Cold weather bike clothing on a budget

[dplasters]

So far I’m feeling pretty prepared. I might need to check out those Windstopper socks. I’ve started to feel the toes getting a little cool by the time I reach work in the mornings.

I just picked up a reflective buff to wear when its cool (40s) and to wear overtop of a fleece neck gaiter I already own when it drops into the 30s/20s/please not too much in the teens. I wanted to make sure I was adding to my visibility. We will see how it performs.

Strange question. I read although I’m not sure where anymore. About the crotch area getting very cold for some people. I believe I even read a comment from someone who said he shoved a plastic bag in his pants to try and help the situations. Trying to ignore the unbelievable noise that would make, has anyone else experienced that issue?

Hands and feet look like the things I need to look around for. Also, anyone wear clear lenses or such to cut out the cold wind/debris from the eyes? I have some normal oakleys with dark lenses but think for the winter I might try and pick up a clear/super light set of lenses for them. I’m afraid of debris getting into my eyes or them drying out. I could also just be a woosie.

[dkel]

@dplasters 94553 wrote:

Also, anyone wear clear lenses or such to cut out the cold wind/debris from the eyes? I have some normal oakleys with dark lenses but think for the winter I might try and pick up a clear/super light set of lenses for them. I’m afraid of debris getting into my eyes or them drying out. I could also just be a woosie.

I have more experience with this than I care to have, and I’m a cheapskate, so I’ll tell you my story! I rode all winter with my regular glasses on, and had no eye trouble. My lenses are pretty small, though, so wind was a problem for the skin around my eyes. I used a liberal smear of Aquaphor on that little bit of skin around my eyes, and my windburn problem was solved. A baby wipe got the petroleum jelly residue off at each end of my commute. This spring, however, I got a nasty eye infection from all the pollen and general debris flying around, so I bought a pair of $3 safety goggles to fit over my glasses. They look absolutely ridiculous, but they cut down on the wind and debris big time! They made such a difference in comfort, I don’t know if I ever want go back to just wearing my regular glasses without them anymore. I will probably get some prescription cycling glasses soon to do the same job and not look ridiculous, but the $3 solution gave me great pleasure, and has lasted for months.

[sethpo]

@dkel 94554 wrote:

I have more experience with this than I care to have, and I’m a cheapskate, so I’ll tell you my story! I rode all winter with my regular glasses on, and had no eye trouble. My lenses are pretty small, though, so wind was a problem for the skin around my eyes. I used a liberal smear of Aquaphor on that little bit of skin around my eyes, and my windburn problem was solved. A baby wipe got the petroleum jelly residue off at each end of my commute. This spring, however, I got a nasty eye infection from all the pollen and general debris flying around, so I bought a pair of $3 safety goggles to fit over my glasses. They look absolutely ridiculous, but they cut down on the wind and debris big time! They made such a difference in comfort, I don’t know if I ever want go back to just wearing my regular glasses without them anymore. I will probably get some prescription cycling glasses soon to do the same job and not look ridiculous, but the $3 solution gave me great pleasure, and has lasted for months.

I went with these cheap motorcycles googles which came in clear and shaded for less than $15. I’ve also worn swim goggles in heavy rain which looked ridiculous but worked. You have to protect the eyes. There’s also very inexpensive face masks online although I found them too warm for anything over about 15 degrees. A cheap bandana that I can pull up or push down works best for me.

As for the groinal area, I only had that issue trying to wear summer weight bib shorts w/ leg warmers. A decent set of winter weight tights (w/ chamois) or even thicker bib shorts seemed to work fine. I also wear knickers or shorts over bib shorts which provides enough of a wind barrier for the fellers. You can also wear a cheap pair of polyester long undies under pretty much anything and be fine.

[Supermau]

I sprung for some multi-lens Tifosi glasses last May. Dark, amber, and clear. I use them all and it’s a snap, quite literally, to swap them out. The clear are great for my dark morning commute, the woods, and rain. A solid $30 investment.

[vvill]

I wear “ski” goggles (actually, MX – motocross ones). It does limit your peripheral vision a bit but you don’t have to worry about getting cold eyes/sinus and it works great in conjunction with a buff or two (or whatever).

For some reason my groinal area never gets that cold. I usually wear legwarmers with bib shorts or regular shorts, with MTB shorts over the top if I need them. I find the lined winter bibs too warm.

[dplasters]

@vvill 94562 wrote:

I wear “ski” goggles (actually, MX – motocross ones). It does limit your peripheral vision a bit but you don’t have to worry about getting cold eyes/sinus and it works great in conjunction with a buff or two (or whatever).

For some reason my groinal area never gets that cold. I usually wear legwarmers with bib shorts or regular shorts, with MTB shorts over the top if I need them. I find the lined winter bibs too warm.

I can’t decide if you look incredibly Bad@$$ or you’re about to rob a bank.

[Sunyata]

@vvill 94562 wrote:

I wear “ski” goggles (actually, MX – motocross ones). It does limit your peripheral vision a bit but you don’t have to worry about getting cold eyes/sinus and it works great in conjunction with a buff or two (or whatever).

I often will wear my snowboarding helmet (which is fleece lined and quite warm) and goggles for mountain biking in the winter. Since this winter will be my first bike commuting winter, I may also wear them for commuting, but I worry about the peripheral vision since 95% of my commute is on the road. If it does not work out, I also have a pair of Tifosi interchangeable lens glasses that I can wear instead.

My biggest issue is my hands and feet. I have a pair of semi-insulated Gore Windstopper gloves, but they do not keep my hands warm if it is cooler than about 40 degrees outside. So if anyone has any suggestions for a nice pair of winter riding gloves that work REALLY well, but still allow dexterity, I would love to know them. Keep in mind, I am a woman with super tiny hands (I wear a size small women’s glove).

I am thinking about getting a good pair of insulated boots for commuting this year and just switching to flat pedals. I have shoe covers for my regular cleated shoes, but they just do not keep my feet warm enough in cold weather.

[hozn]

@Sunyata 94584 wrote:

I often will wear my snowboarding helmet (which is fleece lined and quite warm) and goggles for mountain biking in the winter. Since this winter will be my first bike commuting winter, I may also wear them for commuting, but I worry about the peripheral vision since 95% of my commute is on the road. If it does not work out, I also have a pair of Tifosi interchangeable lens glasses that I can wear instead.

Yeah, I wear proper ski goggles (double wall = less fogging) when the temps get very extreme — single digits or teens + wind. At those temps I find the wind on exposed forehead/around-the-eyes can get quite painful. Otherwise, just regular (rx) glasses and my brimmed winter cycling cap (and smartwool gaiter/mask) work great.

@Sunyata 94584 wrote:

My biggest issue is my hands and feet. I have a pair of semi-insulated Gore Windstopper gloves, but they do not keep my hands warm if it is cooler than about 40 degrees outside. So if anyone has any suggestions for a nice pair of winter riding gloves that work REALLY well, but still allow dexterity, I would love to know them. Keep in mind, I am a woman with super tiny hands (I wear a size small women’s glove).

I’m sure there’s a heavy duty Gore glove that keeps hands warm, but I haven’t found it. I have a set of Gore Mistral gloves for rainy conditions (upper 30s – 40s), but they don’t do well in the cold. Probably the best option for hands is bar mitts. They look stupid, but they work reasonably well. I still need gloves under them, but for me they make things feel 10-20F warmer (so gloves that are comfortable in the 30s usually work in the teens-20s). Otherwise, I have a pair of Sugoi gloves that are pretty warm down into the low 30s (older SubZero model, I believe); their new SubZero gloves look reasonable. I’ve been tempted to get some Lobster gloves — the Sugoi SubZero Lobster looks well-reviewed on Amazon except that the sizes run small. Since I usually want size XXL, I guess I won’t be getting those. I also have a set of LG gloves with liners that work well into upper 20s. Below that I don’t have anything that keeps my hands warm after 30 minutes or so; I use bar mitts.

@Sunyata 94584 wrote:

I am thinking about getting a good pair of insulated boots for commuting this year and just switching to flat pedals. I have shoe covers for my regular cleated shoes, but they just do not keep my feet warm enough in cold weather.

This sounds like the economical way to go about it. Or winter cycling boots. The Lake boots get reviews. I have two sets of Northwave Celcius boots; the “Artic” [sic] model is definitely warmer than the others. Paired with wool socks, sometimes multi-layers, these keep feet warm down into the teens or whatever. For some of the single-digit days last year, I wore regular winter boots w/ flat pedals. That worked fine. And arguably if you’re traversing lots of ice, might be a little safer (to put a foot down). For simply riding in the cold, though, I still like being clipped in.

My favorite part about winter commuting is having the W&OD to myself.

My least favorite part about winter commuting is all the gear. All this crap to put on, take off, dry out, etc.

[vvill]

@dplasters 94571 wrote:

I can’t decide if you look incredibly Bad@$$ or you’re about to rob a bank.

Can’t it be both? Here’s one that is just the goggles, and a reminder of what it looks like biking in the winter… urrghhh!

@hozn 94589 wrote:

Probably the best option for hands is bar mitts. They look stupid, but they work reasonably well. I still need gloves under them, but for me they make things feel 10-20F warmer (so gloves that are comfortable in the 30s usually work in the teens-20s). Otherwise, I have a pair of Sugoi gloves that are pretty warm down into the low 30s (older SubZero model, I believe); their new SubZero gloves look reasonable. I’ve been tempted to get some Lobster gloves — the Sugoi SubZero Lobster looks well-reviewed on Amazon except that the sizes run small. Since I usually want size XXL, I guess I won’t be getting those. I also have a set of LG gloves with liners that work well into upper 20s. Below that I don’t have anything that keeps my hands warm after 30 minutes or so; I use bar mitts.

This sounds like the economical way to go about it. Or winter cycling boots. The Lake boots get reviews. I have two sets of Northwave Celcius boots; the “Artic” [sic] model is definitely warmer than the others. Paired with wool socks, sometimes multi-layers, these keep feet warm down into the teens or whatever. For some of the single-digit days last year, I wore regular winter boots w/ flat pedals. That worked fine. And arguably if you’re traversing lots of ice, might be a little safer (to put a foot down). For simply riding in the cold, though, I still like being clipped in.

My favorite part about winter commuting is having the W&OD to myself.

My least favorite part about winter commuting is all the gear. All this crap to put on, take off, dry out, etc.

Yup to all this. I use bar mitts / moose mitts because just gloves don’t cut it for me. I know there’s a few here who use the lobster style gloves (with some success I assume).

I’ve always held off getting winter cycling boots because of the high cost – I just use regular winter boots with flat pedals on my beater MTB that has a studded tire wheelset.

[Anonymous]

I wore these http://www.amazon.com/Smartwool-Liner-Gloves-Black-Large/dp/B006UJJ2JK underneath my Gore Windstoppers on the colder days last year. Added at least an extra 10 degrees of cold tolerance, probably more, and wasn’t appreciably more movement-restrictive.

[dbb]

I have been remotely coaching an old friend in San Diego who has just started cycling again. After sharing some of this thread (in a mocking way) with him, we concluded that for winter cycling in San Diego, you need to switch from SPF 30 to SPF 15 sun block. That is all.

[vern]

For my hands I have a pair of lobster gloves that I cannot praise highly enough. They keep my hands very warm, even in the teens. Using these gloves, my hands get cold only if my body gets too warm and my hands start to sweat.

[mstone]

@vern 94667 wrote:

For my hands I have a pair of lobster gloves that I cannot praise highly enough. They keep my hands very warm, even in the teens. Using these gloves, my hands get cold only if my body gets too warm and my hands start to sweat.

I have some lobster gloves. They’re fully functional, but hot as hell. I keep kicking around the idea of bar mitts.

[jrenaut]

@mstone 94670 wrote:

I keep kicking around the idea of bar mitts.

Can’t recommend bar mitts enough. They let you wear much lighter gloves so you retain finger dexterity and still keep you warm.

[Steve]

My hands being cold pretty much went away last winter by using skiing gloves. It’s a nice little benefit of bar-end shifters, and not needing great dexterity with your hands to use them.

Cold weather cycling I think I have mosty figured out……it’s the inbetween temps of the fall that make it so that I am almost always dressed improperly, either too much or too little.

[Author]

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