What are you wearing...

j_mcd

I got one of these yesterday:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/900-warm-cycling-jacket-black-blue-id_8369415.html

Wore it in today (temp around 4-5 degrees, 30 miles on the bike) and it seemed very good. Didn't wear a base layer and didn't feel cold or too hot. Did have the vents open though. Quality seems fine but there are a lot of seams which I imagine are not there if you choose to pay £100+ more for the Castelli option.

Only rained for a short while this morning though so no real feel for how waterproof it is.

fenix

You were naked under your jacket ?

j_mcd

Fenix wrote:

You were naked under your jacket ?

Yep, but it's not a jacket as such, more like a very thick jersey. Another layer would have been too much this morning.

UndercoverElephant

Pretty thick frost here this morning. Not much in the way of gritting activity so pretty icy in places too.

I wore *all* the clothes.

defever

Thanks for the advice on the wicking material clothing.

So I went to Decathlon last week and picked up one 100 series short sleeve shirt (the £5 one) from the cycling section, and I walked around to see what they have in the "running" section and they had a running shirt that looked in similar material for £3.

I haven't tried them on my commute as my bike crankset broke the next morning... poo.

Today is particularly cold so I wondered how it is like to cycle in this cold...

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Anyone got http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-classic-thermal-bib-tights/ ?
Medium for ~34" waist?

Are they the best I can get for ~£43 (taking account of spending >£60 on DHB gear and using DHBLOOKBOOK for £10 off) for rides/hill reps cooler than approx 5C?

arthur_scrimshaw

NitrousOxide wrote:

Anyone got http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-classic-thermal-bib-tights/ ?
Medium for ~34" waist?

Are they the best I can get for ~£43 (taking account of spending >£60 on DHB gear and using DHBLOOKBOOK for £10 off) for rides/hill reps cooler than approx 5C?

Yes, bought a pair last week. the week before I bought a pair of the DHB cheaper longs (£35) to see what they were like (Good)

Can't answer if they are the best for the money but they are toasty and fit me well (I take a large) - differences over the cheaper pair? zips at the cuffs and at the front section, slightly heavier material and much better pad - really good one. Thumbs up from me.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

NitrousOxide wrote:

Anyone got http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-classic-thermal-bib-tights/ ?
Medium for ~34" waist?

Are they the best I can get for ~£43 (taking account of spending >£60 on DHB gear and using DHBLOOKBOOK for £10 off) for rides/hill reps cooler than approx 5C?

Yes, bought a pair last week. the week before I bought a pair of the DHB cheaper longs (£35) to see what they were like (Good)

Can't answer if they are the best for the money but they are toasty and fit me well (I take a large) - differences over the cheaper pair? zips at the cuffs and at the front section, slightly heavier material and much better pad - really good one. Thumbs up from me.

Thanks for feedback, today's nippy spell and the predicted frosty feel to tomorrow has focused my attention on some gear more suitable for winter stuff for my legs... Pretty sure I will be making use of Wiggle's guaranteed next day delivery service if ordered in the next ~4hrs35mins!

timothyw

I'd recommend getting unpadded bib tights, especially if you don't already have any.

They can be worn several days in a row without issue, you just wear them with old bib shorts (which obviously you change every day...)

Padded tights are slightly more comfy, I do have a couple of pairs, but I'm not buying a wardrobe full of them just for a couple of months a year....

wolfsbane2k

TimothyW wrote:

I'd recommend getting unpadded bib tights, especially if you don't already have any.

They can be worn several days in a row without issue, you just wear them with old bib shorts (which obviously you change every day...)

Padded tights are slightly more comfy, I do have a couple of pairs, but I'm not buying a wardrobe full of them just for a couple of months a year....

Aye, this is my approach - I use normal padded shorts under the tights, change the shorts daily, the tights once a week..

slowbike

Apparently snow in London now ... so .. whatever you're wearing ... I hope it's warm enough

j_mcd

Slowbike wrote:

Apparently snow in London now ... so .. whatever you're wearing ... I hope it's warm enough

Yeah, reports of a few flakes in Canary Wharf but I couldn't get out of our 'office' in time to see them...

elbowloh

There was a bit of snow here in Kentish Town. People in the office went crazy for a bit, then it stopped.

slowbike

J_MCD wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

Apparently snow in London now ... so .. whatever you're wearing ... I hope it's warm enough

Yeah, reports of a few flakes in Canary Wharf but I couldn't get out of our 'office' in time to see them...

Gridlock all around the south then - ppl panicking about snowfall

drhaggis

TimothyW wrote:

Padded tights are slightly more comfy, I do have a couple of pairs, but I'm not buying a wardrobe full of them just for a couple of months a year....

That's the reason I'm not buying summer cycling clothes. Over 25 degrees? In Scotland? Last June's Lepra ride must have been by far the best day for cycling the whole year, and it was barely over 20.

arthur_scrimshaw

TimothyW wrote:

I'd recommend getting unpadded bib tights, especially if you don't already have any.

They can be worn several days in a row without issue, you just wear them with old bib shorts (which obviously you change every day...)

Padded tights are slightly more comfy, I do have a couple of pairs, but I'm not buying a wardrobe full of them just for a couple of months a year....

I know what you mean, I rode last winter with unpadded tights but I found the double layer effect a bit restricting and so I've gravitated back to padded tights. Same amount of washing in reality, you're just transposing tights for shorts.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

New DHB Thermal bib tights worked a treat for my ~70min hill rep session just before sunset, it was bitter out there! Feet got a bit chilly towards end, but I was wearing the meshed Specialized Cadet shoes with the new DHB Flashlight Thermolite socks.

Baselayer; Altura Peleton Convert jacket; Dafeet e-touch thin gloves; Aldi Lobster gloves over the top; Aldi merino cap; Buff on neck and covering mouth.

Now getting warm again in PJs and a big winter jumper, having just finished a sweet cuppa!

blackstar500

Yesterday I believe the temperature was around >2 .C

Beenie skull cap ..Covering ears
Long Sleeve Base layer
Mistral foul weather jacket
thermal lined cycling tights
galiber fire feet 2 socks
dhb toe covers ( I hate overshoes , so much faff trying to wear one ...)
Aldi Cycling windproof gloves lined with decathlon thin gloves

What I may change ( Replace the mistral jacket with a wind and rain proof light jacket (TOURMALET II RAIN JACKET)
Gloves ..My commute is about 1.30 mins ..fingers were a bit numb towards the end of the journey

greenamex2

Beenie skull cap...not covering the ears because my bluetooth earbuds are enormous and need an upgrade
DHB liner gloves (seam falling apart, really must replace them)
Pearl thermal base layer top
Netapp softshell jacket
Gore windproof jacket
Bontrager thermal bib tights
Cheapy MTB shorts (Decathlon I think)...mostly to avoid embarrassing the people at work
Castelli Primaloft socks
Shimano MW7 winter MTB shoes

And my old BMW motorbike winter gloves (electric gloves on order)

And shoved on a Gore waterproof jacket this morning as it just started raining as I got out of the door

Was nice and toasty after 3 miles, undoing zips after 5 miles, really should have stopped and removed some layers after 7 miles but couldn't be bothered.

blackstar500

greenamex2 wrote:

Beenie skull cap...not covering the ears because my bluetooth earbuds are enormous and need an upgrade
DHB liner gloves (seam falling apart, really must replace them)
Pearl thermal base layer top
Netapp softshell jacket
Gore windproof jacket
Bontrager thermal bib tights
Cheapy MTB shorts (Decathlon I think)...mostly to avoid embarrassing the people at work
Castelli Primaloft socks
Shimano MW7 winter MTB shoes

And my old BMW motorbike winter gloves (electric gloves on order)

And shoved on a Gore waterproof jacket this morning as it just started raining as I got out of the door

Was nice and toasty after 3 miles, undoing zips after 5 miles, really should have stopped and removed some layers after 7 miles but couldn't be bothered.

3 jackets ..wow ... This is quite a number of clothing ..Just trying to imagine what you wear if temp reached the minus

blackstar500

blackstar500 wrote:

Yesterday I believe the temperature was around >2 .C

Beenie skull cap ..Covering ears
Long Sleeve Base layer
Mistral foul weather jacket
thermal lined cycling tights
galiber fire feet 2 socks
dhb toe covers ( I hate overshoes , so much faff trying to wear one ...)
Aldi Cycling windproof gloves lined with decathlon thin gloves

What I may change ( Replace the mistral jacket with a wind and rain proof light jacket (TOURMALET II RAIN JACKET)
Gloves ..My commute is about 1.30 mins ..fingers were a bit numb towards the end of the journey

Trying to improve on this

Replaced Long Sleeve base layer with base layer vest + Gabba + sportful no rain arm warmers
Replaced Mistral foul weather jacket with TOURMALET II RAIN JACKET
Aldi Neoprene gloves lined with decathlon quechua walking gloves ( Utter failure as my fingers were froze 30 mins into the ride )


Can somebody please recommend gloves or setup for myfingers for cold weather

greenamex2

blackstar500 wrote:

greenamex2 wrote:

Beenie skull cap...not covering the ears because my bluetooth earbuds are enormous and need an upgrade
DHB liner gloves (seam falling apart, really must replace them)
Pearl thermal base layer top
Netapp softshell jacket
Gore windproof jacket
Bontrager thermal bib tights
Cheapy MTB shorts (Decathlon I think)...mostly to avoid embarrassing the people at work
Castelli Primaloft socks
Shimano MW7 winter MTB shoes

And my old BMW motorbike winter gloves (electric gloves on order)

And shoved on a Gore waterproof jacket this morning as it just started raining as I got out of the door

Was nice and toasty after 3 miles, undoing zips after 5 miles, really should have stopped and removed some layers after 7 miles but couldn't be bothered.

3 jackets ..wow ... This is quite a number of clothing ..Just trying to imagine what you wear if temp reached the minus

I slowly get used the cold. By the end of winter I am down to a thermal base layer and a single 'jacket'.

This morning I just had the two jackets on, went out the door, realised it was about to start raining and shoved the waterproof one one thinking I would stripped down a bit mid ride or when the rain stopped...and never bothered.

And yeah, the irony of wearing all that kit whilst sitting on a carbon fibre saddle, luggage on a carbon fibre rack and looking at carbon fibre handlebars is not lost on me!

j_mcd

wildbiker wrote:

I don't think that there is something special you have to wear in colder days.
I have just usual jeans and my jacket.

Usually, under my jacket, i have some warmer shirt or jumper or something like that. I don't want to wear too much, because it can be too hot, and you would get more sweaty than usual.

Gloves are must have, but only touchscreen friendly.

I was reading in one article about how to choose the best commuter bike for yourself, but that article was not only about bikes it was also about clothing and other accessories, just scroll down to the end and there will be a bit about what to wear when you are riding your bike to feel warm and comfortable. I found that article very interesting.


You can check that article here>> https://velosock.com/blog/105-best-commuter-bike-guide

I think that page is talking about a slightly different commute than the one I do every morning! Can't really see myself knocking out 30 odd miles in a pair of jeans. Also it recommends "Levis commuting cargos" as ideal commuter gear. And they look like bloody awful, hipster rubbish.

Although in saying that, a ridiculous beard might keep me warm over winter...

Jonesinamilion

Don't want to start another thread so I'm jumping on this bandwagon....

Going to Cannock tomorrow (ranging from zero to 4'c and dry), haven't ridden in months since breaking my collar bone. Just hoping to put a good dozen miles together at no huge pace.

Struggling for clothes choice, I don't take a rucksack so whatever I go out in, I'm keeping on!

Top half sorted; t, light fleece, Bedwin Sombrio jacket, Snood, got decent gloves... its the bottom half that's the quandary. I only have MTB shorts and don't fancy exposed skin.

I have some windproof / waterproof fleece lined walking trousers; will I sweat my nuts off in these? Better in tracksuit style bottoms?

prawny

It's freezing over cannock today, I'd wear what you can. I had knee warmers bibshorts and baggy shorts on my commute today and my shins were freezing when I got it, bright red and really itchy.

defever

Bit of a thread revival...

Back in November, I wrote this:

defever wrote:

New to the cycle specific apparel scene... I don't have any other than hi-vis cycling jacket from Aldi.

Around 10C - Normal casual cargo shorts, t-shirt, Aldi hi-vis jacket, and Decathlon 700 winter gloves (in the morning). Don't feel cold to start, by the time I finish (50-55min commute), my t-shirt is soaked. I have shower. In the evening, I don't wear the gloves.

Around 5-3C - I wear cheap Decathlon waterproof cycling trousers (the one with overshoes bits), t-shirt, same hi-vis, same winter gloves, and maybe a bike cap under the helmet. Cold to start but quickly warms up in 5-10min. By the time I finish, my t-shirt is soaked, cap a bit wet. Same setting in the evenings.

Are jerseys really better than ordinary 100% cotton t-shirts? I'm being ascrooge by thinking why by clothes that I can only wear whilst cycling when I can just wear something normal (and get soaked, which I don't mind because it dries before I cycle back home)?

And following few advice, I got cheap Decathlon SS jerseys and running t-shirts (same sort of wicking material). Yes, they do make a difference from cotton t-shirts! I still sweat but I don't turn up to work drenched; the jersey and the jacket are only "misty" with my sweat (and not smelly). Thanks very much for your advice, it's definitely a revelation.

So currently I'm wearing the jersey, the same Aldi jacket (waterproof, poor ventilation) and waterproof trousers with overshoes bits attached to it (again absolutely ventilation). So start, I am cold. But then thanks to waterproof jacket and trousers, I quickly warm up. And thanks to the wicking jersey, I don't feel soaked in my own seat. I just undo my jacket zip to 1/3 - 1/2 down and I get just enough ventilation to prevent sweating like a monkey in a hot bath...

This works out quite well for now, as most of my commute has been in rain (from drizzle to torrential) or gusty wind since November. But I am not too sure when it gets a bit warmer, if I'd get too hot and sweaty in them.

I think I could do with some sort of soft shell top as warmer alternative on dry commute. But I'm not sure what bottom to wear other than waterproof or cargo shorts.