Cold weather bike clothing on a budget

[WillStewart]

@pfunkallstar 14396 wrote:

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

Which REI shell are you referring to?

http://www.rei.com/category/4500003_Cycle+Clothing/q/Cycling+Jackets

[americancyclo]

I’ve got an old Canari Velo Shell that I got at an REI attic sale for $12 in 2006. It’s thin and lightweight, somewhat breathable, and is always my outer layer in temps below 60F. I’ll layer underneath with a jersey, arm warmers, and a merino layer for temps down to 20. below that I’ll add another base layer and that got me through this year’s 16F morning commute. It also has a rear pouch and built in belt, if the temps get really warm, you can fold it up and wear it like a fanny pack, saving space in your jersey pockets.

[CCrew]

Man you kids are warm blooded… At 20 degrees I’m way beyond arm warmers and a shell. that’s balaclava, mittens and base/jersey/fleece/jacket layers for me. And earmuffs!

—
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.176162,-78.116159

[americancyclo]

@CCrew 14426 wrote:

Man you kids are warm blooded… At 20 degrees I’m way beyond arm warmers and a shell. that’s balaclava, mittens and base/jersey/fleece/jacket layers for me. And earmuffs!

Oh yeah, all that too, but I was just addressing the jacket/shell question. Plus I sometimes wear pants. If you’re lucky.

[SilverSpring]

An ode to winter clothing, again with apologies to members of POEM:

A MAMIL who loved his iZUMi
On cold days was not seen to be gloomy
“My Pearls keep me so warm,
If not flatter my form,
If I look like a sausage, so sue me.”

[dplasters]

So I wanted to revive this thread from the cold abyss.

Any new sweet things people are using for the cold/cooler weather? The 49 degree temp this morning in some of the outlying suburbs might be reminding people fall/winter is coming and I like to buy on sale before it is a NEED. I’ll be going into my first winter bike commute and have been trying to read about what the best things to wear are.

I was also expecting to look into new tires but then I read the REI cold weather cycling page and it actually advocated for regular tires if you are going to be on the road (I’m 100% on the road, no fancy paths for me). Any comments about that idea?

[Crickey7]

@dplasters 94459 wrote:

So I wanted to revive this thread from the cold abyss.

Any new sweet things people are using for the cold/cooler weather? The 49 degree temp this morning in some of the outlying suburbs might be reminding people fall/winter is coming and I like to buy on sale before it is a NEED. I’ll be going into my first winter bike commute and have been trying to read about what the best things to wear are.

I was also expecting to look into new tires but then I read the REI cold weather cycling page and it actually advocated for regular tires if you are going to be on the road (I’m 100% on the road, no fancy paths for me). Any comments about that idea?

I’ll switch from paths to the roads when conditions get icky in the winter. I’ve been generally fine running 700×25-28c, which do seem to cut through light slush. Here, we spend a lot of time in the winter hovering right around the freezing point. My own experience is that the roads inside the Beltway tend to have a combination of cars clearing the lane and having temps for most of the day and early evening above the freezing point, so that precipitation does not result in icy roads.

[kingman762]

@dplasters 94459 wrote:

So I wanted to revive this thread from the cold abyss.

Any new sweet things people are using for the cold/cooler weather? The 49 degree temp this morning in some of the outlying suburbs might be reminding people fall/winter is coming and I like to buy on sale before it is a NEED. I’ll be going into my first winter bike commute and have been trying to read about what the best things to wear are.

My rule is to focus on windproffing over insulation and the best stuff in my experiance is made by GORE BIKEWEAR. I buy their gore windstopper gear, which is windproof and water resistant. I don’t both with the gore-tex waterproof stuff because I’m never out in the rain long enough for it to matter. What I wear varies basedon the temperture but as it gets cold it usually includes the Phantom softshell with a base layer, Alp-X softshell pants with a pair of tights or bibs underneath, Alp-X windstopper gloves (unless its really cold and then I use a pair of Parl Izumi insulated gloves… that I plan on replacing this year), and either a windstopper hat or balaclava under my helmet. If its cold enough I also use windstopper socks. My primary upper body base layer is also a windstopper baselayer shirt (by Mtn. Harwear, it’s sadly not made any more).

I am basicly a rolling gore bikewear add. But I am warm and the wind doesn’t both me. You don’t need a lot of insulation you just need to keep the warm air that’s next to your body from exchanging with the cold air outside, which is why I focus on windproofing over insulation.

This stuff will last you for a number of years, but if you don’t want to spend all that money I’d focus on windproofing the areas that can be most painful when hit by the wind. For me I’ve found those spots to be my forehead, ears, fingers and toes, and shins.

[Terpfan]

This is a timely thread and reminds me I need to get bar mittens to fit my road bike. I don’t think the hybrid ones will work. But those things were amazing advice I wish I had followed before the first polar vortex. The rest is simple with layers and/or shoe coverings.

[vvill]

I’m still just using arm warmers and knee warmers at this point. Layering is the best thing for versatility.

Agree that windproofing is really important, especially since the core is actually really easy to keep warm. But I also never seem to have enough insulation on my hands and feet when it gets beyond the mid-low 30s.

I spent most of last winter on 32mm file tread tires (Ritchey Speedmax) but also ran aggressively studded tires whenever there was a risk of ice. I crashed once the previous winter on 700x25s on an icy patch. Luckily traffic was stopped (I was behind a car) so no damage done but I see little reason not to ride studs if you can get them. If there’s a chance of ice I wouldn’t risk it. I keep a pair of heavy cheap wheels with studded tires that I can swap out readily.

[sethpo]

I would say focus your money on hands and feet…and mostly feet.

It doesn’t take much to keep the core warm even in the coldest temps and a simple hat and headband and bandana for the head, ears and face work fine.

Bar Mits were an absolute must have and from there it’s all about those feet. After spending last winter w/ my shoes wrapped in duct tape, plastic wrap, toe covers and booties and still having my wool-socked toes froze solid I invested in a (used) pair of winter boots.

TL;DR: Of all the money I’ve spent trying to keep warm, I feel like quality boots are the most important area.

Note: I should point out that my commute is ~19 miles each way so that’s definitely a factor. If under about 30 minutes, you can get away with less on the feet and hands. I have no idea how to dress for short commutes where you aren’t changing clothes at your destination. I sometimes think that would be harder to manage.

[KLizotte]

My bike will only fit 700cc x 25 or 28mm tires. Sigh. Eventually I will replace it with something that takes a wider range of tires.

In the meantime, anybody know if there is such a thing as studded tires for such skinny tires? I haven’t found any online and it seems like there would be too little surface area anyways. I really hope we have a mild winter but the forecasters are saying otherwise due to El Nino.

[mstone]

@KLizotte 94481 wrote:

My bike will only fit 700cc x 25 or 28mm tires. Sigh. Eventually I will replace it with something that takes a wider range of tires.

In the meantime, anybody know if there is such a thing as studded tires for such skinny tires?

AFAIK the smallest are 30-622. (Schwalbe winter.)

[Steve O]

@sethpo 94480 wrote:

If under about 30 minutes, you can get away with less on the feet and hands. I have no idea how to dress for short commutes where you aren’t changing clothes at your destination. I sometimes think that would be harder to manage.

Last year I got a new commute: about 20-25 mins at easy speed. Most of the time I do it in my street clothes. Just treat it like you were walking 20-25 minutes through the cold. Pretty much whatever you would wear to do that will do the trick, with a little care to the fingers, ears and toes, since there will be more wind than if you were walking.

[PotomacCyclist]

I found that even with Bar Mitts, the cold temperature gets transmitted through the metal handlebar to the brake levers. I bought an inexpensive floating key chain. It’s made of a plastic tube and neoprene covering. I cut off the neoprene into small loops and used them to cover the brake levers. It also makes the levers more comfortable to use in warm weather.

The keychain only cost about $6.

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