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what to wear when it gets really cold
Hopefully you can do this without laughing.
I'm used to riding in the rain, been doing it for nearly 40 years, got it down pat.
But the forecast for this weekend's USGP calls for a drop in temps, partly cloudy with sunbreaks, and a high of 40 degrees (the lows will be near 30 and I am racing very early in the morning). This is cold weather for us, and without the rain to warm things up it will feel really frosty.
In my profile photo, you will note that I am clad in my team kit, which I got used from another member and which fits, ahem, snugly. This makes base layer selection a crapshoot.
I have already given up on the very thin team shorts and leg warmers and will instead wear shorts under my vintage PI tights with the lime green (yesss!) insulated knees. Up top, I still ought to wear the team jersey, but what can I wear under it that won't make me feel like the Michelin Lady and will still keep me warm and give me decent freedom of movement? Shockingly, I have a little budget left over at the end of my season so I can splurge just a bit, assuming it can be found at my local, highly-upscale bike boutique.
Suggestions?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Beth Hamon on
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Oops. Forgot. Hat under helmet depends on the temperature. I usually wear a wool cycling cap from Rainy Peak Cycling, and add a wool ear band when I need to. When it gets colder than that, I swap in a Rapha sportwool winter cap that I got at Goodwill. I will likely be wearing the latter tomorrow.
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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I love my Under Armour mock neck fleece turtleneck. It's incredible and I got one cheap on ebay. That and my sugoi midzero tights under my kit and I'm good to go at 40 degrees during a race.
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Permalink Reply by Blaine Krueger on
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Hey on a side note. The Oregon Bike shop on 78th and Stark or somewhere in there is having 10% off. You might find somthing good over that way.
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Thank you! I had to wait until I was at a computer with Excel so I could open this but it is VERY helpful.
Brief weather-related post race report: in short, my clothing choices at USGP-Portland were mostly okay once I got going. 28 degrees and very foggy at 7 am. I was forced to ride to the site due to poor transit connections (at 7 am on a Saturday morning, no shock there), which kept me somewhere between getting warm and freezing my butt off. Hot laps did nothing for me at the site, so I gave up, laid the bike down and went jogging for fifteen mintues before call-ups. THAT helped. So did good friends who took my jacket at the last possible minute at call-ups.
Race time temp right around freezing, still quite foggy. I wore my team kit, plus longsleeve wool Surly jersey underneath, winter cycling cap under helmet, DeFeet Kneekers (which were toasty warm but fell down A LOT), long wool team socks and Manzella ragg wool gloves with grippy dots. Like I said, it mostly worked. If I somehow manage to make it to Bend for Nats next year (a crazy idea but I'm working on it), I will have to adjust.
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Permalink Reply by Tim Klingenberger on
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Beth,Here in Boston i find that nike or a pearl izumi dri fit base layer longsleeve top under my short sleeve skin suit works well,and i would recommend smart wool socks and mad alchemy medium embro (make sure you put it on at least an hour before race,get a sweat going to activate and take baby wipes!..cause if you touch anything..and i Mean anything>>>its gonna get very very hot!
cross rocks!
cheers
tim
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Permalink Reply by Eric Hoff on
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Without sounding like a salesman but sounding like one. Check my profile and click on the link. That company makes great sports shirts..you could also add that nifty design I made. It would be perfect for CX.
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Permalink Reply by Joe B on
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Here's some winter riding advice from Buffalo NY:
1. merlino wool is the best base layer IMHO
2. don't over dress - if you are cold for the first 15 minutes it's okay
3. use moisturizer on exposed skin
4. hands and feet get colder than anything else - invest in best shoe covers and gloves you can afford
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Permalink Reply by Joseph Davis on
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One word.....EMBROCATION!!!!!!!
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Permalink Reply by Chris on
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DeFeet Arm and Knee Warmers work well.
Wool socks- Defeet again.
Windstopper Gloves
And of course embrocation.
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Embrocation -- absolutely.
DeFeet socks and arm warmers -- yes.
DeFeet Kneekers (leg warmers) -- never again.
I used these at USGP last December and they would not stay up unless I PINNED them to my shorts. I should not have to own watermelon thighs for leg warmers to stay up. I continue to search for a better leg warmer for 2010, even as I notice that today's high here is near 60 F.
Happy riding --B
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