what are you wearing...???

grazer

Hi

Yesterday morning i went out to take advantage of the best weather of the weekend. The temperature ranged between 2-5 degrees; I was wearing some bib tights, a thick helly base layer, windstopper t-shirt and a windstopper jacket (a fleece lined one).

Anyway, i felt like i had enough on, however later on i started feeling cold, but this was mainly due to the sweat round my back cooling down and giving me a chill.....

So my question is, for these types of days, what do u guys wear?? Should i start with a thinner jacket on, which i take off after 15mins or so, or should i start with more on and will just remain warmer?

Also, do any other people find bib tights just make them more sweaty? (and therefore colder ?)

Thanks for your help

Grazer

geoff_ss

I rarely get cold overall - it's just my feet.

I wear a tight Helly-Hansen thermal vest an old short sleeved top (tops last forever, they just fade a bit) and a Karrimor Kalahari jacket I must have had for at least 15 years. The jacket is a combination of fleece, for warmth, and Pertex, for wind proofing, with lots of useful pockets. I don't think they're available now but my wife regrets losing hers to a pair of surgical scissors when she was cut out of it after an accident some years ago.

Then it's a pair of 'Winter' shorts (ie too embarrassing to wear exposed) and a bib tights. Shoes, socks and overshoes with a pair of old motor leather cycle gloves to keep my hands warm.

I think you need a tight undervest so that it doesn't move away from your body and become cool and clammy. It works for me.

Geoff

MartinJ

Yesterday I wore a thin Dryflo vest and a Helly base layer under a Windstopper top. Cycling tights, skull cap under my helmet, warm gloves, overshoes. I was bit warm early on but glad of the warmth when the sun started to drop.

I think that wearing a windstopper tee shirt and a windstopper jacket may be too much. It won’t breath through 2 windstopper layers – so the sweat will build up and you’ll get cold. I bought a windstopper tee shirt a few years ago – wore it once - hated it.

With windproof layers you need someway the sweat can get out. IMO Gore windstopper is one of the most breathable, but you still need to vent, either with non windstopper panels on the back, and/or by opening front zips, pit zips etc.

The challenge is to dress warm enough to keep warm, but not too warm so you sweat too much and then chill because of wet clothes. Also don’t forget your head! Somewhere between 30 and 50% of heat is lost from your head – so head wear makes a huge difference, and can easily be swapped during a ride.

Good luck getting it right – winter days like yesterday are great, and not to be missed (once the ice has thawed.

spasypaddy

ive been wearing from the top down:
Fleecey buff
long sleeved nike pro compression (best undergarment ever)
Any old football shirt
wind and waterproof jacket made by gill
winter gloves
DHB full length bibs
thick winter walking socks
neoprene overshoes

This keeps me warm, i have the option of putting on extra tshirts or arm warmers underneath the coat if i really need it but i dont get cold or wet and keep at a nice temperature

redddraggon

This is all I wear even on the very coldest days oop north:


Lidl Winter jacket (+ thin yellow flouro windproof when it's dark)
Nike pro base layer (I was lucky to have a good few of these before I even started cycling)
Bib tights
Specialized Neoprene winter gloves
Skull cap (if it's really cold - if I do too much work my head starts to itch so it has to come off)

Waste of time:

Waterproof jacket (you'll sweat like a b!tch no matter how cold it is)
Overshoes (they just keep getting caught on my cranks and chainstays - ripping them to shreds)

donnie murdo

Howies Outback Softshell jacket
Howies NBL Mid Layer
http://www.howies.co.uk/product.php/415/72/
You can't wear anything better for cold weather next to the skin than Merino wool IMO
Pearl Izumi Therma Fleece leggings
Pearl Izumi Divide baggy outer short over the top
Gore Bike Wear Windstopper gloves
Specialized Defroster shoes
DeFeet Wooloie Boolie Merino socks

Toastie!

AntLockyer

Helmet
cotton cap
short sleeve jersey
bib tights
Wintex jacket
over shoes
gloves

Perfect for 2 - 10 degrees

Shadowduck

redddraggon wrote:

Waste of time:

Waterproof jacket (you'll sweat like a b!tch no matter how cold it is)
Overshoes (they just keep getting caught on my cranks and chainstays - ripping them to shreds)

Have to disagree on both counts there... Cheap waterproof jackets have the effect you describe, my lovely eVent jacket has no such problems. Never got an overshoe caught either - almost never ride without 'em in winter!

redddraggon wrote:

Skull cap (if it's really cold - if I do too much work my head starts to itch so it has to come off)

Isn't decapitation a little drastic just for an itch?

redddraggon

Shadowduck wrote:

Have to disagree on both counts there... Cheap waterproof jackets have the effect you describe, my lovely eVent jacket has no such problems

I've got expensive goretex jackets that I've got for hiking that make me sweat just when strolling about - hence I only wear them on the hills (hiking - not cycling) when we've stopped for lunch etc and it's a bit chilly. The jackets that I've that are breathable are too bloody loose and unsuitable for use on a bike.

To be honest, after about 10mins most jackets are too bloody hot to wear on the bike anyway no matter what the weather is if you are working hard. I only really wear my jacket when commuting because of the stopping and starting nature of it, a gilet and long sleeve baselayer is enough most of the rest of the time.

It's not really cold enough most of the time in this country for overshoes anyway. My bib tights cover most of my feet anyway.

Brian B

Endura head band
HH base layer
Assos 851 jacket
DHB winter bib tights
Seal skins gloves with thermal liners
Northwave thermal socks and I wear a pair of summer weight underneath these
Campag Textran thermal overshoes.

Its the first year wearing an Assos jacket and I wish I had got it years ago. It DOES keep out the cold and lets you breathe unlike some items that i have had in the past. I also have a Campag Textran rain jacket that is also very good and its has been tested and it is 100% waterproof.

acorn_user

Yesterday started off at 40F and got warmer:
normal shorts with linen trousers rolled up.
Bridgedale wool trekking socks (these are amazing!)
Long sleeve Castelli jersey.
Biemme gloves from Decathlon (very good).

Back in Leominster in the rain:
normal shorts with cotton trousers tucked into socks.
Same Bridgedale socks (Buy some!)
Merino base layer from Millets (wool is very good).
Same Castelli jersey and gloves.
Leather shoes with no perforations.

Both work very well. Can only recommend wool, especially as a base layer or sock. Windstopper fabric is nice if the air is cold.

mm1

Not out today (monster hangover, so no clubrun) but out yesterday in new rapha lightweight softshell with just (Howies) wool base layer, unpadded tights with undershorts, wool socks and thin overshoes - perfect, not too cold (despite ice and cold wind), but most importantly not too hot (i tend to find most wind / waterproof top layers "boil in the bag".

Astonishingly saw one person out in shorts, last weeekend - when it was even colder, saw someone out in those 1970 style running shorts and there was a lad out on the club run in a short sleeve jersey (though he did have gloves and tights).

Does anyone on here ride just shorts in winter? If so, how are your knees?

APIII

mm1 wrote:

Astonishingly saw one person out in shorts, last weeekend - when it was even colder, saw someone out in those 1970 style running shorts and there was a lad out on the club run in a short sleeve jersey (though he did have gloves and tights).

Does anyone on here ride just shorts in winter? If so, how are your knees?

I also saw someone out yesterday wearing bib shorts :shock: He was going pretty slow though, so I reckon it wasn't doing him much good

Monty Dog

Must have seen about half a dozen or so riders yesterday in shorts - including one guy with short sleeves too - by contrast I was wearing:
Buff headband
HH Lifa vest
Sportful thermal top
Campagnolo Textran-fronted jacket
Snowboarding gloves
Briko bib longs
Undershorts
Woolie Boolies
Gaerne winter road boots

Mind you it was pretty parky at 9:30 when we set out and dark by the time we got back.

mdg1157

Out last Thursday in foul weather, and today in not too bad but really windy weather.

Buff made into a beanie
15 year old Helly Hansen long sleeve base
Assos Airblock jacket
Assos Airblock tights
bibs underneath
overshoes
seal skinz windproof gloves

This is all ive worn all winter so far, including a couple of -4 or 5 rides into work (with the addition of a pair of undergloves!!)

millar time

Rapha softshell
Helly Hansen base layer
Short sleeve jersey
Bib Shorts
Leg warmers
Overshoes
Full finger gloves
Cotton Cap or if its cold a beanie.

If its sunny and a bit chilly then I wear arm warmers and a windproof fleece gilet to replace the jacket. Always pretty snug and warm in that. Although it never gets that cold in the South West. I'd never go out without a hat though, especially after reading the bit in the Robert Millar bio about a wet hat being better than no hat at all.

Lagavulin

Protective skullcap
Helly Hansen Lifa baselayer (possibly x2)
Northwave Skeleton winter long sleeve jersey
Specialized Winter Bib Longs
Woolie Boolies
Sealskinz Ultralight waterproof socks
Specialized Radiant Gloves

pcd993

Assos Airblock kacket with a base layer (the Giordana string vest type)
Shorts and either legwarmers or tights (Santini, great value)
Nike winter cap - Nike generally are rubbish but this is actually pretty good
woolie boolie socks + Endura rubber look overshoes - I suffer from cold feet so I always go overboard in protecting my feet.

I have had my Assos jacket for 11 years, and it is still going strong. A real investment, it has never let me down.

richardast

Cotton T-shirt (M&S :oops: )
Thin Merino wool pullover (Next :oops: )
Descente Velom jacket
3/4 shorts
Thermalite socks
Northwave Celsius waterproof boots

I really thought that I'd judged it perfectly for the lovely cold but sunny weather and nicely dried out roads.
Then I hit a winding country road I've never used before. It seems the torrential rain of the previous day flooded the muddy fields which then spewed onto the road.
Ended up looking like I'd participated in a cyclo-cross race.
Feet stayed dry though.