winter commuting necessities? (help me shop!)

[Geonz]

And if it's raining and below freezing? All bets are off. I'm taking the car. I'm happy to ride in the cold, but courting hypothermia isn't fun.

Sarah

Around here, if it's raining, it's generally not below freezing ... but it's the 35 and raining that is most chilly for me - IF I don't have the gear.

With the right gear, I'm not courting any more hypothermia than walking outside or driving in the car - my coldest has been 4 below and I arrived at work with warm hands and lots of energy

Necessities for me - layers. When it's bitter cold, also to do situps or something to get the blood flowing before I go outside, because otherwise there's this 5 minute painful gap between when the cold gets through the layers and when I'm working hard enough to generate the heat to beat back the cold.

Balaclava - I gotta have the ears and neck covered even if it's not very cold.

I *love* my Gore-tex bike suit - don't know if it's a necessity (it was a hand-me-down gift, 'cause I can't afford Gore-Tex).

Necessity - layers that don't constrict blood flow. Also washcloth & soap 'cause I tend to work harder & sweat more.