Cold weather attire

[Selkie]

I, too, am done with outdoor riding until we have some consistently warmish (above 40) temps.

Have you tried smartwool snowboarding socks? They are knee highs, very very warm from the tip of the toe to your knees. Last year, they became my holy grail of keeping my lower legs/feet warm.

I wear shorts, knee warmers, the snowboarding socks, and non-chamois tights over top when it's really cold. Brutally cold, you could wear leg warmers instead of or in addition to the knee warmers. TE has some good heavier tights for really cold days.

I wouldn't resort to jeans but that's just me. There are better insulating tights---like the PI AmFibs--than dealing with the bulk of jeans.

[Catrin]

Thanks for the tips on the snowboarding socks, and everything else, that sounds like a great idea. I wasn't all that comfortable with the idea of jeans, but I wasn't sure what else would work - jeans and tights are my first choice when going out for walking in the winter. Of course, this isn't walking

In the end I don't know how far I will push the temps below 30 this winter, but I wanted to check just in case.

[SadieKate]

Windfront tights.

Shoe or toe covers.

Even windproof gloves if necessary (like the PI Gavia).

[tctrek]

If the sun is out I'll do a cold weather ride - agree with other posts that hands/feet/ears get cold first an no matter how hard you ride they ain't getting warm .

I have PI toe booties and it's amazing how warm they keep your toes. Then I wear bike shorts, leg warmers and insulated tights over that. I have a pair of cheap insulated gloves from Performance Cycling that are so darn warm I can only wear them if the temp is below 50. But you definitely need full fingered gloves that will keep out wind.

[Crankin]

Catrin, do you mean tights for endurance sports or tights you wear with regular clothes? I was thinking we might be talking about 2 different things.
I generally don't ride below 40 on my road bike, but I do ride in the 30's on my hybrid during the winter. I wear my cycling shorts, unpadded, fleece lined tights, and wool x country ski socks. Sometimes I wear my wool Ibex tights that I use for skiing.
I know a lot people here wear knickers, but I couldn't leave one bit of skin exposed if it's below 50. I wear knickers when it's between 50 and 65. Knickers generally don't have the fleece lining that tights have.

[Catrin]

Catrin, do you mean tights for endurance sports or tights you wear with regular clothes? I was thinking we might be talking about 2 different things.

I was thinking of tights for endurance sports - I do not own any but was considering purchasing some if I decide to ride at <freezing temps. I hadn't thought of fleece lined tights. When I was out last week with the knickers I wore the leg warmers over the knickers. That kept me warm enough, though of course the top of the leg warmers wouldn't grip well against the knickers - but I knew that I wasn't riding a long distance.

I greatly appreciate all of the ideas - I've gone 50 years without frostbite and I want to continue that trend

[blackhillsbiker]

I love my merino wool tights. They work well under my jeans for commuting, or over my bike shorts when I do longer rides on weekends. They keep me warm without getting damp or making me feel overheated. If it's really cold on the weekend, I wear some wind pants over the tights/shorts combo. I also wear boots and wool socks for my commute. I have some MTB shoes that allow for wool socks for longer rides. I have really warm mittens over my cycling mitts. A balaclava is nice if it's really cold. I'm looking for a wool one because the fleecy ones get really soggy. I also like my goggles for when it's very cold or when the snow is coming down.

Deb