Ibex softshelled jackets

[cosc]

Hey you woolweenies, do any of you have experience cycling in the Ibex jackets? Temps in the northern plains can be very cold. Are the jackets too bulky and stuffy? I do layer with a couple of base layers. Any other recommendation for outer shells in super cold weather.Thanks for your expertise.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Can you tell us a range of what kind of "super cold" temps you are planning on riding in?

[madscot13]

Oh this is great, I was trying to gigure out what to wear this winter in Minnesota. I never know what to wear! fashion and biking. My first problem is that my bike rides never exceed a half hour. So I start off real cold, then heat up real hot and then in 10 minutes I am there. There must be a better way!

[cosc]

I want to get gutsy and ride in the 30's this winter. Wind often can make it much colder.

[KnottedYet]

I cycle in my Ibex Switchback, and am very comfy around 40 degrees, with just an Ibex t-shirt and PI screaming lime yellow vest with it. That's in the wet and damp, no rain gear, usually with wool knickers.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Cosc,
I think I need WAY more layers than KnottedYet seems to need in the cold. I get cold easily, and I don't get too hot and sweaty like most people seem too.

So I lifted this description from another post I recently wrote, perhaps it will help you a bit. You probably don't need as many layers as I typically do to keep warm, but then again I am riding for two hours and that can get fairly cold:

This morning was 35 degreesF, no sun, breezy. In other words, pretty cold.

I layered up pretty well.
Top: bra, merino smartwool longsleeve crew, thick wool sweater, SheBeest WindPro jacket. Bottom: SheBeest chamois TechTights, SB WindPro non-chamois tights.
Thin merino socks, thick wool skiing knee socks, hiking boots. Smartwool glove liners, Ibex ski gloves. LouisGarneau Junior balaclava, SmartWool helmet liner.
Seemed like a huge amount of clothes to put on, but by the end of my ride I was glad for every item.
My ride was 21 miles, about 2 hours. On some downhills I had tears streaming down my face because of the cold wind. My glasses frames were cold on my nose bridge. Never got overheated on the uphills, but stayed refreshingly chilled (in a good way) throughout my ride. My toes got cold in the end. My fingers got cold for a while, then warmed up again. Next time, 2 pairs thick socks instead of one thick and one thin. I just LOVE my "junior size" balaclava- kept my neck and ears snuggly and kept my chin nice and warm in the wind. It fits my small head nicely- no bagginess.

[KnottedYet]

We don't get very cold here, more damp than anything. Unless I'm riding to work in my work clothes, I usually am more comfortable on the bike in the rain without rain gear. I sweat far too much for my rainjacket and pants ability to breathe. Though I did try riding once in my kayaking jacket and that seemed to be ok.

The PI vest over my Switchback seems to be just about right for my two outer layers on chilly damp days.

[cosc]

Knotted Yet and Lisa thanks for helpful replies. I have cold gear and sw zip I wear for underlayers. I think another warm and wind protective layer is what I need. I was thinking about the Shower Pass jacket since I need a rain jct. but mabe it wouldn't breathe well enough. Ibez also has breakaway jacket in their sale section might fit the bill. Too many choices, and costs too high not to get it right. I called Ibez and they recommended the cirque jacket. Lisa, mabe I should just follow your lead and get a heavy sweater and wind top. Nice to have someone to talk with, since all my family and friends thinks I'm loco about this cycling thing. Lisa sounds like your burning 200 calories just getting your layers on!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I cycle in my Ibex Switchback, and am very comfy around 40 degrees, with just an Ibex t-shirt and PI screaming lime yellow vest with it.

Hey Knot,
What kind of switchback do you have? Is it the pullover? What color? Do we perchance have the same one?
I love my Ibex switchbacks- I have a persimmon & a charcoal pullover, and a persimmon vest. I love the persimmon color for traffic visibility.

It was raining today on my ride so I wore my lightweight Gore biking rainshell with just one micro merino base layer under it. I was really hot and sweaty in that shell. I much prefer my wool layers that keep me warm yet they breathe and I can feel air exchange going on. I might prefer being wet and wooley than dry and sweaty.

[KnottedYet]

I have the full zip Switchback in a "marguerite" purple-y blue. The color of dried lavender flowers.

I wear it as a jacket.

and I too would rather be comfortably damp and wooly than miserably steamy and sweaty in the rain.