Winter Clothes Needed

[Jordyne]

I'm in need of some winter cycling gear but on a tight budget. I'd be willing to pay, I just can't pay much.

I'd love some arm/leg warmers, shoe covers, and even jackets/vests/tights/jerseys,etc. I only have shorts and short sleeve jersey. I'm 5'6 about 115lbs

THANKS!!!!

[indigoiis]

Hey Jordyne,

I don't have any clothes to pass on to you, but I can tell you that all my winter gear pretty much came from the Salvation Army. Instead of shoe covers, I put sandwich bags over my socks. At SA I bought runners tights to wear over my shorts, and a couple of polyester or other wicking fabric turtlenecks for under my regular jerseys. The only real investment I made was in a durable and high-vis windbreaker, and even that I bought used (here on TE.) I found I didn't need arm or leg warmers because the tights and long sleeved turtlenecks usually fit the bill. I am pretty proud of some of the great gear I have found at thrift stores - if you go in knowing what you are looking for, you can find a lot! I found a great underarmour turtleneck (in the men's section), a nice orange tech fabric jacket (for non windy days), and a pair of bmx cyclist gloves in the boys' section. For me, if my toes and fingers are warm and useable, I am usually happy. I wear a no-frills cap with ear flaps (yes, found second hand) under my helmet, and a bandana on my neck for when I need to cover my nose/mouth on really cold days. This is why I have no gear to give you because it's all this used non-name brand gear that I cobbled together and have been using for five winters straight. Oh also if you have an old holey wool sweater, put that over your polyester/wicking shirt, then a light shell/windbreaker over that and you are covered down to like 10 degrees with wind! The plastic sandwich bags work just fine for the toes, but better if you have wool or alpaca socks. Good luck!

[DebSP]

Yes. I have picked up a couple of merino wool sweaters at Value Village. They have lots of items that are not cycling specific but could be put to use for layering!

[Jordyne]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check out some thrift shops and see what I can find.

[LanterneRouge]

I am a total cheapskate when it comes to cycling gear and I don't think I've ever paid full price for anything in my closet. I don't generally buy a lot of cold weather gear because I'm in California--I only have arm warmers, a headband thingy that goes over my ears, and a windbreaker. That is enough for cold days for me.

I know REI has sales a few times a year with used gear for co-op members. (It's a $20 one-time fee, and you get great benefits like being able to return items for life). I'm a co-op member but I've never gone to one of the sales so I can't say whether they're worth it.

Have you checked out the TE sale section? Amazon is also good. And Bike Nashbar. You might also want to check places like Target for non-cycling specific fitness items like tech shirts for layering. And things like arm warmers and leg warmers are used by runners as well, so you might want to check out your local run shops.

Lastly, you can check into what local running and cycling events are going on nearby. Those events almost always have tents with vendors selling gear at steep discounts. There is one cycling event with a sock guy where I load up on socks for $2.50 a pair.

[brand55]

Yes! I am need of some winter cycling gear but on a tight budget. I'd be willing to pay, I just can't pay much. Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check out some thrift shops and see what I can find.

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brand55