Winter cycling clothes



Update: I've been fine riding with base layer, mid and outer layer, hands been fine, but this past Sunday, I went out early morning when temps were about mid 30s. I rode near the river and my toes felt like a block of ice, so much that I had to cut my ride short (only about 15 miles) so now I have to get some booties to keep riding. I am looking at the Gore booties (see below for one of them). I notice they have several pairs ranging from $49-$99. So far I've kept the cost reasonable, but it seems I'm going to have to pay for some booties. One thing's for sure, I can't ride with iced toes. I could barely shift gears on the drive home until my toes thawed. That was not fun.

http://www.goreapparel.com/GORE-BIKE-WEAR%C2%AE-ROAD-THERMO-GORE-TEX%C2%AE-Overshoes/FTRACO,default,pd.html?navid=xsellpdprp
 
Those are good booties but you shouldn't have to pay that much.

Here's a good sale item at Performance right now: http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10054_10551_1105530_-1_400094__400094

I'll use the full neoprene booties on the coldest or wettest days but my go to setup in the winter is these:

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10054_10551_1105530_-1_400094__400094

under these:

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10054_10551_1106323_-1_400094__400094

The latest design of these Barrier Light covers are a bit of a hassle as they did away with the rear entry zipper and you just stretch them over your shoe but they're still a nice light water and windproof layer. These are nice for a wide range of temperatures and conditions but there are a lot of other options in that price range as well. Jenson USA is another place to check for good deals on that sort of accessory.

-Dave
 
I limit my winter ride lengths to prevent my toes from freezing and cracking off.

No combination neoprene shoe covers or winter lined shoes or wool or poly socks have kept my toes warm for two hours in 30° air temps. Good electric socks are still in the $150-$200 price range:
http://www.thunderboltsocks.com/heatedsocks_sportsman.htm

eBay and a ton of other websites, including Walmart, sell less featured, lower quality heated socks for $20-$30:
http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=heated+socks&ic=16_0&Find=Find&indexId=13b45bea199c&cdnHost=search-cdn.walmart.com&searchdropdowndiv=com.wm.module.305715.constraint&search_constraint=0

The less expensive heated socks generally use a larger, heavier 'D' size battery pack. Secure mounting is a must and after a short time pedaling you do not notice the extra weight...at least on the less intense workouts.

If you have chronic cold feet or are one of those winter riders that enjoy spending hour after hour on your bike, they are worth considering.

And like everyone has stated, keep your head and face covered when it gets really cold.
 
Originally Posted by CAMPYBOB .

I limit my winter ride lengths to prevent my toes from freezing and cracking off.

No combination neoprene shoe covers or winter lined shoes or wool or poly socks have kept my toes warm for two hours in 30° air temps.
I have the same problem. For me I think it might be caused by compression of the blood vessels in my feet leading to loss of blood flow to the front of my foot. Adding insulation in the form of thicker wool socks doesn't help much because there is no decent heat source. I'm a lifelong resident of Minnesota, USA where the average temperature in January is 13F/-11C and I have no problem with cold feet during any other outdoor winter activity, but it plagues me during biking. I find that the problem is exacerbated by clippless peddles as I have platforms on my mountain bike and have less problems when riding it. I think the ability to move my feet around or perhaps the greater compliance of sneakers compared to bike shoes might be the difference. I have not tried neoprene booties, heated socks, or purpose built winter biking shoes/boots. The booties seem less than ideal for Minnesota winter conditions. What is it like to walk on snow and ice with them on? I'm worried it will interfere with my tread on my mtb shoes.
 
I haven't had much luck with booties, although admittedly I haven't tried that many. Those I've tried have held up very poorly even to modest amounts of walking. Winter cycling shoes have been better, but the real saviour for me are electrically heated soles.
 
gudujarlson my experience has been much the same, neoprene socks are OK but I still get cold toes. At some point I switch to cycling in winter boots which are much better. I do have some cycling sandals, this year I may try to get some boot liners and put the sandals over them.
 
Originally Posted by maydog .

gudujarlson my experience has been much the same, neoprene socks are OK but I still get cold toes. At some point I switch to cycling in winter boots which are much better.
I do have some cycling sandals, this year I may try to get some boot liners and put the sandals over them.
Clippless winter boots or normal boots with platform pedals? I just switched my pedals out tonight and am going to try platforms tomorrow, but I''m going to just wear old running shoes and thick wool socks.
 
I have double sided platforms, one side has a SPD mount the other is a plain platform. The boots are not a full on snomobile boot but more of a walking / work boot with plenty of room to wiggle my toes. Cycling in them is not that bad, definitely worth the tradeoff to have warm feet.

Part of the problem with cycling shoes is that the sole is very thin and stiff. There is really no cusion to insulate, and the cleat and pedal make a good heatsink.
 
Originally Posted by maydog .

Part of the problem with cycling shoes is that the sole is very thin and stiff. There is really no cusion to insulate, and the cleat and pedal make a good heatsink.
Hmm, that makes some sense. That might be part of the reason I feel warmer when I bike in running shoes. The running shoes have a lot of cushion in the sole.

I biked to work today with summer running shoes, BMX/DH peddles, and merino wool socks and my feet were damp from sweat. It was between 25F and 34F. I call that an improvement over mountain bike shoes, SPD peddles, and the same merino wool socks.

I also picked up a pair of Showers Pass Roadie pants last night at REI and today was the first ride in them. My legs were also damp with sweat. These should be good into the teens or better I think. Previously I had been wearing north face hiking pants over under armor tights. The Showers Pass Roadie pants had a better fit while on the bike and also didn't rub up against the drive train or flop around in the wind. So far so good.

I'm good to go until the roads are covered with snow and ice. When that happens I'm going to switch to the cross bike equipped with some studded tires. I haven't ridden a rig like that before. I've always given up when the snow flies.
 
gudujarlson said:
I also picked up a pair of Showers Pass Roadie pants last night at REI and today was the first ride in them. My legs were also damp with sweat. These should be good into the teens or better I think. Previously I had been wearing north face hiking pants over under armor tights. The Showers Pass Roadie pants had a better fit while on the bike and also didn't rub up against the drive train or flop around in the wind. So far so good.
Something to keep in mind regarding waterproof/breathable coated fabrics is that they are really optimized for dry, cold weather. The coating requires both a heat differential between the inside and outside and a humidity difference (high humidity inside jacket and low humidity outside). They typically start to get moist on the inside when it's not real cold and/or when it's humid and/or raining. It seems you discovered that on your recent ride. One plus to WP/B fabrics is that they add about 5°F of warmth to your outerwear.
 
Originally Posted by alienator .


Something to keep in mind regarding waterproof/breathable coated fabrics is that they are really optimized for dry, cold weather. The coating requires both a heat differential between the inside and outside and a humidity difference (high humidity inside jacket and low humidity outside). They typically start to get moist on the inside when it's not real cold and/or when it's humid and/or raining. It seems you discovered that on your recent ride. One plus to WP/B fabrics is that they add about 5°F of warmth to your outerwear.
It was both cold and dry today, so I'm not sure what you are getting at.

I have generally had bad experiences with breathable/waterproof fabrics during exercise. I have a Marmot rain jacket that is great when camping, but every time I've put it on while biking I've taken it off 10 minutes later. It just makes me hot and wet instead of just wet. So I was pretty apprehensive about the Showers Pass roadie pants. From what I heard from the salesman, the roadie pants are not designed to be super waterproof but more windproof. I'm not sure how that works, but the fabric certainly has a very different feel to it than my Marmot jacket and rain pants. It's much softer and less plastic-like. I think it might be the same fabric or a related fabric to eVent, which has the claim to fame that it does away with the polyurethane coating found on other fabrics. This fact might be the reason it doesn't feel like plastic. In any case, it was a bit of a spontaneous purchase and it is my first experience with such a fabric, so we'll see how it goes.
 
A "pro" tip to keep all of your digits in really cold weather is to use a vapor barrier. Latex or nitrile gloves underneath your usual layers will prevent sweat from defeating the insulation. Barriers work on the feet as well, but I find them somewhat less durable (breadbags mostly) and less effective.
 
Originally Posted by maydog .

A "pro" tip to keep all of your digits in really cold weather is to use a vapor barrier. Latex or nitrile gloves underneath your usual layers will prevent sweat from defeating the insulation. Barriers work on the feet as well, but I find them somewhat less durable (breadbags mostly) and less effective.
I've considered using neoprene gloves/boots for the same reason. During intense exercise it's not feasible to stay dry, all I can do is try to stay warm. I used this strategy during my BWCA canoeing trip this past October. Air temps were 30-50F and water temps were estimated to be 40-50F. Capsizing a canoe in water that cold is a life-and-death situation. Also canoeing involves submerging your feet in cold water on a regular basis. My strategy was to wear a wetsuit, neoprene socks, and water sneakers. I was wet but I was warm. One enhancement for next time is to bring a second pair of shoes. I thought I could do it with one, but I ended up with wet feet the entire time except when sleeping.
 
gudujarlson said:
It was both cold and dry today, so I'm not sure what you are getting at.
I'm not getting at anything. I was just highlighting one of the weaknesses of WP/B fabrics. It's something that in general isn't known by a lot of the buying public and was a comment for the thread in general, not your specific experience. Your experience just happened to make me think of it, that's all.
 
maydog said:
A "pro" tip to keep all of your digits in really cold weather is to use a vapor barrier. Latex or nitrile gloves underneath your usual layers will prevent sweat from defeating the insulation. Barriers work on the feet as well, but I find them somewhat less durable (breadbags mostly) and less effective.
Saran wrap is really good and another option. It's important to remember if someone's using a vapor barrier to remember that vapor barriers tend to leave hands and feet wet, so if you stop for an extended period time or get stuck somewhere in the cold those wet extremities can become cold or frozen extremities. That's the extreme case, the frozen bit, but the just cold bit can happen surprisingly quickly if one stops too long.
 
Originally Posted by alienator .


Saran wrap is really good and another option. It's important to remember if someone's using a vapor barrier to remember that vapor barriers tend to leave hands and feet wet, so if you stop for an extended period time or get stuck somewhere in the cold those wet extremities can become cold or frozen extremities. That's the extreme case, the frozen bit, but the just cold bit can happen surprisingly quickly if one stops too long.
I'm not sure I follow you. If the moisture is underneath a dry insulating layer then it won't cause the extremity to get cold. Yes? This is essentially how a wet suit works. Water gets between the neoprene and your skin, but your body is able keep the water warm because the neoprene continues to insulate. The key is to wear a good fitting wetsuit so that the water circulation between the inside and outside is kept to a minimum.

If you took your extremity out of the dry insulating layer, then yes it would get cold fast. However, the same is true without the vapor layer because then the insulating layer is wet and so is your extremity. No?
 
gudujarlson said:
I'm not sure I follow you. If the moisture is underneath a dry insulating layer then it won't cause the extremity to get cold. Yes? This is essentially how a wet suit works. Water gets between the neoprene and your skin, but your body is able keep the water warm because the neoprene continues to insulate. The key is to wear a good fitting wetsuit so that the water circulation between the inside and outside is kept to a minimum. If you took your extremity out of the dry insulating layer, then yes it would get cold fast. However, the same is true without the vapor layer because then the insulating layer is wet and so is your extremity. No?
Only to a point, thus the reason for dry suits. After a while any wetsuit or liquid insulation cannot provide enough insulating value to prevent heat loss.