winter commuting necessities? (help me shop!)

[Grog]

Haven't tried the Seal Skins yet, but I might get a pair depending on how my setup is working...

Note: the plastic bag technique does not really work if it's inside shoes, because then you really get wet (from the inside).

Toe covers are GREAT. I like them when it's not raining.

[newfsmith]

A waterproof but breathable jacket, preferably with pit zips. I wore one of these for 6 of the 8 years I commuted.
http://www.bicycleclothing.com/Water...n-Jackets.html
Too warm for summer use, but an excellent fall, winter, spring jacket. It was roomy enough to put several layers underneath. I wore it down to -5F/-20C, all for a reasonable price. Their rain pants are too warm for anything but the slushing days, but they are great for that.

For chilly fall rains I used wool socks with water proof socks on top & SPD sandals, the sandals would be dry by the time I headed home. For winter riding I gave up my SPD pedals and used MTB platforms with mini toe baskets. I found that an ordinary pair of womens winter boots worked very well in the cold, giving good chill proofing of the ankles.

I carried a winter emergency pannier: a space blanket, toe warmer and hand warmer (Grabber Mycoal), an extra fleece, 2 pairs of dry wool socks, a spare pair of gloves, and my leather chopper mitts with heavy wool mitten liners. I went a little overboard because my commute was through a rural area. I also carried "Yak Trax" in my jacket pocket so that I could walk better on icy surfaces. The worst fall I took in 6 winters of riding was standing in the work parking lot after dismounting.

As for lighting, I was continually evolving. I believe in LED lights. My home-brew system had a car horn, 1W LED head light, and a 56 LED truck taillight. It was very noticeable, but even with lots of lights, drivers aren't expecting cyclists in the winter, so you have to be extra alert.

I would suggest you put your money in your lighting system. You probably have enough layers around the house to keep you warm. They don't have to be cycling specific if they are going to be covered with a jacket. Thrift store wool sweaters are fine.

[lph]

Nope, you don't want the Xenon jacket. I have it, and was a bit disappointed. It's brilliant red and looks really fast and stylish, but it has no pit zips, gets quite clammy but is still only windproof. The Phantom jacket is the one piece of bike clothing I've been most happy with, and I haven't even bought a real waterproof until now. Granted - I have got soaked a few times, especially as the water-resistance wore off. But new it was an excellent jacket and when it wears out I'll be looking for another softshell as my main winter item.

Gloves: the SixSixOne gloves I just bought on an off-chance, and they turned out to be cheap and just warm enough but quite breathable, so I got another pair. When I switch to the lobster gloves I sure am warm enough, but they're a bit sloppy and feel bulky. Not too pleased about them but they do do the job. In fact they do best when it's really cold so that I don't sweat in them at all.

Winter shoes: I rode several winters with my standard mtb shoes and shoe covers. Warm enough mostly, but a hassle to put on. I've also ridden with hiking boots but prefer to be clipped in. I came across some Shimano winter shoes on sale and picked them up but I don't know the model. The best thing is the high cuff and that they're quite stiff so that my toes don't get squished. And they lessen the wear on my regular shoes so I figure the net cost is the same.

I agree that you want good lighting!

I don't use any eyewear except sunglasses on very bright days, but I'm funny like that. I wear contacts, that may be a factor. When it starts getting cold out I'll rub a little vaseline or the like on exposed skin before I go out, especially under my eyes, it helps against the windchill.

[malkin]

I got some weather proof mittens last year at REI. I wear them over smartwool gloves and normal cycling gloves and my hands finally stayed warm. (Feb. in Salt Lake City)

[wolfak]

I like the PearlIzumi Calientoes toe covers for keeping the toes warm. I never graduated to full booties. I also used a pair of leg warmers, the knitted kind, not the fancy lycra ones to keep my legs warmer. For gloves, I move up to full-finger gloves, then my winter mittens - I still long for the fancy lobster claw gloves. And a scarf or some sort of means of warming the neck. And some sort of wind-proof upper garment. I go with a bright yellow vest.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

Great topic- I feel the crispness of Fall at night now here in Mass. Being as I think it's going to become my next change of address, and I've grown found of commuting (I have a goal of buying a pumpkin and strapping it to my rack on the back of my bike!) I figured I would ride as long as 'humanly possibly'. Minus mailbox incidences.

+1 on the skull cap. What little mtbing I did last year, the skull cap made me not realize how cold it was. I wore my leather Keens that I ride with and a pair of Bolgo (I can't remember how to spell it) running socks that are sooo nice. They are the grey ones, not the white ones. Even when my feet got wet they weren't really cold. I just bought whatever full coverage gloves I could find, nothing special, but I do put on a pair of the little stretch gloves sometimes under them. I have a balaclava and wore that a couple of times, but my big dilemma is the shell. I have not found a waterproof (or resistant for that matter)shell that I like or want to shell out (haha pun!) 150 bucks for. I guess I'm being cheap but to me, unless I know they are worth it I don't want to spend that much. If I could find that perfect shell with pit zips, a hood (is that common, the hood?) and the big pocket in the back. I would like a full zip but at this point, a pull over would work. A small pocket in the front would work too but most of all, it's gotta be BRIGHT!!!!!

And the lighte. I need a big a$$ brite lite on the back. I have the small catseye one for when I get stuck and need to ride in the dark for a short time, but I need a big one so people will see me. As far as the front, I've been looking at the Nightrider ones.

And of course, I'm buying a GPS for the road (Garmin NUVI 270-Costco has it for 189 instead of the 399 I've been seeing). I'm sure it's not water proof. But being lost in the cold would be the worst yet.

I already have the starbucks thermos for the water bottle cage. Don't forget that.

+1 on the hand warmers. Good idea on looking through my snowboard/winter stuff-I already have the layers, just need that 'perfect' shell that fits! Pearl Izumi is always too small. So they are out. Not sure about their mens stuff though...

[pardes]

Quick, someone lock me in my room. I'm emptying out my panniers to ride over to Eastern Mountain Sports store where they are having a 30% off sale on all Clearance items. They are holding a trillion dollar winter biking coat for me. Now it will only cost one third of a trillion dollars.

I haven't bought an item of clothing that cost more than $20 for decades. I tend to hastily dress in GRRanimal kinds of sportwear where everything matches everything so there are no decisions in the morning.

However, with biking accoutrement, the sky's the limit!

[lph]

Go! and have fun

come on, you didn't think anybody here was going to stop you from buying bike stuff didja

[Becky]

And the lighte. I need a big a$$ brite lite on the back. I have the small catseye one for when I get stuck and need to ride in the dark for a short time, but I need a big one so people will see me. As far as the front, I've been looking at the Nightrider ones.

I recommend the Planet Bike Superflash and the Cateye TL-1100 tail lights. BRIGHT! Like mind-numbingly so.

I have a NiteRider MiNewt that gets used during the lighter months. The purchase of a TriNewt for winter and night riding is imminent. I love LED lights, Li-ion batteries, and NiteRider's excellent customer service.

As for the shell, Performance was selling a men's Illuminite commuter shell last winter that might meet your needs- hood, pit zips, can't remember about the pocket in the back though. DH has one and likes it. I may try to find a men's small for me this year. EDIT: Found it- closeout from last year: http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...slisearch=true

[pardes]

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.

[kfergos]

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 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.

[redrhodie]

Buffs are great. You can wear them lots of ways. I use mine like a balaclava sometimes, as a beanie under my helmet, or as a neckwarmer.

[Becky]

Buffs are great. You can wear them lots of ways. I use mine like a balaclava sometimes, as a beanie under my helmet, or as a neckwarmer.

I just watched the "Original Buff" demo on the Buff webpage. Oh my gosh! I want one!