cold weather products, just trying to make it easier on those who might not be able to afford them just yet.

Topic

[Dirt]

Great thread! I’d also add something that Greenbelt brought up and I’ve used quite a few times… Hiking boots and flat pedals make for a really good winter shoe combination. Warm, durable and most people already have what they need.

Thanks!

Pete

[Rootchopper]

Two articles of clothing that I wear a lot are my holey sweater and my Buff neck gaiter. The holey wool sweater is a really old sweater that I use as an insulating layer between my base layer and my shell. It’s holey because it has a few holes in it that render it unsuitable for off-bike wearing. The wool is soft and not at all itchy. And since I already had it, it was free. You could probably pick up a comparable wool sweater at a a thrift shop.

I have several neck gaiters but my favorite is made by a compant called Buff. A neck gaiter is a fabric tube that can be worn as a hat, a head band, or a face mask. Sometimes I wear them with a head covering. I like the Buff brand the best because it is very thin and is useful from about 30 degrees to 55 degrees. I bought mine at CityBikes in Adams Morgan.

[eminva]

Wool is also a good insulating layer and something that most people already have, or can easily get at discount or a thrift store. The nicer merino wool items make good base layers (e.g. Icebreaker, Smartwool), but any wool sweater can be used as a mid layer if you have something softer against the skin.

Liz

[jabberwocky]

Walmart sells (or used to sell) dri-star wicking synthetic tshirts that work well as base layers. 6-8 bucks each. I have like 10 of them.

[CCrew]

@jabberwocky 13867 wrote:

Walmart sells (or used to sell) dri-star wicking synthetic tshirts that work well as base layers. 6-8 bucks each. I have like 10 of them.

Target sells them too, long sleeves, almost a turtleneck collar, make a great base layer. About $12.99

[vvill]

I use Target and Old Navy branded gym/activewear. I also have a Buff, which I mostly use around my neck but sometimes also pulled up to shield my nose and mouth. It also works as a hair covering if you want.

I got a discounted light MTB jacket on some online store for about $20, and I wear it almost every winter ride. It’s thin with a mesh liner but almost windproof and the cuffs have elastic so no cold air comes in there either. I would ultimately prefer something with pit vents but it works great. If I’m wearing two layers under it, I’m always warm after 10 mins of riding, or at least so far this season.

I paid normal price for a few items – fleece lined leg warmers and balaclava. Both worth the money. With leg warmers I never feel like I need anything more – just the one layer is enough. Balaclava is usually too warm but great when it’s truly needed.

I’ve used the winter boots trick once on a short ride and it worked great. I’ve tried quite a few things (not chemical warmers yet) to warm up my feet using regular bike shoes but that’s one thing I still haven’t solved yet for winter riding.

[pfunkallstar]

Epic Thread! Seriously, I am a penny pincher, but I recently invested in some “not decade-old” bike stuff and couldn’t be more happy. First, Smart Wool long sleeve base layer. Lake CX140 all-weather shoes. And a rocking REI windbreaker. I’ve been arriving to work pleasantly warm and surprisingly dry. Now, I DID buy all of this stuff on sale, since full price is for suckers and womp rats, which I used to bullseye in my T-16 back home.

[consularrider]

I’ve slowly built up my winter weather riding gear once I knew I would be serious about it. Most of the cycling specific gear I have I’ve bought at end of the season discounts. So far I haven’t forgotten where the stuff is when the next winter rolled in. This is my fifth consecutive year of four season daily bike commuting, and I’ve found that I’m actually wearing less stuff at the same temperature range as I’ve learned how my body reacts.

[Rootchopper]

I also have a set of insulated boots that go over my regular cycling shoes. They are Performance’s house brand. I bought them one size too large (otherwise they are impossible to get over my Lake mountain bike shoes. They work quite well down to the 20s. Above 45 I leave them off.

For days with a range of weather, bring different stuff for your evening commute. For example, in the morning I might wear a balaclave and in the evening, if it’s warmer, I’ll wear a buff.

[Greenbelt]

One point I’ll throw in for consideration when buying winter gear is durability. I’m pretty impressed with UnderArmour cold gear stuff. Seems built to last a really long time, as long as you hang dry. My stuff still seem like new, and its wicking properties seem as good as ever. So even though it’s not inexpensive, the overall value seems high since it holds up so well.

Another idea to consider is two-layer winter gloves. My hands get sweaty even on the coldest ride. I have a pair of two-layer gloves from Louis Garneau that have a wicking liner glove and an separate outer shell. The liners are great, because after a ride, you can rinse them out and hang them on a window sill or something and they’ll be completely dry for the ride home. If it gets warmer for the ride home, I’ll just use the liners alone and put the shells in my jersey pocket. I’ll usually put the shells on about half way home when my hands start to get cold.

My old single-layer GoreTex snow gloves were great for one ride, but then they would take forever to dry out unless you had a hair dryer handy. And they stunk unless they were washed almost every day. Two layer is much better for me.

[5555624]

@Greenbelt 14029 wrote:

One point I’ll throw in for consideration when buying winter gear is durability.

I’ll second that.

I’ve had good luck with Col d’Lizard products. (My Col d’Lizard tights are on their 12th or 13th winter.)

[Bunjabi]

So, I knitted my own buff for super cold wind/weather (it’s merino wool), but it still hasn’t been cold enough besides that one horribly windy day back in early January. Making this kind of stuff makes you feel very self-reliant, but it takes awhile. By the time I finish some mittens, winter will be over

[WillStewart]

What are some of the best reasonably priced top shells that you’ve found?

What worked and what didn’t?

I picked up an IllumiNITE shell because it say it was ‘breathable’, also well as highly viz and reflective. It is not breathable, thought there is a minor vent on the back and I ride a recumbent, which predominantly negates the vent. Regardless, my wonderfully wicking underlayers bring the moisture right up to the jacket layer, where it stops cold and accumulates. So I’ve been wearing a crewneck top layer and saving the jacket as raingear.
http://www.aerotechdesigns.com/cycling-jackets.htm#reflective-jacket (NOT recommended)

[pfunkallstar]

I have been really enjoying my REI shell that my wife found for me. It is super breathable and is relatively waterproof.

@WillStewart 14380 wrote:

What are some of the best reasonably priced top shells that you’ve found?

What worked and what didn’t?

I picked up an IllumiNITE shell because it say it was ‘breathable’, also well as highly viz and reflective. It is not breathable, thought there is a minor vent on the back and I ride a recumbent, which predominantly negates the vent. Regardless, my wonderfully wicking underlayers bring the moisture right up to the jacket layer, where it stops cold and accumulates. So I’ve been wearing a crewneck top layer and saving the jacket as raingear.
http://www.aerotechdesigns.com/cycling-jackets.htm#reflective-jacket (NOT recommended)

[FFX_Hinterlands]

I’ve been happy with my REI-brand e-Vent running jacket. It has stretchy panels under the arms and along the sides that breath really well. I only break it out in cold or rainy weather, though. Put on a midweight merino layer underneath and you’re good into the 20s. I picked up a rain cape for summer rain, I’ll let the forum know how that works.

[Author]

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