winter commuting necessities? (help me shop!)
FWIW, I have no idea where to put this thread...."Commuting" seemed as good as anything else.
Last year, DH and I stopped commuting once it was dark going both ways. This year, we intend to get brighter lights and ride through the winter. It doesn't get super cold or snow much here, so this should be pretty feasible. Lows in the 20s or 30s are typical, unless we get a cold snap.
I have some winter gear from last winter...heavier tights, a cap, a balaclava, insulated gloves, and some mid-weight long-sleeve jerseys. What else do I need? Heavier gloves are definitely on the list due to chilly fingers, but what about toes that get cold very quickly? Do booties work, or are there better options? What about a jacket- insulated w/ windblocking panels, or something Goretex that can be layered? I tried my ski shell on the bike and with helmet last night, and it didn't work, so a jacket (beyond my spring/fall cycling windshell) is now at the top of the list.
What else am I forgetting? What products do you love and whole-heartedly recommend? Many thanks in advance for your help!
(Oh, and yes, I know it's only August, but I love fall so much. I was so excited to have to wear my arm and knee warmers on yesterday's commute to work :D)
I clocked more miles shopping than biking
I found two very good buys at Eastern Mountain Sports.
First is a wonderful winter coat for biking. One reviewer used it in Yellowstone for rock climbing and said he kept him warm in very cold, wet weather. Regularly $160, on clearance for $70.
Second is rain pants! Yippe, I've been searching for these. The only problem is that the inseam measurement is 34 inches. I'm VERY long-legged for being so short but these are about 3 inches too long. However, one reviewer claimed he like the too long lenght when riding a bike as they covered part of his shoes. Regularly $70 on clearance for $20.
I clocked 10 miles today but 7 of it was circling the store a dozen times looking for bargains. I was there so long with my bike parked inside the store that all the service techs came out to peruse it and offer compliments on it and cheer me on for biking. They are such sweet puppies there. I wanted to adopt them all.
And then the fun stuff....blinking reflectors. One to hang from my backpack and the long strip at the bottom of the backpack for a pants clip. It's much wider than typical pants clips AND it lights up and blinks.
Everything but the kitchen sink
My top winter clothes:
1. Booties. I swear they are God's gift to winter cyclists. You can get away with booties + warm fuzzy socks + one lighter pair of inner socks down to into the 20s, especially if it's not rainy. Definitely buy booties. Just a warning: The velcro ones get un-velcro-y after a season of pulling on and off.
2. Three pairs of gloves. I wear normal fingerless gloves as a bottom layer, followed by a cheap pair of polar fleece fingered gloves (you can find them at Old Navy fairly cheap). I just do that if it's freezing or above. Much below freezing I add another pair of polar fleece gloves on top, usually a thicker pair with the grippy padding on the fingertips and palms.
3. Ear warmers of different weights. These in conjunction with a helmet keep my head plenty warm down to about 10F, which is the lowest I voluntarily ride in. I have super thick ones, medium-weight ones, and thin ones depending on the temperature.
4. Bellwether water-resistant pants. They have a water- and wind-resistant outer layer just on the tops of your thighs and front of your shins; the back part is breathable and flexible, which is nicer for riding than full GoreTex. They're also fuzzy inside and are excellent on their own for down to the high 30s or so. In mid-30s down to low 20s I wear those with a pair of long spandex as a middle layer and a pair of normal padded bike shorts as a bottom layer. The downside to this type of pants is that they let water in eventually when it's wet. However, I found that wearing all GoreTex (especially GoreTex pants) ends up feeling like wearing a rain fly despite their claims of excellent breathability, so you get all sweaty and wet inside anyway.
5. Breathable GoreTex jacket with armpit zippers. The armpit zippers are nice because you can get hot even riding in cold weather, and venting there lets you cool off easily without taking the whole thing off. I like my bike jacket because it has a "butt flap" that unbuttons to cover your posterior when it's really wet out.
6. Multiple thicknesses of long-sleeved shirts. I have a very thick warm Underarmor shirt I wear most days in the winter. If it's extra-cold I'll put on a lighter layer on top of that, and if it's super cold I'll do a third layer (but usually just the two + a jacket and my neon yellow vest keep me plenty warm). Long-sleeved jerseys aren't always the best for this because they don't work as well with jackets as I might like. I have three weights of shirts that I vary in combination together depending on the temperature, and that about does it for my upper body.
Bike accessories:
1. Bright front headlight. I just got a Light & Motion Vega, which is insanely bright, but has multiple brightness settings. It's fabulous. It takes very little time to charge up, and on the blinky mode lasts for something like 20 hours. I also have a smaller 3-LED PlanetBike front headlight just for blinking to get cars' attention.
2. Single-tube Down Low Glow. This lights you up from the side so cars see you even if you're not head-on to them; it, too, is fairly dazzling. It's also very fun to use. :) One caveat: It had some trouble with corrosion after I used it all winter. I had to send it back and have them give me a new one. Also it takes all night to charge up, and it has a separate big battery you have to find a spot for on your bike.
3. PlanetBike SuperFlash. This is far and away the brightest blinky rear light I've ever seen. I use all three of these when it gets to riding in the dark all the time, and so far I've not had any mishaps.
So...um...I think that's just about it :D But if you want to talk more about riding in the winter, I've ridden all the way through two New England winters, so I'd be happy to give you more info if you want.
