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Ok, your head, hands and
feet are warm; let's get to the rest of you.
Arm and leg warmers are great for those rides when the temperature
changes. Tights and wind pants may be necessary for colder conditions.
Combine them for really bitter cold.
I have a fabulous set of wool tights and wool and wind blocking
pants from Ibex. Icebreaker
also have lots of wool leggings. Kucharik
make great wool arm and leg warmers. Salsa
also sells a nice wool knee warmer. And there are loads of other
makers of lycra and fleece models.
Sporthill's 3SP pants,
made for cross-country skiing, are also ideal for cold weather
cycling. They are windproof to 35 mph, and I've found them to
be excellent for really cold conditions. It has to be bitter cold
for me to need another layer under them. The pants aren't the
only x-c gear that works well for cycling. Their tops and jackets
are quite nice too.
A lightweight windvest is invaluable for varying conditions.
It's great when a jacket is too much, and can be folded quite
small for stuffing in a pocket. There are loads of different models
out there, some lighter or heavier than others, with and without
pockets and different levels of visibility.
My favorite winter jacket came from Mountain
Equipment Co-op in Canada. Unfortunately they don't have it
anymore, but they have lots of other good cycling stuff.
I always have a rain jacket or rain cape with me in the winter,
since New England weather is so unpredictable, and I don't ever
want to be caught in a 35 degree rainstorm without protection!
The coldest cold you'll ever experience is rainy 35 F without
rain gear, far colder than dry -5 F.
A cycling cape works well in heavy rain. The really nice thing
about the cape is that it covers the hands, so gloves don't get
wet . It also covers your bum, saddle, and forms a little tent
over the legs. When combined with fenders, it will keep you amazingly
dry. A cape can be a bit unruly in high winds, but in moderate
and light wind, it works quite well. Capes are also good for summer
rain, since they allow air to circulate and won't cause you to
overheat as much as a jacket.Carradice
make a couple of models, one made from wax cotton, the other is
a florescent yellow nylon model. The waxed cotton version is much
roomier and works better for me. The yellow model is just too
tight on me to get the thumb loops properly situated on the bars
(and I'm only 5'7"). Harris
Cyclery, Rivendell
and Wallingford Bicycle Parts
all carry a Carradice merchandise.
I also have a Goretex rain jacket, and use it quite a bit in
the winter, especially in windy conditions and lighter rain. The
features I look for in a jacket are mesh lining, arm pit zips,
longer back or drop down flap to cover the bum, Velcro closure
on the sleeves, high visibility color and reflective piping or
material. One can spend an exorbitant amount on Goretex jackets
and I admit that I have!
I have tried various Goretex rain pants over the years with varying
degrees of success. They work well to add a windproof layer on
the legs so aren't just for rain. And in windy conditions when
a cape is unruly, they help keep the legs dry. I just wish I could
get the pants and overshoes to overlap more.
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