It's wet and cold

[Shara]

And I don't have any appropriate clothes or much money. I think what I mostly need are some pants that don't rub or snag and a rain-resistant jacket that breathes. I'll probably buy from wal-mart or Zellers/Fields and those type of places. What should I look for? What material or styles? Are knickers and knee-high socks the most flexible?

eta: Also, if anyone else wears glasses how do you keep the rain off as much as possible? I don't wear contacts very often and dont' have any right now.

[twin]

You could go to goodwill and pick up some wool sweaters to layer with a jacket/shell that you find. If you get just one pair of wool socks like Smartwool you will have happier feet. Good luck with your commutes and good for you for being in the wet and cold.

[staceysue]

For the past few years I haven't been able to afford good ski clothes (got them this year - YAY can't wait to ski!), and I was still able to ski comfortably. I got a cheap base layer that was stretchy and shiny and looked kind of like under armour and over that I wore a Goodwill wool sweater, cheap insulated nylon work-out pants, and then just zip-out inner layer of my winter coat. Mittens. Cheap hat.

The only thing that would need to be different for cycling would be you'd need to make sure your outer pants were tight enough not to snag in your chain, and I don't think you could really bike in mittens . . . i don't know, maybe you could? . . .

I am very happy I finally got some good cold weather sports gear. It works for both cycling and skiing and it's so much less bulky and looks nicer.

[Tri Girl]

I'm a serious cold weather weenie. And my commute only takes me about 15-20 minutes and I freeze my tail off even when it's only in the low 50's.
Someone else posted this website a few days ago. This place has a couple rain jackets for VERY cheap. I just ordered one a few days ago. It hasn't arrived yet, but I'm hoping it'll be a good rain jacket. It's probably cheaper than what you may pay at Walmart, and probably better quality. $11 for a seemingly good jacket is pretty reasonable IMO (but I may get it in the mail and it might be crap).
http://www.blackbottoms.com/BBCW2010...tsAndTops.html
They also have some really cheap shorts on sale, too, and some windproof cycling booties for about $5.

I agree with twin on finding a good, cheap wool sweater (and wool socks) to wear under a rainproof jacket. I found a sweater at goodwill last winter for $3 and it's warmer than my really expensive winter cycling jacket when paired with a lighter windproof shell (and with a giant snowflake on the front- it's kinda pretty, too). I was just at the goodwill last weekend and found 2 pair of ski pants. If I didn't already have nice, warm, waterproof pants- I would have gotten them.

I wear my Keen sandals all winter long, and I have a pair of thick wool socks that keep my toes pretty toasty (and windproof booties help).

For the glasses problem, I don't really know. I have a visor on my commuting helmet, and that helps with some moisture, but not a lot... hopefully someone will have some words of wisdom for that one.

[Shara]

Thanks guys. I haven't picked through a thrift store in quite awhile so that's an excellent idea.

Has anyone ever biked in a poncho? They have them at the dollar store but also at the university and I was thinking that might work ok. Plus it would probably get some air in there. I get hot quickly so I don't want to be too stifled. I guess pants are the biggest problem. All I have is jeans and cargo style pants atm and they SUCK especially when they are wet. ick.

I should find a hat that fits under my helmet. And some fenders at the recycling centre if possible

[blackhillsbiker]

I found 2 pair of Nike windpants at the local thrift store. I do need to wear a reflective ankle band to keep them out of the chain, but one more reflector is a good thing. They were virtually unworn and quite inexpensive. I wear a pair of warm tights under them. A wool sweater under a decent shell (also found at a thrift store) keeps me dry. Even if the rain penetrates the shell, wool keeps you dry and comfortable. Now is a good time to shop sierratradingpost.com for things like shells and tights.

Deb

[crazycanuck]

Since you're in Canada..why not give MEC stuff a go? There must be sales at this time of year since it's the end of summer.

www.mec.ca

[Shara]

I should mention I don't have a credit card and the only shopping I do online is with paypal stores. I love mec but we don't have one locally. They have some stuff on sale but it's still a bit pricey for me. I'm going to check on the thrift stores this weekend.

[staceysue]

I do need to wear a reflective ankle band to keep them out of the chain, but one more reflector is a good thing.
Deb

I'm so glad you posted this! I was just using electric tape and wondering "where could I find some sort of band?"

[indigoiis]

+1 on thrift stores. I get all my running /cycling gear (except pocketed jerseys) there. You want combinations of:

Top
1. Long sleeved wicking or sports/performance material shirt
2. Short sleeved jersey on top of that makes for added core warmth
3. Old, thin (easy to pack) wool sweater on top of that
4. Wind-resistant jacket on top of that
5. Make your own balacava - buy a stretchy, tightly woven fabric turtleneck at goodwill (black is good), cut it out "dickie" style and you've got yourself something for under the helmet that also protects the neck.

bottom
1. Bike shorts
2. Long smartwool (make the investment) or alpaca socks over a pair of peds, or long acrylic socks with sandwich bags over the toes, inside the bike shoes.
3. Yoga capris (for non rainy days), athletic "gym" pants (wind/rain resistant) for rainy days, and ski pants for snowy/icy days. All can be found at Goodwill. Pants can be cinched with velcro from heads of romaine lettuce, or rubber band.

Hands: I use my regular cycling gloves under a pair of polarfleece mittens. But my hands get hot easily.

Don't overdress. It's worse than being a little cold.

[Shara]

Those are some great tips. I never thought about putting a band around my pants. I don't get cold that easily, mostly I want to stay somewhat dry. Will let you know how it goes

[blackhillsbiker]

I'm so glad you posted this! I was just using electric tape and wondering "where could I find some sort of band?"

Any bike shop or sporting goods store should have one. They're pretty cheap. I use one instead of a rubber band because I like the added reflection. I keep a couple in my bike bag because I'm not always wearing tights.

Deb

[staceysue]

Any bike shop or sporting goods store should have one. They're pretty cheap. I use one instead of a rubber band because I like the added reflection. I keep a couple in my bike bag because I'm not always wearing tights.

Deb

I'm getting one ASAP!

[missjulied]

I wear glasses too, and I find that a standard cycling cap works well for me to keep most of the rain off. There will still be some, but it won't be as bad (unless the wind is blowing the rain directly in your face).

The caps are thin cotton, made to fit well under helmets and can be easily combined with earbands or full-coverage insulating head coverage.

On another note, I had a couple of pairs of blackbottoms shorts, and I didn't feel that they held up very well.

[ginny]

it has been snowing here since yesterday afternoon. The roads were icey and the temps in the 20's. It was very slow going without studded tires, but I made it It's fun riding in different kinds of conditions. Though, I think I may wear goggles in this sort of weather for the rest of the season...