zeppinger

I have been reading a lot of post in Touring and Commuting about what to wear in cold weather. Having been blessed by the good weather of Souther California for most of my car-free life time I have little experience riding in cold weather. Now, living in South Korea, I am trying to get acclimated to my new very cold and very windy environment.

However, I just cant see myself wearing a lot of the highly specialized bicycle specific clothing that a lot of people have suggested in the other forums. I also do not see myself paying some of the prices that other forum members plunk down for water-proof, "breathable" space age materials that make you look like a space alien or super hero.

I know that there are a lot of threads already on clothing options for cold weather, but I would like a thread more devoted to low cost, low tech, dare I say "stylish" clothing options? Maybe the word should just be, "normal" cloths that are good for cycling in cold weather. I am particularly interested in cloths that are good for cold and windy weather as I am constantly battling my new nemesis, Siberian Winds!

So what do car-free people wear when it gets cold? How many people wear specialized cloths that they then change out of when they get to their destinations? I really cant see myself doing much of that as I am constantly on and off my bike and in and out of different establishments. My commute to work is about 5 minutes on foot so I only use the bike these days for social activities after work. Ideas?

Roody

I'll tell you, I'm done with layers. All my life I've been wearing layers and I am so sick of them.

So this year I said to hell with layers and went to Sears and bought two nice winter coats. One is a light fleece jacket that's good down to about 20 degrees if I'm sycling or walking fast. However, it is not windproof or water resistant, so I went back the next day and bought another one. This looks like the timeless winter coat with a windproof outer layer, some kind of polar fleece insulation in the middle, and a satiny lining that slides on easily. It has two zippers and a removable hood. It should be warm down to Zero F. even with light exercise. It will be halfway unzipped most days when I wear it. I got both coats for about $90, marked down about 50%. They both feel great and look nice.

The thing is, the high tech stuff that cost many hundreds of dollars when it first came out, is available on department store clothing within a couple years. The inexpensive winter coat you buy today is better than the stuff Edmund Hillary wore atop Mt. Everest--by far.

xtrajack

The only bike specific clothing I own is my helmet, gloves, lighted reflective vest and my J&G rain jacket. I have been surprised at how little clothing is required to stay warm. Most of the time I tend to wind up being overly warm at the end of my six mile commute.(A.K.A. sweating)

In the winter I wear waterproof shoes, (Last year it was Hermon Survivors, this year it is L.L. Bean snow sneakers) wool socks. Long underwear (also wool) Carhartt work pants. long sleeved wool blend shirt, t-shirt, field jacket liner and my J&G rain jacket.

On my head i wear a chill choker (a knitted tube thing, keeps my neck warm), 180's earmuffs and my winter helmet (taped vents a la Sheldon Brown)
I also wear windproof, waterproof snowmobile mittens or glove depending on the temp. >10F -gloves <10F -mittens.

wahoonc

About what I wear, but a few layers less.

@Zeppinger

Wool and silks work the best for me in most conditions. A lot of which I pick up at thrift stores. I realize you are in Korea, IIRC they have some sort of garment district. My brother bought me a very nice leather jacket when he was over there for ~$40. His wife was from the area and new where to shop. I do wear light waterproof jackets over wool layers for warmth and to stay dry.

The only cycling specific clothing items I tend to wear are gloves and helmet.

Aaron

rbrian

What do the locals wear in South Korea? If it works for them, it'll probably work for you.

Artkansas 

So far, I've only had to deal with temps in the high 20's. For that, I wear a sweatshirt with a thick padded flannel shirt over it. Because I commute on a recumbent, I add a pair of thermal underwear under my jeans if it gets that cold. I wear a knit ski cap under my helmet. For shoes, I wear my usual tennis shoes but thicker socks.

buck65

I'd advise to try and get as much wool clothing as possible (within your budget). Some thick wool socks, scarf, and a beanie can go a long way.

I also agree with a number of the great suggestions above. Some utility gloves, a lined coat, and thermals under your jeans/slacks will go a long way to trap that heat in. When you're at work, removing outterwear will be quite easy.

Lastly, I found a pair of waterproof pants on sale at REI a couple years back that I wear over jeans when cycling in the rain or when camping. I'd really recommend something like that if you're not interested in wearing thermals under your pants. The only downside is that they REALLY trap in the heat, so if I'm cycling for more than 15-20 miles, I tend to have sweaty legs....but that shouldn't be a problem for you since you're commute is relatively short.

BIG-E

Avoid cotton at all costs. It traps sweat and will make you cold and wet.

Modern wool can be made amazingly thin and smooth. I love my Ibex shirts. They look like 'normal' shirts, very stylish. I can wear them over and over without washing and they don't smell. It's incredible.

Poly stuff is good too, but the cheaper stuff will start to stink after a while, even if you wash it every time you wear it.

A good breathable shell with pit zips is a very worthy investment. The Marmot Precip is a good one for about $100. I really like my Mountain Hardware Exposure II. It retails for $200 and worth every penny. Very very durable.

Many cold days here in Vermont I can cycle with just a wool shirt and a shell. I don't have a car.

Always keep an extra layer with you in your pack in case you get cold. Speaking of packs, using a trailer will mean much less sweat. I love my Bob trailer.

In my opinion it's worth it to spend a little extra to get good clothes that will last and be comfortable.

nancy sv

Wool, wool, and more wool. Layer upon layer of it. That way you can be warm in the morning, and shed a few layers and still be OK on your way home in the afternoon.

One of the best things I've used has been an old merino wool sweater 2 or 3 sizes too big. Take it home and throw it in the washer with lots of soap and HOT water. It will shrink down and the fibers get totally woven together to make it wind-proof. Wonderful! Chances are the sleeves will shrink up way too short, so simply cut them off and wear it as a vest. It's one of the best winter layers I've ever used.

gerv 

You only walk 5 minutes, but you don't say how cold the temperatures are. I just checked the 10 day weather for Seoul and seems like the highs are between 18 and 34. Don't see much wind in that forecast either.

For that kind of weather, on a five minute trip at the low end of the temps, I would wear long underwear pants under my trousers and a winter jacket... But you could get away with a good windbreaker and a sweater, especially if you are moving fast. You also need a good wool cap and gloves. That's it.

For cycling on longer trips, you need to be more attentive. Good baselayer (re-use your long underwear...), sweaters, and a good windbreaker jacket. I would also get a balaclava, just because they are so comfy. Maybe a wool scarf too. And certainly a pair or two of wool socks. Good wool socks.

Snowman219

If it's above freezing I wear a t-shirt, thermal pants under loose jeans, a jacket, 40g gloves, and a beanie. If it gets below freezing I add a jacket liner. Having 1 layer that is tight to hold in the warmth and another layer over that to block the wind is the best. Your head is the exeption. You can get away with just a beanie to cover your ears(ears are the 1 thing you don't want to forget to cover as it is very painful : S) but heat naturally likes to go up so your face will stay warm even if it's snowing. Not sure how cold it is where you are but here on average it's 20F and on occasion it gets cold enough to freeze your boogers and turn your bike lock into a drill.

Cosmoline

I ride year round in Anchorage Alaska, and I've never seen a need for special bike clothing. I wear the usual skiing/winter clothes. Poly fleece pants like Polartec, wool socks, wicking shirt, cover jacket, wicking balaclava, and gloves of course. Just stay clear of cotton and you'll be OK.

AdamDZ

But you're still wearing outdoor sport specific clothing

Adam

sauerwald

When I rode through winters in Maine, I tended to wear a lot of stuff that was designed for other winter sports. I found that when cycling the main things that needed attention were my head, hands and feet.

My gloves came from cabellas and were marketed to snowmobilers.

For shoes, it would depend on what bike I was riding, but on one with SPD pedals, I would wear Lake winter cycling boots, and with platform pedals, a pair of Sorel boots. Either way, the boots are a size bigger than normal, and two pairs of wool socks.

For a helmet I used a ski helmet - keeps your ears nice and warm. I never found a need for anything thicker than a thin balaclava for my face.

Arcanum

Leather. Seriously. It's the original windproof breathable material. Get a good leather jacket and some leather-specific waterproofing spray and you've got a durable, good-looking, water-shedding, multipurpose shell for cold weather. Layer some wool under it, or get a jacket with a removable insulated liner (Thinsulate or the like), or both if it's really cold, and it will serve you well. Motorcyclists in the US don't just wear it for looks.

For your legs you may have to get a bit into sports clothing. Depending on the exact temperature and wind chill, I wear some combination of UnderArmor brand "compression" sports pants under my regular pants (as if they were long underwear), and Marmot PreCip rain pants over my regular pants. The UnderArmor pants weren't that expensive, but the PreCip rain pants were pretty pricey.

On my head, aside from my helmet, I just have a thin polyester balaclava and maybe a set of ski goggles if it's particularly cold and windy.

For gloves I'm actually using some inexpensive cycling-specific cold/wet weather gloves by Canari. I think I paid $30 or less for them.

For footwear I've got some waterproof insulated hiking boots rated down to -20F or so. No special socks.

This setup has served me well down to around 10 degrees F in 15-20mph (sometimes higher) winds for trips of 3.5 miles or so, but I'm confident it would work reasonably well in both colder weather and for somewhat longer trips.

KrisPistofferson

This is one of those things that is very true in the proper context, but worthless outside of it. I used to spend an inordinate amount of time and money layering synthetic and soft wool base layers and all of that other happy crappy, but then one day I realized that I live south of the Mason-Dixon Line, and it never really gets cold enough for me to dress like I'm on an antarctic expedition. Those of you in Minnesota and Canada, yeah, avoiding cotton is good, and I would avoid cotton if I were on an extended camping trip, but it's just kind of a headache for a lot of us.

Llamero

Hey, hey, another Maine winter rider. Layering is not all that hard. I keep all the layers together, and take them on and off as one big coat. Being the dead of winter in Maine with temps dipping to below zero Farenheit, I'm currently at my max insulation:

Head: Windproof hood, if its cold a warm hat under the hood, if it's really cold a scarf under that
Body: Windproof water-resistant shell from LL Bean (worn year round), the insulated liner for the shell, and a wool button down sweater.
Hands: In warm weather I wear leather gloves, in really cold weather I wear gore-tex mitts (a gift to myself)
Legs: Wind pants if it's really cold, otherwise just jeans (pedaling harder if I feel chilled)
Feet: Plastic shopping bags to cover my shoes if the road is wet or snowy, otherwise just sneakers (again pedaling harder if I feel cold).

None of this is special cycling gear, except the helmet and reflective vest, which I wear regardless of weather. I also have yet to find weather conditions too severe or cold for my current gear (knock on wood).

Standard cold winter day attire:


Very cold/blizzard attire: (the ski goggles were a recent "luxury" purchase)