what to wear in 40 degree temps????

[northstar]

I have a nice pair of knickers and use legwarmers with them. And full-fingered gloves. I've found that if my fingers are cold, I can't think of anything else!

[makbike]

I think it all depends on how cold sensitive you are. I'm a weather weenie so I put on all the warm stuff I have when temps dip into the upper 40's (I don't ride when it is below 45 degrees or so). When it is "cold" out I put on a base t-shirt, arm warmers, a long sleeved winter jersey, a wind jacket, ear muffs, bike shorts, leger warmers, wind tights, wool tights if needed, wool socks, shoe covers, glove liners, wind proof gloves and I add hand and feet warmers to my gloves and shoes as well. Like I said I'm a weather weenie.

My BF on the other hand wears his jersey, a wind jacket, shorts, knee warmers (maybe wool tights if the wind is pulling the temps down), wool socks and his shoes - seems so unfair to me.

Think about how you dress if you skate on local ponds in Michigan - how do you handle the cold while skating or ice fishing? Watch for sales as the the bike shops try to reduce winter inventories you should be able to pick up a few things pretty cheap this time of year. I started purchasing stuff a couple of years ago and add to my winter collection in the spring (this year it was a new winter jersey and wool socks).

[anakiwa]

I'd start by purchacing shorts (get ones that fit well with reasonably good chamois pads).

If you have any kind of athletic tights anywhere in your closet, odds are you'll be okay layering tights over a decent pair of cycling shorts. In the 40's you'll need tights, but you don't have to buy fancy cycling tights to start (as nice as they are).

[pooks]

You definitely need to get cycling shorts and/or knickers and/or tights first, because you're going to need the padding. Beyond that, it varies. The coldest I've ridden in is upper 40s, and I wore wool tights over cycling knickers and a merino wool long-sleeved jersey under a fleece vest, a buff to keep my neck warm, and cycling gloves with full fingers.

I was plenty warm and as the day heated up into the 50s I shed the wool tights and fleece vest and buff.

[Starfish]

I LOVE my Pearl Izumi Amfib tights with waterproof/windproof panels on the fronts. They were expensive, but I wear them ALL the time. They are supposedly just for heavy winter time, but I am a weenie and wear them a LOT.

On my feet in those temps, I wear wool socks, and I also have a pair of wind/water proof Calientoes toe covers on my shoes, PLUS a pair of neoprene full booties on over that!

I want some nice winter gloves, but right now what works for me (and bridges a variety of weather changes for economic reasons) is: one pair of neoprene gloves (warm even in snow, but not windproof) and a lightweight pair of nylon, wind/water proof glove covers. The combo is toasty in awful weather, but I also find that those covers work great with my regular short finger cycling gloves in cool weather. They are light and easy to take along, so they work well all through spring and fall (and for descents in the summer in higher altitudes).

I have a neck gator with windstopper in it that I REALLY like when it is cold out.

[yogabear]

I live in Michigan too, but hope to move soon to a warmer climate

I don't like riding on the road when it gets under 40F. I'm not a cold weather person though, so don't let me talk you out of it

I've had to do it for racing, but I've found that warming balm stuff really helps