Originally Posted by
eugew23
Being a cyclist who only just started riding in colder temperatures, I have found that a heavy coat is too much for 40 degree weather. Like the others have said, a windbreaker and maybe something layered under is probably best, because I have found myself starting to sweat after a slight incline. Oh and gloves are a huge plus!
That is exactly my experience. I used to wear a polar-tech fleece over my moisture-wicking biking shirt and under a windbreaker. The result was it was too hot, even in sub-20s. So I have peeled off the polar tech fleece. Instead, I wear a Nordic-Trac jacket I normally wear for running or xc skiing under the windbreaker. I wear it with the zipper down. The result is much more ventilation and less over-heating.
I have two different sets of gloves. I have a pair of high-viz light weight gloves for about 25-32F and Perl Izumi high-viz winter gloves for about 0-25F. I sometimes sweat in the Perl Izumis but this winter I've decided I'm "all-in"
For pants, I have two pair of long running pants (aka sweat pants.) One pair is a Champion Duo-Dry which tends to be pretty dry as advertised. If very cold or raining I wear over them a pair of "Columbia rain pants" that I got on clearance