TortoiseAvenger

Grant Petersen in his book “Just Ride” suggests specialty cycling clothes are bs.



I can’t say that has been my experience. When I started cycling, I wore street clothes, and my butt hurt after only 2 miles. I got a pair of proper shorts and they made all the difference. I suspect this is due, in part, to me being a heavy rider (260 lb). I was even heavier at the time (330 lb).



That said, I’ve yet to find a need for a special jersey. I just wear my normal shirts.



Cycling has become my only form of transport, which after several false starts, has been a goal of mine for years. I get groceries, take care of returns, and run errands on my bike. I also ride for pleasure.



After the weight loss, I need cooler weather clothes in general, so I was hoping to go shopping, ideally with a focus on stuff that would be simultaneously appropriate for the bike and daily life.



Some notes:



I live in North Carolina. Summers are hot, winters are mild. Being from the north, from my perspective we only have about two weeks of real winter here, but I want to be able to ride in all of it.



I own my own business, and work online. I don’t need to wear anything specific for work.



I’m not interested in speed, only distance. The further I can go, the more places I have access to. Time is not of the essence.



I’m not a fair weather cyclist. I ride in the rain all the time. Haven’t dealt with cold rain yet, which is a concern.



I cycle nearly every day. Currently 15-22 miles each day, though I hope to work that up.



So, for the cooler weather that’s coming, can I wear some normal pants over my cycling shorts? That seems ideal. Less to buy.



What about my top half? Thought about layering normal shirts, with my rain jacket on top if needed.



Gloves seem like a good idea for January/February.



If it isn’t possible to get clothes that do double duty, what should I get? I think it’s realistic to expect whatever I buy for this winter won’t fit next winter, so I’d like to place an emphasis on affordability over durability.



Based on all this, if you were in charge of outfitting me, what would you recommend?

shelbyfv

Took awhile to find the question but the answer is yes.

c_m_shooter

Long sleeve poly t shirts, a fleece vest and a rain jacket should give you options from 10-60 degrees wet or dry. I wear cargo pants over normal padded shorts or most of the time poly compression shorts. Cover your knees below 60 degrees. For an hour at a time, no special attention is needed for your feet, but good gloves are nice to have.

Unca_Sam

Northerner here.

I think the rule that "cotton kills" still applies, even though you won't necessarily face 'arctic' conditions. If you're in wet non-insulating clothing such as cotton, and the ambient temperature is lower than 55 F, you are at risk of hypothermia; add in a steady breeze from riding and you have conditions that can make you ill quickly. If you can use polyester or acrylic base layers, or ideally merino, you will be 100x more comfortable than you would be in a snug cotton shirt. From there, I'd use an insulating layer like fleece, and a shell on top. Overheating can be just as bad as being underdressed. Cycling specific versions fit better, have sport specific features like underarm vents, and are usually cut with a longer tail and more form fitting than street clothing.

I use insulated tights in cool weather, and I have a soft breathable shell to go on over that if it's wet and cold. Again, nothing will prevent you from using street clothes (or outdoor cool weather clothing), except that the cycling specific clothing will tend to fit better while you're on the bike.

Cold hands and feet sap morale, so wind and waterproof gloves and shoe covers will keep you moving. I have a set of bar-mitts coming for the mountain bike. That might be overkill if your riding temps stay above 35F. Or, you could ride with your regular gloves while your hands are ensconced in the magnificence of a neoprene cocoon? Even toe covers make a difference. On Saturday it was the difference between feeling my toes and not.

CAT7RDR

Water proof cover for your helmet and maybe a balaclava for cold wet rides.

sloppy12

I am in Ohio. just normal clothes. Rain pants, rain jacket, and normal winter gear. only bike specific stuff I use are some of those arm sock things( I would think its all you would need for your area.) I would just wear shorts with the legging things and normal shirt with the winter sleeves, also have some of bike shoe covers for my boots, and Bar mitts for bike. I cant see you needing bar mitts. the shoe covers are nice. Keeps work boots dry. I also switch helmets in the winter and use a snow board one with googles. Its awesome. I think for your weather it would be way over kill.

Its been low 40's and dipping into thirties over night and rain for like last two weeks. Cheapo amazon rain gear is fine. LOL

Notso_fastLane

With milder temps, it's better, IME, to focus more on staying dry, and you will naturally stay warm. That does mean covering as much skin as possible when the temps dip into the 50s if there's a chance of rain.

Waterproof but breathable is, unfortunately, not inexpensive, but it won't break the bank either. Get the big, important parts first (jacket, pants and helmet cover). You can get inexpensive show covers to keep your feet dry, and gloves aren't that pricey. Then see what parts get cold and focus on spending a little more, like some good wool underlayers, where needed.

WhyFi

There's nothing stopping you from wearing normal pants over your bibs/shorts but, on a budget, I'd prefer thermal running tights - they're not terribly expensive when on sale, they don't flap about, and you don't need to be concerned with them catching on anything while you pedal.

For the top, I do like a cycling-specific jacket - I like the rear pockets and cut tailored to the riding position (longer arms, shorter up front, longer tail, etc) - but find that cycling-specific jerseys/base layers aren't necessary under the jacket; I tend to use merino shirts, but whatever you have that's decent for wicking and insulation should be fine.

Good, cycling-specific winter gloves can be expensive and they're a little hard to find on sale. Skiing/snowboarding gloves work well, though, and can be found on sale more often. They don't always have the snot-wipe section and they may be a little more bulky than good, winter cycling gloves, but they can come in for a third of the price or less for similar warmth. I find that I need to size-up, though, for using them on drop bar bikes - with the bars pushing in to the thumb webbing, and the reach to the levers, the glove fingers are effectively shortened; if they're not long enough, the insulation at the tips of the fingers will get compressed, and your finger will get cold in short order.

debade

I think lots of good advice to sort out. A couple of other thoughts. 1. While I did not ride for pleasure in the Wisconsin winter, I did commute about 5 miles down to 20 degrees. The winter temp range for my biking was 20-40 degrees. While you will not be in the lower range, I had a 'wardrobe' designed for each temperature range. I also measured that by how cold I was at the start. If I was too warm in the first mile or two, I was overdressed. 2. My favorite gloves were 40 gram Thinsalate lined gloves I purchased at Walmart. I liked that they had a tightening strap for my wrist but I am not sure that kept me warmer. In NC you may not need that feature.

I love your ambition and making active transportation your mode of transport.

msu2001la

The biggest challenge with loose fitting pants is the pant leg getting caught in the chainring, or rubbing up against it and getting stained. I commute (under normal times) in regular street clothing on my bike, and usually end up either rolling up my pant leg, or using one of those reflective straps to keep the bottom tight.

sloppy12

chain guards.

indyfabz

You can wear anything I say you can.

Gyro

Depending on temps, I wear cycling leg pants warmers, whatever their called. My padded bike shorts and the next size up jeans. I'm a 34 I wear 36.This is good for into the forties.

wolfchild

It's all about wicking fabrics and knowing how to layer... You don't need cycling-specific clothing to ride a bicycle. There are plenty of non-cycling clothes out there which are perfectly suitable for riding a bicycle in all weather conditions.

Nyah

It's all about layering.

For example:

Wear your warmer weather clothing as a base-layer. No cotton, though.

Wear a longsleeve wool shirt/jacket over that. This is the outermost layer.

Add a mid-layer as needed.

If you get too warm, remove the wool longsleeve and tie it around your waist.

For gloves, get some wool fingerless gloves that convert into mittens. These are fantastic for their versatility.

For footwear, have a pair of shoes that's large enough to accommodate a thick wool socklayer.

Personally, I don't wear padded shorts (or any other cycling-specific clothing). You could certainly layer trousers over those, I would think.

If your bicycle doesn't have a chainwheel-guard, you can use a velcro strap to keep the trouser leg from getting caught on the chainwheel. On my bicycle that doesn't have a chainwheel-guard, I store this strap by keeping it wrapped on the handlebar, always ready for when I need it.

TortoiseAvenger

Thanks for all the helpful advice!

Mulberry20

Long finger gloves, Pearl Izumi Cyclones or Castelli Diluvio C

Merino long sleeve base layer

Merino athletic socks

Long tights

Compression liner under tights

Decent jacket

No cotton anything anywhere

Ironfish653

Lots of decent advice here.

The big takeaway is: Layers, Layers, Layers.
It's the easiest way to adjust for conditions. There's no "One to Rule Them All"
A long, sporting ride in cool, but dry weather may call for a whole different outfit than running errands on a (relatively) warmer, but rainy day.

TortoiseAvenger Since you asked about pants for commuting and errand running; I've found that the 'tech khakis' or 'trekking pants' work pretty well for on the bike. They're usually a quick-drying synthetic, with some stretch built in for good mobility while pedaling. I have a few pair of a couple different brands, some are heavier than others, with varying degrees of wind/water resistance. You can usually find them at any department store, near the jeans. I wear them over the 'long-leg' 'athletic' boxer briefs, and it works well for rides up to an hour or so. They can also pass for street clothes, which is good for shopping, and even at work (in casual environments, provided you're not too sweaty)

rsbob 

If you dress for cold weather and step outside and are warm, you are overdressed. You want to be a little chilly before you start so when you get warmed up, you are then comfortable. Like the previous posts, layering is a key, but you don’t want to have to strip off layers and stash them somewhere.

Mulberry20

hands, feet and ears are the most sensitive areas

also body mass has a lot to do with dressing for winter, someone 150lbs will get colder faster than someone 250lbs

Mojo31

I have a jacket with zip off sleeves. As I warm up,I just wear the vest, and put the sleeves in a back pocket. Works really well.

Koyote

The more extreme the weather, the more it is to have the right clothes.

Clyde1820

I know that well-made general fitness clothing takes into account seams, rubbing points, stiffness/smoothness, binding/bunching, along with key features such as enhanced moisture wicking, that "normal" (street) clothing does not. Not always, but usually.

Back in the day, when performance distance running I found running "tights" to be vastly more comfortable, have better support, halted the rubbing between the legs, kept me warmer when it got a bit chilly as compared to "street" clothing alternatives. Always did cotton shirts, never the newfangled "wicking" jerseys, but paid for it with raw areas. Similar issues with cycling, finding padded shorts and bibs to be vastly more comfortable.

I'm all for using "normal" clothing in most situations, but the moment "performance" and "fitness" is the goal, the challenges for general clothing can be strained. Causing chafing, raw spots, sores, aches, etc.

For long times in the saddle, I like a decently-designed pair of shorts/tights, and a decent wicking jersey.

For cooler weather, as well, I'm all for using several thinner layers. A good wicking base layer, a thin but warm jersey, a warm outer layer that has some wind/moisture barrier (if needed). Prefer to go that route, instead of a "high tech" or bulky-outerwear alternative.

jleeg

I’ve been around this discussion for over 40 years (I’m 69). In my climbing days (rock/ice/mts) ascending a frozen icefall included intervals of intense prolonged effort followed by long standing belays when sweat turned to ice. Kicking steps at altitude with a pack... Then there’s flyfishing in chest deep water in January, and cycling in all kinds of weather. It has all been done in pedestrian garb. The margin of error of error (hypothermia, mostly) is reduced by sensible wear, once mostly sheep’s wool, angora and alpaca. I have and still use those natural materials and they remain very serviceable and I’ve got iterations of the newest techno gear from these decades. When I was relatively poor, I sewed clothes and gear, and later bought plenty, probably overdoing it. BUT, the evolution of materials and design presents us with clothing that is warm, light, wicking, breathable, non-chafing, comfortable and better than much of the makeshift alternatives from the pedestrian world. And if you know the properties of fabrics you can can find suitable choices that are not bike specific.

Hypothermia can be avoided without cyclists resorting to expensive hi-tech clothes. I happen to like them and am amazed at the improvement. But if you don’t want to spend the boatloads it seems to cost, find last years steeply discounted and great stuff. And if you don’t want to look like a cased sausage in team colors to casually run errands, look for the techno gear disguised as polo shirts , shorts and sneakers. There’s room in this sport for all of us. Viva la difference.

jay4usc

I wear a lot of stuff from Nike, Adidas or Under Armour. You will find a wide range of selections especially their sweats which mostly have tapered legs (perfect for cycling). They have clothes for all weather. I’m from SoCal so most of their gym/training clothing are perfect for our weather. I have Under Armour wind breaker jacket which is light weight but good for 50-70 degrees and blocks all the wind. They all have cold gear clothing if that’s what your looking for.