Mtracer

Trying to figure out what to wear in cold weather is such a PITA. But the real problem for me is sweating. My skin can be truly ice cold, but I'm still sweating. I'm pretty sure how much I sweat is a function of my core temp only. Makes no difference if my skin is damn near frozen. I'll sweat.

So, really there's no way I can end a ride without being pretty wet. All the fancy Goretex breathable BS, helps a small bit. but doesn't really solve the issue. To stay dry, you need airflow, but it's this same airflow that exposes you to cold air. I need some amount of wind blocking to stay warm enough, but this also means the sweat doesn't get dried off all that well.

Of course, something that is non-breathable like a typical nylon windbreaker is like being in a sauna. So, while not perfect, the fancy breathable stuff is much better than the alternative.

In general what works best for me is a merino wool base layer, a good thermal jersey, and a wind blocking, but breathable vest. The wool layer holds a lot of moisture before getting wet. Very much better than any synthetics, and I tried a lot of those.

I use a Castelli Perfetto Ros vest. Love the thing.

If it's colder, say below 40 F, or cloudy, then I wear a Castelli Alpha Ros light jacket. This wind blocks on the front surfaces, including sleeves, but is much more open on the backs of the sleeves and the back of the jacket. Works well, if not perfect.

While I see some guys out riding in summer kit when it's in the 40's, my thing is below 60 F, I'm wearing fleece lined bib tights. Below 50 F, I'm wearing double tights. This means bibs tights with chamois, with another pair of tights (not bib no chamois) over those.

Below 50 F, I also wear winter riding boots (I use SPD MTB cleats). I've used shoe covers, but these are such PITA to get on and off, the boots keep it simple. They block wind, are water proof, though where I live and when I ride, that's not needed. A single pair of thick wool socks and I'm good.

For gloves I love, love my Gorewear M-Gore gloves. These are wind blocking on the front, yet pretty breathable everywhere else. For whatever reason my hands sweat a lot, and these are still only damp when I finish a ride. I've had others where I literally can wring sweat out of them. And my hands are cold. The M-Gore have worked well in all the temps I ride in. Which is down into the 30's F range.

As needed I wear thick or thin skull caps, use neck gaiters. I always carry a lightweight, packable wind jacket just in case I get colder than expected.

2Mins2Midnight

Funny, I actually have these exact Costco gloves. They were a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law a few years ago and I love them, although I don't use them for cycling because I have a pair of Bontrager gloves that are a similar weight but have better functionality for cycling (grip in the right places, more wrist coverage, etc.). I find the sweet spot for this weight of glove to be upper 50s to low 60s, although my hands are admittedly more sensitive to cold than most probably. One feature I love about these Costco gloves and my Bontrager ones are the little clips on the wrist that allows you to clip the two gloves together, keeping you from digging around in the laundry basket trying to find the match. The clips don't create the sleekest looking glove, but I'm willing to take the practicality over the aesthetics.

This is great advice for most of the country, but I think the longest "climb" within 30 miles of me here in Dallas is maybe 2 minutes max haha

SpedFast

I have a question just slightly off-topic. When riding in the rain and wearing glasses or goggles, how do you deal with the constant blurring or fogging?

fooferdoggie 

a bill on your helmet does wonders. it will keep most of the rain from going behind your glasses. since using a bill it get a lot less of it. the anti fog spays may help but you have to apply them before a ride. but you need ot keep the rain fro, getting on the other side of your glasses.
this is how I deal with it invested in these puppies.

SpedFast

But then do you find you need to wipe them occasionally? The rain doesn't get behind my glasses, but when it runs down the front I have a hard time seeing and find I'm constantly swiping them with a finger or the back of my glove which only helps marginally. I've used defogging sprays and liquids such as Cat Crap with very limited success and then they wipe off if I stop and use a paper towel on them. Because I use a strap to secure my glasses which is under my head gear it becomes a real pain to remove everything just to clean my glasses and have them distort again in a few minutes of riding. I know, I should just suck it up like a buttercup and quit my whining, but it not only gets frustrating, at night it gets downright dangerous.0

fooferdoggie 

I can usually see when it is that bad. but you mainly focus on things farther way. I usually keep to roads I know in bad weather. the bill keeps a fair amount of rain off so its not so bad. you can get glasses that have the waterproof coating on them.

SpedFast

The roads I am familiar with. It's the people in the cars that I don't know that have me concerned haha. Sitting here thinking about it, I'm beginning to believe that my main concern is with my situational awareness and how it's being impacted. My hearing is already impaired and I use a helmet mounted mirror to compensate. I need to figure out how to compensate for the blurred vision. Heads on swivels maybe.

pepperbelly

I have never used it but I wonder if Rain-X would help? Or maybe one of the new “ceramic” wax/coatings for car finishes.

fooferdoggie 

may be tine to invest in glasses that have a hydrophobic-coated glasses.

SpedFast

I'll look into that. Thanks

John Valuk

At least under some conditions, Sven Can See helps me with fogging.

pepperbelly

I fogging is a problem I have a cheap fix.
When I scuba dive I have to defog my mask. There are commercial products for this but wiping the inside with a small amount of baby shampoo works very well. I have never tried it on glasses but it should work on goggles.

SpedFast

Thanks for the tip. I have some of both that I use on my truck, never thought about using it on my glasses.

fooferdoggie 

don't really work raiinx needs speed to blow the water off. the ceramic ones are for glass.

SpedFast

My riding glasses are glass.

fooferdoggie 

then you may be in luck.

SpedFast

I'll find out tomorrow

SpedFast

I had a couple of dry days so didn't get the opportunity until tonight when I decided a night ride after the games was in order. It wasn't raining, just super thick Londonistic fog that floated in off the ocean. At 50°F it not only fogged up my glasses, but the condensation on them was bad and the Rainex was no help. I had to resort to a piece of tissue paper to keep swiping over them and occasionally stopping to swipe both sides of the glass just to see. Still a great ride.

pepperbelly

For them fogging up try the baby shampoo. Just a drop and wipe it around with your finger. Try rinsing and not rinsing. It works on my scuba mask. It’s cheap enough to try and can’t hurt anything.

SpedFast

I've tried that on my snowmobile helmet shield with only temporary luck. I will try the ceramic? wax next.

pepperbelly

I have only used it diving so I have no idea how long it will work.

SoSmellyAir

After washing those gloves twice the touch screen fingertips no longer work on touch screens. Luckily the weather is warming up so this is a problem for Thanksgiving.

SpedFast

Okay, I took the time to wax my glasses and while it was more effort, they were much clearer initially than baby shampoo. However, I ended up using a clean piece of cloth to wipe my glasses instead of TP, which kept disintegrating. But then I began to wonder exactly what the wax was accomplishing since I was still wiping my glasses anyway duh. I'm going to stick to the clean piece of cloth. It can be wrung out as needed.
I should add, it's microfiber and soft so it doesn't scratch and really soaks up moisture,