Sertsa

Thanks again all. I need to shop as I put down a deposit on a bike today. (I was planning to buy one in stock, but it turned out I need an XL bike as I have fairly long arms and legs. So one's on order). I have a few sweat/track pants for now and some moisture wicking t-shirts. I've got some time yet before it gets very hot where I live, at least.

CommuteCommando

My goto for many years was shorts and a t-shirt. Right around 2012 when I got my first drop bar road bike since my high school ten-speed. Shortly after I tried a pair of spandex bibs and roadie jersey. I got hooked. I do not think I could stand to ride more than twenty miles in gym shorts, in spite of the fact I rode that 1972 Nishiki sixty miles in jeans.

Appearances? I rode in spandex when my BMI was well over 45. I got a lot of rude comments from strangers. At 64 years of age, I ran out of ****s to give about what strangers think.

KRS

Bibs.

Aerotech.

SethAZ 

I wear conventional cycling garb, ie: bib shorts* and cycling jersey. I've worn it weighing as much as 290 lbs, and wear it at the 255 (and falling) that I'm at right now. My goal is to break around 230 this year, finally, after porpoising up and down between 260-290 or so constantly throughout the last ten years.

Some of the 3XL cycling garb I've worn in the past is starting to be a little loose on me at 255 (mainly my long-sleeved and long-legged cool weather set), while other sets were tight on me before and more comfortable now.

I'm not too worried about my appearance. Yeah, I'm an unconventional cyclist who's not rail thin. I just don't care. Could be I'm too chunky to be wearing cycling garb out in public, but since I'm not out there trying to attract a mate (the one I've had for 29 years still suits me) I just don't care if the 20somethings out there think I'm fat on my bike. The comfort and wind resistance benefits are worth it.

ETA: The above is 100% for road cycling. I used to wear more conventional shorts and t-shirts and whatnot when mountain biking, but the last few times I mountain biked I just wore my road cycling garb. I know that sticks in the craw of the conventional mountain bikers, who want to be different somehow, but f*** em. I like wearing the road bib shorts/jersey combo on my MTB for the same reasons I like it on the road.

*if nobody has mentioned this so far in this thread, especially for heavy riders bib shorts, as opposed to non-bib cycling shorts, are mandatory. Nobody wants to see your butt crack hanging out while riding behind you. Bib shorts eliminate that as a possibility. Oh, and don't get white bibs, because they eliminate that possibility, uh, somewhat less than other colors do. :-)

CommuteCommando

I like to say they prevent plumbers cleavage.

SethAZ 

Or, in more polite and sophisticated company, décolletage dorsal.

MJH

If it is for any kind of distance, bike shorts, but I usually wear a pair of gym shorts over them. Any kind of DriFit T-shirt from Walmart is fine. If I’m just going around the block or to the store, whatever I have on is fine because of my wonderful Brooks saddle. It makes almost any ride comfortable.

OldCruiser

Since it’s warmed up here . I actually prefer a loose fitting cotton t-shirt because it holds the moisture and cools me as I ride .
But , for sun protection I’ve started wearing stretch sleeves . It allows the air to flow up my short sleeves and helps cool me under my shirt . Gym shorts , with knee high compression socks .

MRT2

What I wore today. 32 degrees, 14 mph wind.

Sertsa

Groovy. I took my first ride in decades yesterday morning, when it was 28. I had warm sweats, a hoodie, and my winter peacoat. I started out with gelled biking gloves I recently bought, but after one lap I switched to warmer gloves and put a knit cap on under my helmet. Still, a nice first ride, and I had the trail to myself for a while

MRT2

I should have said what I was wearing. 32 degrees is about as cold as I will ride. So, I was wearing some wool socks I bought at Costco under my cycling shoes. Thermal tights, which are way better than sweatpants for cold weather activity. Craft winter base layer, Pearl Izumi long sleeve jersey, and REI cycling windbreaker, which is kind of cool because if the weather is a little less cold, I can remove the sleeves so it becomes a wind vest, which helps a lot when riding into a cold wind. Under the helmet I was wearing a Pearl Izumi winter cycling hat, which is thinner than a regular beanie style winter hat, but just as warm. And the gloves are not cycling spefic. I bought them at LL Bean.

I am looking forward to slightly less cold weather where I can wear either my non thermal tights or even shorts, and maybe just a long sleeve jersey, and cycling gloves.

SethAZ 

I don't typically ride in temperatures that cold because, living in AZ, I don't have to. :-) One exception to that is that several times over the years I've done Strava's Festive 500 challenge, which starts on Christmas Eve and goes till New Years. To get a jump on the challenge, I've gone out just after midnight on Christmas Eve and done a 50-miler, then slept, then done another ride later in the day on Christmas Eve, thus giving me one more recovery sleep between rides during the challenge, as well as knocking out a very significant chunk of the 500km on the first day. It's been under 30 F during those midnight rides before, and I really bundled up, wearing insulated full-length bibs and jersey (slightly thicker and with something like flannel on the inside of the bibs and jersey), and then an obsolete Army winter PT suit (PT=physical training) consisting of loose long-legged trousers and a loose and fairly thin jacket. Warm gloves, a cloth skull cap under my helmet, taping over the air holes in the helmet to improve insulation, and some kind of bag or other insulation over my cycling shoes complete the outfit. One year I got those disposable hand-warmer packets that generate heat for a few hours and duck-taped them over the tops of my cycling shoes, which seemed to help.

Unless it's cloudy or rainy here, even during the depths of winter the temperature can easily get up to 45-70 F during a clear day, and then it's a simple matter of wearing a thicker winter-specific cycling bib and long-sleeved jersey with a thin cycling windbreaker over the top. If need be I put on a thin cloth skull cap on my head under my helmet. One would be surprised how much that helps.

In AZ winter months are awesome for riding if one can ride during the day. Only the much shorter period of daylight causes issues. In the middle of summer, on the other hand, you either have to get up extremely early and be on the rode at the crack of dawn, be willing to ride at night after the sun sets, or just bring a huge amount of water, control the pace, and hit the road under the blazing sun. The hottest I recall setting out on my 32-mile route it was like 112 degrees. I brought two water bottles filled with ice water, drained them, and made a pit stop at a gas station to refill the water bottles with more ice water as well as buy and drain a 32-ounce of 44-ounce PowerAde or the like from the fountain. I probably drank a gallon and a half during that one ride, and I had to moderate my pace as well. Not something I'd advocate, but something I've done a bunch of times during the summer here.

257 roberts

Bike shorts/padded,padded gloves,long sleeve pull-over fishing shirt in a bright color,helmet and running shoes

tallbikeman

Due to skin cancer issues I buy long sleeve Coolibar fitness shirts. I usually buy the sportier fitness shirts meant for hot weather. I find they work well as layers in the winter also. I use thrift store sports shorts, either running style or swimming style during the cooler months. I am not having saddle sore issues so I keep using these types of shorts. My rides are 10 to 20 miles long. During summer I switch to Coolibar fitness pants because of the already mentioned skin cancer issues. I find the long Coolibar pants to be almost as cool as shorts but much more protective of the sun of course. I use a Da Brim mounted on my helmet to keep the sun off my neck, ears, nose and chin areas. Da Brim works great but is a wind catcher. I'm not a racer so I use platform pedals and walking shoes. I'm thinking about trying running shoes like 257 roberts. For decades I bought cycling gloves which last 3 or 4 months and finally swallowed my pride and bought generic hardware store leather work gloves. They last for years and are much more sun protective. I raced road in the 1970's with padded shorts and the wool jersey's of the day, shoes and cleats, racing bicycle on tubulars. But aging and skin cancer have changed my focus. Maybe a bicycle clothing manufacturer will come out with some sun protective bike specific clothing that is as good as the Coolibar clothes. Haven't seen them yet.

DMC707

bibs and a snug t shirt (Under Armour or similar -- snug but not cycling jersey tight ) --- im 5'9 and currently 270ish

for me , bibs are the most efficient thing going and if I try to dress them up with some gym shorts over the top, they end up sliding down, catching the nose of my saddle and generally being a nuisance

I just deal with it and try not to worry about what others think of a plus sized man in form fitting shorts - ive got riding to do

mprince

I'm 6'4", 250-ish lbs. I've been as low as 195 lbs when I raced, and as heavy as 280+. I've always worn bib shorts and traditional cycling jerseys when riding. I look just as silly in it to non-cyclists at 250 as I did at 195, so no big deal. The pluses far outweigh the minuses once I am on the bike.

Digger Goreman

Even when I was a Clyde, I like bike gear because it wicks sweat. And I still do. For a short while I wore cotton t-shirts and jeans/slacks. Cotton is comfortable till it soaks in sweat, then it is miserable. Ordinary pants can be fine, just remember to tuck your cuffs to the outside, using hair bungee tie loops, or equivalent, to keep clean and away from chain/gears.

Rje58

I wear athletic compression pants under padded shorts. I don't like to go bare-legged, even when it's hot. I wear a bright colored wicking shirt, long sleeve or short sleeve, depending on the weather. None of my clothing is "bike specific", except the padded shorts. It's very inexpensive and very functional. I always wear gloves, eye protection and a helmet.