[loonyOne]

I have always had pretty good luck with using hunting clothing over the years for use on winter rides, but getting older and a touch larger over the years has rendered most of that stuff too small.
On days down to about 25 deg or so I can get by with wearing neoprene socks and gloves, but it is now getting much colder and leaves me thinking about what to wear...I dread using the trainer in the basement. I usually don't have problems with the actual clothing, just what to wear for the extremities, especially my feet. I only have one pair of riding shoes and really don't like to ride with platforms.
What's everyone wear on cold rides?

 

[tscheezy]

Pogies!!

I can commute all winter here in Alaska with my sick-snazzy home-made pogies (about $15 worth of material) and I can do it <i>without gloves</i>. Pogies rule!

For your feet, get some of the Lake MXZ winter shoes (about 17 sizes too big cause they run puny) and wear a lot of wool socks.

Works for me.
tscheezy

 

[joeygo]

pogies

what's a pogie?

 

[Sparticus]

What's everyone wear on cold rides?

I'm with cheezy -- Lake winter boots are the best I've found. I've also had good luck with Sidi Storm winter boots but they're more expensive and tend to run on the narrow side.

I got my winter boots a couple sizes too big so I can wear lots of socks. Cramped feet are cold feet. During last weekend's slush fest (see photos on the old MTBR SS board, posted 1/3/04) I wore heavy wool knee socks under neoprene socks under Gore-tex socks all inside my Lake boots. Under even more severe conditions I would have wrapped all that in Sidetrack Ignite neoprene booties. Now THAT is an unbeatable system for warmth and dryness.

As for warm hands, pogies (handlebar booties that stay on your bars and cover your complete control setup -- brake levers, shifters and all; you slip your hands into the pogies) rule but IMO they have their drawbacks. I love them for commuting to/from work by bike. Yeah, like cheezy said you don't even need gloves at all when you use pogies. But personally I've found that during most off-road group rides I'm off the bike often enough that I like gloves that'll stay with my hands.

Lately I've used a two-layer glove system when it's dry: polypropylene glove liners (available in your choice of light, medium and expedition weight fabric) under a separate snowboarder's shell glove. This way my wet, sticky fingers can't pull a sewn-in lining inside out when I pull the gloves off ('cuz the glove and liner are two separate items). If it's raining, I'll wear a surgical type latex glove between the two layers, making for a three-glove sandwich. Oh, and this may be the best advice of all about gloves: carry at least one extra pair, more if the ride is going to be long. Nothing beats a dry pair of gloves when the digits are freezing.

 

[ArmySlowRdr]

Originally Posted by loonyOne
What's everyone wear on cold rides?

Usually when it gets down cold to below 70 here (lol) I pretty much wear what I wear when it's 85

Has passion moved over--I thought this was the site feedback section ? Just kidding again. It was a fun filled day at work and I need ta post up somethin'!!

 

[Blowout]

I'm with Sparty on the Neoprene Booties and wearing wool socks. That usually keeps my toes toasty. As to gloves, My hands do not usually get too cold, just wet up here. My friend Ken swears by cheap Nashbar neoprene gloves for the winters up here, but I have no experience riding below about -10C

 

[namaSSte]

Sparty and is demented cow have it right for the hands (and feet too for that matter). Layer, layer, layer! For the hands I wear a really light polypro (or silk) liner, a pair of heavier polypro gloves (still thin by winter glove standards) and a waterproof, windproof, breathable shell. It seems to do the trick. FYI, I ride all winter in some pretty cold temps and I'm a cold weather pusscake so if it works for me, it oughta work for anyone. On the feet, I wear a pair of silk socks, a pair of heavy wool socks and neoprene booties. That setup gets me at least 1.5-2 hrs n the bike before I can't stand it. Any longer and I'd swap to flats and wear boots. Then again, I can't imagine doing a 3 hr ride on flats so it's more likely I'd hop on the roadie in the basement, hit the local indoor bmx track, or, even better, hit the local indoor sakte/bike park. Its a great way to stay warm, hone some skills, have a great time, and get a workout in during those really crappy days (like today).

Stay warm man! Think warm thoughts.

 

[DudeOnABike]

For my feet, I have a pair a wool-e-ator (wool version of air-e-ator) socks. They keep a bit warmer, but still breathe. Then I just use my normal shoes with a pair of Pearl Izumi toe warmers. They just slip over the end of your shoe and close off all of the vents, yet they do not cover up the shoe cleat. These have kept me warm at least 5 below freezing just fine. I understand PI has something that covers your entire shoe also if you want even warmer stuff, which it sounds like you do. The only problem with the toe warmers is they aren't great for hike-a-bike stuff. They tend to get holes on the bottoms.

As for my hands, I recently picked up the 04 Specialized Sub-Zero Glove. If I remember correctly they are rated down to 20 degrees F. I've used them a couple below freezing, and my hands came out sweating. They even have a fleece liner that you can take out for slightly warmer weather. They're very tough too. I went over the bars a few days ago goin 20 or so onto pavement. I pretty much landed in a sort of tripod on my head and my hands, but the gloves hardly showed a scratch and they kept my guitar hands nice and safe. I would highly recommend these things.

Hope you find something that works out for ya.

 

[Cygnus]

Buff

I'm up here riding in the frozen, sometimes unfrozen coastal alaska. riding hard helps to stay warm. extremeties do get cold when it gets below 15F or so. i've found overbooties really do the trick to help keep feet warm. lots of glove options. tights and gortex jacket kind of rounds it out. sometimes wear buff (nylon tube that can go over your hear, ears, neck, in infinite combinations. mainly though, you just have to keep moving and hammering.