Winter Wear?

[wildhawk]

I live in Florida but yes, we do get chilly weather here in Nov. thru Feb. so I was wondering what suggestions you all have for cycle wear on the colder days? I know I probably need to get full finger cycling gloves, but what about tops/bottoms? I will be doing longer rides, so I will need the comfort of cycling shorts - can I wear long pants over them? Or should I purchase long leg cycling pants or capris? This will be the first winter I will be riding consistently, but I remember years ago how cold my hands got - brrr! Any advice is appreciated - thanks!

[Smilie]

Chilly in Florida?!? Wimp. Just kidding. This is a great topic, because I live where it does actually get quite chilly.( ) Obviously I won't be riding when it is -10F windchill, but around 50F it could be uncomfortable. I don't want to turn into a fair weather rider!

The arm and leg warmers are good for when it starts off chilly, or ends up chilly perhaps! Good deals are something I would like to find too!

[wildhawk]

Hey Smilie - you live in Wyoming - no wonder you thought I was a wimp - LOL. I moved from Jackson, Wyoming to the Tampa Bay area in 1990 and that was sure a shock to my system! But eventhough we don’t get those wonderful -40 below temps here, it does actually get down into the 30s sometimes. And the problem with Florida winters is that it will literally go from upper 70s one day to 30s the next depending on cold fronts coming through. My DH complains if the temp falls below 60, but I love Florida winters as a general rule since I lived in both the mountains of Virginia and Wyoming. I enjoy the cooler weather! Thanks for the suggestions - I have seen arm warmers on the cycling sites. It is mostly my hands and upper body that get cold - my legs rarely get cold.

[Becky]

I love arm and knee warmers. A nice wind-resistant vest is a very versatile piece to have as well. In the 50s and 60s, I like knickers/capris- they keep the knee joints warm while letting the leg muscles vent.

[VeloVT]

Some good suggestions for mild cooler conditions in this thread:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=26504

(I can't quite bring myself to call weather in the 50s & 60s "cold" weather ).

[wildhawk]

Thanks for the advice everyone and thanks for the link to the thread already covering the topic - I am fairly new on here and missed that one! Great info - now I need to go shopping soon!

[Smilie]

I moved from Jackson, Wyoming to the Tampa Bay area in 1990 and that was sure a shock to my system!

Wow! Bet that was a shock to your system, and how could you get used to leaving the beautiful mountains?! OH WAIT! It is Florida, and the wonderful warm weather! It is also beautiful, just in a different way! A whole lot more people too!

Humid cold is a lot worse than dry cold as well. Except maybe for the windchills. You also have to get 'used' to the cold, as where here, we already are somewhat used to it. I would love to be able to ride year round though!

[OakLeaf]

Not sure exactly what your weather is. In New Smyrna Beach, arm warmers, FF gloves and wool socks are enough most of the time. On the coolest days, I'll break out the knee warmers, wool base layer and a light jacket. I've never felt I needed full tights or a head covering in NSB, but a LS jersey and/or jacket is good to have.

ETA: I don't like long tights with a chamois anyway. I think the leg movement makes the chamois move around, and also the fabric lasts so much longer than the chamois that it's kind of wasteful. In Ohio, I'll wear tights without a chamois over cycling shorts.