Calling Winter Commuters:

[KnottedYet]

Wool Ibex knickers.

Knickers plus rainpants.

[Kitsune06]

I've never had to commute more than 3-4 miles. That said, I tend to wear lycra shorts, boys' silk thermals (more crotch room for the chamois...) and rain pants. Then scurry to the bathroom to take all that off and put on your regular pants. *shrug* I'll never win fashion awards, but it seems to work.

I rarely have problems getting cold, though. On cold days, I steam after hardly any activity. DGF says it's creepy.

[Geonz]

Heavens, my backside has always had enough insulation. Sweats will work 'til the 40's. THen tights under the sweats. Then tights and thermal undies and sweats. Then the really, really warm tights, the silk undies, and the thick sweats. That works for 4 degrees (F) and 8 miles, and I haven't had to do more than that.

I'm unchamoised in the winter.

[lph]

That works for 4 degrees (F) and 8 miles, and I haven't had to do more than that.

Kudos. I have roughly the same distance to go but usually give up at about 12-14 F. I find it gets really hard keeping my hands warm but still limber about then.

But otherwise I prefer temps between 18 and 25 F when things are dry (gee, I sure hope I got that conversion thing right so this makes sense) to temps around 32. I just *hate* wet feet, dark roads, slush all over the place, freezing on the cassette, packing in the brakes... yucko

[Geonz]

For the hands - and generally - when it gets really, really, really cold I get on the trainer for five or ten minutes, until I feel my furnace kick in and up the circulatoin to my hands. Then I'm already warmed up for going outside.
We haven't had too much of the slushy stuff - yukkers!!!
And this winter I will have the rain suit, which is a toasty layer and a little large for me (it was a hand-me-down - me fork over the bucks for Gore-Tex??? NOT!) ... so I'm almost looking forward to adversity...

[7rider]

Well, I can say....Don't do what I just did.
Was so excited to have a chance to wear my new long-sleeve jersey this a.m. and knickers, that I wore them without regards to what the weather would be like for the *ride home* this evening!
Ugh.
Long sleeves were fine this a.m., but I'm going to be roasting on the ride home. It's a good thing I can push the sleeves up a fair bit (I can't on all my LS) and it's a full zip. May have to flash the folks in cars tonight!
So...
Pay attention to the AFTERNOON forecast when planning your a.m. ride!

[Susan Otcenas]

OK, so here's a question (in a roundabout kind of way).

Pearl Izumi has a new women's short this winter. It's the Microsensor Thermal Short. A thermal short. I, of course, said. "Well, that's dumb. If it's cold enough to need thermal, then why wouldn't I just wear tights? Thermal with bare legs seems dumb." But, as was pointed out to me by my dear sweet man, my butt always seems to be very cold to the touch after a winter ride (even if I don't *feel* chilled).

So, now this thread has me wondering how many people would find this type of a short a useful product. (Useful enough to actually purchase, of course. ) Would you wear it with leg or knee warmers? Or layer wam tights over it to get extra thermal just on the buttocks?

What do you think? Useful? Hokey? You all kow I value your feedback greatly, so have at it! And thanks!

Susan

[lph]

Well, I can say....Don't do what I just did.
Was so excited to have a chance to wear my new long-sleeve jersey this a.m. and knickers, that I wore them without regards to what the weather would be like for the *ride home* this evening!

Yup, I've done that. And learnt to wear a somewhat decent sport bra/top underneath so that I can tear off the long-sleeved on the way home without getting arrested. I had a skimpy Patagonia Capilene thing on underneath one afternoon and did feel a bit ... brazen. (To the extent that a even-smaller-than-A-cup can look "brazen".)