Went on a 200 mile run with some buddies last Sunday (10/22). My *** was sore, my hands got numb, and halfway through the trip, I though I would shatter into ice fragments...I loved every blessed second of the trip!!! The worst part was the cold. We could always stop and stretch out, but there was nothing to be done about the cold with my mesh jacket and everything that I could stuff underneath. It got me to thinking about winter gear, and I just am not sure what to look for. I thought if folks could post what they wear during winter and maybe even what state they live in, we could get a small database going here that I and others can use to research what will work best for them. Thanks everybody.

 

I live in Michigan (used to live in the U.P. so it doesn't get much colder ANYWHERE).

Depending on exactly how cold it is I wear the following (or a combination of the following):
- Long john (thermal) underwear under my jeans.
- Under Armor cold weather, long sleeve, mock turtle neck (AWESOME).
- Wind/waterproof downhill ski pants. NOT insulated. Full length zipper on each leg for easy on/off.
- Neck gaiter and insulated socks if it's really cold.
- Sweatshirt.
- I never wear my "jacket" - it's too short, only comes down to my belt. I wear my Alpinestars coat with a quilted, removable liner. The bottom of the jacket pretty much covers my pants pockets, so it keeps the wind out better. Plus it snaps up all the way to the underside of my chin. VERY WARM.
- I have a nice pair of leather gloves I bought at Wilson's Leather (at the mall) that keep my hands pretty warm, and they're still really flexible in cold weather. Still looking for a warmer pair that won't sacrifice the feel of the throttle, brake and clutch levers though.

Hope this helps.

 

Im pretty much a no no in the cold...i love to ride but wont risk hypotthermia.I have a ICON leather that keeps me warm enuff when its 40ish out but thats about as cold as im riding.Its just no fun when the roads are cold.Tires dont stick fer diddly...But the Under Armor leggins work well with jeans.Ive alwats remembered layers layers layers in the winter but then agian doing 70 plus in 30 degree weather...youre call...

 

My hands were my biggest issue. I bought cold weather riding gauntlets that do the trick. They are a little more chunky than my usual gloves, but i can still manipulate the controls easy enough. My leather jacket has zipper vents that when i zip up do a good job of reflectng the wind around me (and not IN me). I still wear a long sleeve t-shirt and a thin wool sweater under it, though.

 

I have an ICON textile jacket with titanium plates in it. I wear that and a Nike Hoodie over it. Keeps me warm. For pants I wear semi-baggy pants so I can fit my sweat pants under them and my jeans over the sweats. I wear a ski-mask under my helmet which when I take off my helmet people think I'm a terrorist. It's a good thing though, respect is earned through fear.

 

I wear:

- a full JR Jacket/Pants combo,
- Yamaha winter gloves ( do loose a bit of hand feel but it's better than the cold)
- winter helmet, with balaclava
- heated vest below 40 F
- tall JR Revolution boots (great for all weather riding)

If it gets really cold I trade the jeans for long underwear and sweat pants (under riding pants).

It it gets really really cold I turn the heated vest up

If it gets colder than that the polar bears can keep it.

 

Haha! Okay...

I wear a short sleeved shirt. I don't wear any pants, gloves, or shoes. I wear my helmet without a visor. I go 100 mph everywhere. When I park my bike and walk into a buildling, trust me... people stare.

 

It was in the upper 30's (yes here in Florida) when we left the house this morning....

Leather jacket w/quilted liner in it (Joe Rocket Trixie)
Jeans (plain ol Levis... cus I haven't found riding jeans I like yet)
Boots (Teknic Freestyle)
Long sleeved shirt (Um... Gap... cotton... lol)
Gloves (Since I don't like my current Teknic gauntlets, I wore my JR Pheonix's today... lol)
Clear Anti-fog visor (a MUST for cold days)

I also have a balaclava and fleece glove liners, BUT I've just ordered some new toasty warm gauntlets, so hopefully I won't need the liners very often.

I am going to look into some of the Under Armour Cold Gear. They have fitted shirts and leggings that will slip nicely under regular clothes without adding bulk, and I've heard they make a huge difference in retaining body heat.

 

I'm surprised no one has said this yet...

I wear a Camry in the winter. =D

 

I wear a sweatshirt under my leather jacket, and bought a pair of pullover ski pants with zip up legs and elastic ankle openings. They are goretex and tough and they only cost about $40 on sale. I also got a pair of polyfil ski gloves for about $20 on sale. Even when it gets down to the high 30's I'm never uncomfortable - just cool.

Ski clothes are designed for *serious* cold and wind, and they aren't that expensive. The baggy snowboarder stuff catches a little too much wind and flaps.

Edit: Oh yeah I don't ride when it's any colder than that, because it doesn't *get* any colder than that here. And that's one reason why I'll always live near orange groves!