jimboach

I commute on my folder anywhere from 3 to 10 miles depending on my mood or where I decide to get off my train and jersey weather was pretty rough last year. I have two carhartt jackets that I usually wear. One is thin and looks like a motorcycle jacket but fares well up to about 45ish. The heavier one I put on when it gets real cold. My question is, they both are a bit bulky. Do bike specific jackets do a good job and are they really worth the premium price? I commute so I try not to look like I'm training for the tour de france but if prefer to be a bit more streamlined. Any suggestions?

chewa

I use bike specific stuff. This morning I cycled my folder to the doctors in a rainstorm wearing a Goretex shell and Endura waterproof trousers. I took it easy so my legs didn't sweat up too much but other than my feet (normal shoes as the Dahon has flat pedals on) I was dry. The shell is like a smock and obviously cycling related (it's bright yellow for a start) but the trousers look ok, just have zips at the bottom and knee patches.

The Gore stuff in particular is expensive, but I have had that shell 20 years, and some of my other stuff 15 or so, so it's economical in the end.

modernjess

I think the general answer in short is yes but, ultimately the value proposition is dependent on your use/needs. As you describe your commute it certainly doesn't seem like bike specific outer wear is a necessity.

Over many years I invested in a lot of bike specific clothing that I use for all different types of weather and riding that I do. I prefer these garments because they have features that add efficiency and comfort to the riding experience. Outer wear have features such as long sleeves and tails, ventilation, reflective materials and colors, strategic pockets, waterproof or wind blocking abilities and these are all just tools in the tool box that help me get the job done every day all year more comfortably.

PaulRivers

Yeah. Don't know your finances so I can't tell you if it's worth it costwise, but breathable windproof gear is amazing for biking in the cold. It's a ton less bulk, it breathes so you don't get sweaty inside it, it's just nicer.

It's like buying a new(ish) car vs buying an older car with a lot of miles on it. I can't tell you if it's worth it, but it's a definite improvement.

The Gore Windstopper bike jackets are nice. Pricey, but nice. They block wind but also "breathe" at the same time which is fantastic.

acidfast7

Yes. I usually buy discounted XC ski stuff and it repels the rain/snow/sleet and is breathable!

icepick_trotsky 

Any source recommendations?

acidfast7

i like stuff from these guys as it's good/durable/inexpensive

Craft: CRAFT

seems that they're in North America now. I always hit LLBean outlet when I visit family in the states

physdl

I don't think cycling gear is necessarily more expensive than similar quality non-cycling gear. It is sometimes a bit harder to find though, particularly on sale. The biggest differences I've seen are, as others have mentioned, cycling-specific cut (not always a good thing, if you're not into super-tight clothing, but does help with the added tail for example), reflective colors and strips, and perhaps minor conveniences for when you're biking (pockets in certain locations or similar). Personally, it's hard for me to justify spending a large amount of money on just a jacket, but water proof, breathable gear is really amazing and if you can use it for more than just biking, then it's great. My rule on this though is to be able to layer so that the same component can be used for multiple temperatures. That way I can use the same external shell when it's 45 degrees out and I'm biking or 20 degrees and I'm skiing (or biking) - just change the layers underneath.

scoatw

The only real bike specific thing that I wear is my outer shell. Which is a J&G rain jacket. The pants I wear are Sport Hill XC pants, an excellent cold weather pant. My mid layer jacket is a Sport Hill jacket. My under layers are stuff I buy from LL Bean or Cabelas. Sierra Trading Post can have good winter stuff too. They have cheap balaclavas. My winter shoes are LL Bean Snow sneakers. Those are going on winter #8 . Great boot. Good down to around 0f-5f. My gloves are cheap cotton jersey gloves that cost about $2.50. When those stop working I switch to heavy duty mittens.

TGT1

Sierra Trading Post - Love the Deals. Live the Adventure.

Often has good deals. Especially if you take an unusually large or small size or find a closeout.

I've migrated more to cycling specific because my mountain specific clothing (shells in particular) are sized for multiple layering and are just too loose and floppy for cycling use.

Not that the skiing or mountaineering type rain/wind shells won't work just fine, you just may want to size them differently.

they also have cycling specific stuff.

I could have got the jacket I just got locally for $70 for thirty bucks.

AGH!

jwarner

I generally wear ski and mountaineering shells and fleece, but only because I was in in the industry of a lot of years, accumulated a lot of this type of clothing, and am pretty comfortable in it. I also don't like wearing tight clothing. I can't say I've suffered because of it. A lot of cold-weather climbing layers have long tails (not as long as bike specific stuff) and arms to avoid baring the midriff and wrists when reaching above one's head. The few bike specific things I have, I bought for the the reflective qualities, or because it was a deal I couldn't pass up.

It also seems to me that mountaineering clothing provides a lot more ventilation options, which is good for me as my biggest problem is usually overheating.

Just saying I wouldn't rule something out just because it isn't made by [[ insert bike company here ]] if it fits and is a good deal.

jimboach

I'm reading all these comments and really appreciating every bit of info. As I go over the links, I'm just reeling over the sticker shock for some of these things. I see some shells for upwards of $300 and it's just freaking me out that they expect me to pay as much as a nice carbon crankset for my bike. Another thing is, my LBS doesn't carry too much clothing so I'd have to order this stuff online based on blind faith. I really need to run a google search and find a new bike shop with something I can try on. You guys have definitely convinced me that it's least worth the effort to do so. I also need to keep my eyes open for the sales.

modernjess

If you know what you are looking for browse the discount sites and grab the gear off season or at the end of the season. Lots of saving to be had.

In fact just today I wore a new pair of cold weather gloves for the first time that I bought for a ridiculously cheap price last May.

rumrunn6

I experimented with non-cycling specific items and begrudgingly bought cycling stuff as I learned what I had was not quite as good. bike commuting clothing takes a bout a year to establish.

fietsbob

Do you fancy your self as a Cyclist, or just someone who rides their bike .. the distance involved got shorter for me , so the bicycle specific gear went in storage.

thermalattorney

Jackets: Yes. A cycling-specific cut with longer arms and longer back make enough of a difference to justify owning.
Gloves: No, especially for lower temps.
Bottoms: Yes. Since you don't want tights, how about a $50 pair of jeans that are warmer than your average pair?

noglider 

If you ride bent forward, you may appreciate the long back and sleeves of bike specific clothing. If this doesn't matter, regular clothing will probably do. I generally wear regular old clothes.

jrickards

The advantage of bike specific gear is that they are designed for active cycling with appropriate knee room for the movement of your legs, rain pants that are tapered around the calf and ankle to keep your pant legs out of the chain, rain or cool weather coats with longer sleeves for when you're stretched out, rain coat with a tail to keep your butt dry, reflective elements for dusk/night riding and they often take into account that you're generating heat while exercising (zippered vents). Some of these features are available only in the more expensive brands but not always. Regular rain jackets don't have venting because walking or standing at a bus stop doesn't generate much body heat.

Evaluate the weaknesses of what you're wearing, see if cycling-specific gear accommodates those weaknesses and then evaluate whether or not you wish to pay the extra for an item that you may only wear while cycling.

kickstart

Outerwear is the only bike specific clothing I bother with, normal outdoor or athletic wear will work just as good for everything else and work much better off the bike.

wphamilton

Depends on your winter, how long your ride is, and why you're riding. Not very helpful, I know, but if I wanted to do 1-2 hour training rides in the bitter cold then for sure I'd have all the cycling specific clothing I could scrounge. But for my commutes of 8-10 miles, it's just generic active wear plus some decent jerseys. The fit and pockets are worthwhile for me so I feel like I can't do without. But when it's really cold (from my Southern perspective) I add a windbreaker or maybe sweater and sweat pants and not concerned about flapping drag or the extra bulk. Not for half an hour when I'm going 4 or 5 mph slower anyway.

T Slinger

At temps above the mid 50s, I use the typical athletic stuff. Below that, windproof shells are really nice. Don't believe a shell is "breathable" and "windproof" unless it is made of 2 different materials. I bought a gore shell for less than 100 bucks on Amazon a couple years ago when I started commuting (18mi RT). Hi Viz yellow. Removable sleeves. Wind stopper front shell, but breathable fabric on the back. I use it from now to April. A wicking base layer, cheap merino wool sweater, and a good shell will do great down below 30F.

Northwestrider

I ride with almost what ever I have at the moment.

vol

What's the long back of bike specific jacket for? as a mudguard?

tsl

It all depends on how cold is cold, how damp is damp, how windy is windy, and if you just putt-putt along or if you ride hard. If it's not too cold, not too damp, not too windy, and you don't ride too hard, darned near anything will work. Amp up one or all of them and it's another story entirely.

Going into my first winter, I thought cycling-specific gear was all a bunch of schidt designed to empty your wallet. (I'm certain there are old posts around here from 2006-07 that support that memory.) I'd managed quite comfortably as a pedestrian and bus rider for many, many years here in Upstate NY, and had a good selection of winter outerwear. It was other people who didn't know how to dress.

I froze through my first winter because what I had was far too warm for all the extra activity in cycling. I'd sweat through everything in no time. It didn't vent, it didn't wick, all it did was hold in heat. And I generate just as much of that pedaling in January as I do in July.

Then, being wet in winter's cold, hypothermia would set in. All I remember of that winter is cycling in misery. And that's even before we begin the discussion of how hard it is to pedal with several layers of standard long-johns. The only thing I did right that first year was studded snow tires. And they don't keep you warm and dry.

I started buying cycling-specific gear with the tax return the next spring.

The next year was better, but still required fine-tuning, since I bought cheap, not good. I nailed it in my third winter and have used pretty much the same stuff ever since. The only outerwear I wear when cycling in winter that isn't cycling-specific are my mittens. When it's below 10-12F, I wear snowboarding mittens. Above that I wear a size L summer-weight long-finger MTB glove inside a size XL "cold weather" windproof cycling glove.

My helmet has a winter liner that reduces--but does not eliminate--airflow over my head. I wear a winter-weight skullcap down to the mid-20s before switching to a balaclava.

I have two cycling jackets. One is good to about freezing, the other is lined and takes over from there. I know Vol's question was both sarcastic and rhetorical, but for those who don't know, the gorilla-length sleeves and long tail keep those things from riding up when you lean forward to reach for the bars. The higher neckline keeps drafts from blowing in. For me, the venting in cycling jackets is key. I still sweat, even in February, and that has to be vented somewhere or I get wet. I've ridden down to -4F and still haven't closed my pit zips.

I use mid-weight wind-front tights down to about freezing, then Pearl Izumi AmFibs below that. (PI has changed their model designations. I'm not sure what the current equivalent is.) The keys to tights are

• wind front (because plain ones simply filter the breeze as it passes through),
• articulated knee (plain Peter Pans bunch behind the knee and bind across the front),
• bibs (because tights will slide down and winter plumber's crack is cold), and
• unpadded (to save on laundering them--just wear your favorite shorts as the base layer and launder those instead).

Under the outerwear I'm less picky. I wear ordinary wicking long-sleeve t-shirts. My socks are plain old X-Mart athletic socks. Of course my boots are Lakes. I've never owned a warmer boot, ever, and the Lakes are clipless.

noglider 

@tsl, you write so well, you're inspiring. Thank you.

Obviously, conditions are harsh there, harsher than we have here. How long is your typical ride? I've been able to brave most weather here. My longest commute is typically 30 or 40 minutes.