Not sure how many cyclists are around. Anyways, what functional but weirdo looking gear do you use once it starts getting colder?
I live in a rainy but not snowy place, so take this with a grain of (non road) salt, but I just use a rain shell (pants, gloves, jacket) and then a fleece under that. Sometimes a second fleece if it’s going to be bitching cold.
This is what I use also in a wet and mildly cold (rarely below freezing) area, except I never bother with the rain pants. I find they cause me to sweat too much to be useful.
My core warms up a fair bit from biking, so the only thing that bothers me is cold fingers. I found simple thin gloves work most of the time, and use thin glove liners for December/January.
Fingerless gloves.
And i really like them a lot, so i use them all year. 🌼🏖️🍁☃️
Don’t your fingertips get cold?
Luckily they sell the glove fingers they cut off at the factory.
They do, but that reminds me i’m still alive.
I’m such a sucker for fingerless gloves 👏👏
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Greatcoats actually work well on a bike when it starts to get pretty cold (ca. -20°C), I have a thick wool one that is Russian navy surplus and I might look like I just biked off of a warship, but it keeps me warm yet also breathes if I get too warm. Also, it’s long but splits down the middle nicely when I straddle my bike.
I haven’t biked in much colder than that, though in the winter it easily gets to -30 to -40 here. I kinda want to try but it’s quite intimidating both in terms of keeping all my extremeties as well as all the ice.
Staying home, preferably by the fireplace, if temps drop below 10C/50F
Insulated long pants bib
Reflective wind proof mittens
Balaclava
Bright neon insulated mid calf socks
I have insulated coveralls I wear with my ebike. If I’m on my regular bike, I don’t worry so much because I know how quick I’ll get hot.
Snowboarder jackets are great for city life and winter biking because you can get one that looks reasonable fashionable to your standards, they are warm and wind/rain/snow proof, snow lock that keeps cold winds out, and generally functional with zippers to vent body heat and humidity and lots of pockets and whatnot.
Also rain chaps that protect your thighs and shins from rain and fold up small into a pocket of the aforementioned jacket.
Oh yeah! Nokia winter tires with studs. Makes a world of difference in Scandinavian winter. I could easily plow through half a meter of ice and snow on my old city bike without worries. Not cheap but they will last many many many seasons.
I tend to run pretty hot, so it doesn’t take much for me to stay warm so if I’m going to be active outside in the cold weather, whether it’s hiking, biking, or the rare occasion I get it into my head that I’m going to try running/jogging, usually I’ll throw on some under armor and then something lightweight over top so that I’m not that fat weirdo running around in skintight spandex. It might even just be shorts and a sleeveless shirt over the base layer to hide any obscene or unsightly bulges.
Then usually gloves, a hat, warm socks, and if it’s really frigid out, a bandana over my nose and mouth to warm up/humidify the air I’m breathing a bit.
Then I’ll bring a jacket with me for when I’m finished or taking a break.
My favorite piece of winter gear are cycling lobster gloves, and they are reflective too. Super convenient.
I have my long neck/sleeve undershirt I stole from my time in Finnish military service I often put under a T-shirt. It looks kinda wonky but it’s really good
Good winter cycling shoes and Sealskin socks. Long windproof cycling pants. Gore and Pearl Izumi are my preferred brands. A long sleeved jersey and a good windproof, breathable jacket. Those can get pricey but it really makes the difference between being comfortable and being miserable. When it gets really cold, I’ll wear a thin fleece under the jacket.
I can’t handle the cold, so I use Zwift for cycling during the winter indoors.
I read “cold weather gear” as in gear ratio. As in maybe a little lower so as to increases cadence and heart rate to warm you up a little. On the other hand, I’ve found larger gear ratios to be useful on ice to reduce slipping on acceleration.
Are you talking about exercise type of cycling, long distance and proper gear, or just cycling to work and similar?