Best products from r/wintercycling

Hello! This is my second year bike commuting and I love it! The coldest days of the year in Baltimore look around -15C so it shouldn't be too bad! Things I use/suggest are the following

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For you:

Bike helmet cover, something like this to keep in the warmth, but doesnt get too hot

Pair of ski goggles

Gloves

Buff

A pair of cycling only outdoor pants to wear as 'ski pants' over your regular pants like these

Wool socks (Costco has great merino wool ones)

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For the bike:

Fenders

A nice set of lights like these

Bar mitts like these

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And just make sure you keep up with cleaning the salt and grime off your bike!

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Good luck!

I bought a box of these. They work well, definitely kept my feet warm, but it wasn't a super cold day. The M/L size is only a men's 8, they don't cover the whole foot, but they were comfortable and kept my whole foot from getting cold. They are not too thick. One warning is they have an expiration date. They don't work if too old. The date is a bit optimistic, when they are near the expiration date they don't get as warm or last as long. They don't get as hot as the hand warmers, but are designed to work in your shoe where there is limited oxygen. The date is posted on the pack, but not on the box. 2 warmers per pack. I bought mine from a clearing site webpage called Max's, but they are nearing their expiration date. This is from a quick search, the're lots of other sources. Definitely worth the price. I'm very pleased with them.

https://www.amazon.com/Grabber-FWMLES3-Foot-Warmer-Pair/dp/B000C4GAW6/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1549726541&sr=8-7&keywords=grabber+foot+warmers+large



They come in smaller boxes 4 or 6 per box. I have a pair of $150 7.5 volt volt Lithium Ion battery pack gloves liners, I'm not too pleased with them, but they definitely help.

I think a big part of the equation is breathability. You can squeeze a lot more thermal efficiency out of a breathable layer with by putting a barrier layer on the outside. But that comes at the cost of breathability. Eventually, the sweat builds up and your insulation stops working. You might find that the sweat doesn't build up if you have a layer that lets air exchange more effectively. I highly recommend wool. It is warm enough to protect me and porous enough to breath. If sweat does manage to stick, wool is pretty good at maintaining it's thermal characteristics when wet. A nice merino wool under shirt (like this one) with my jersey on top gets me comfortable at 35-40F no problem. One trick I have learned is to jump on the trainer for a couple of minutes before walking out the door.

Depends on how long your daily ride is. For me, I just go with my leather coat and an extra layer, nice windproof gloves (windproof and waterproof is a huge plus) and some nice toasty (wool, stays warm even when wet) socks with an extra pair for when I get where I'm going. Helmet with a toque and my snowboard goggles on extra cold/windy/snowy days.

As for the bike, I ran continental gatorskins for the past 2 years with minimal problems. Just make sure to not go too fast into a turn and always keep an emergency line open. There are, of course, winter specialized/spiked tires that would give you more grip but I guess it depends on choice.

Important note: brakes. The normal compound you use for regular spring/summer/fall riding won't work. It freezes and loses all grip. Invest the $30 in a the winter specialized pad packs (these are the ones I used and found a huge improvement over the stock shimano pads in cold weather, but any cold-weather specific pads should work well) and actually retain stopping power when it gets cold, makes a huge difference.

For gloves you want waterproof, windproof, and breathable so sweat and condensation doesn't build up. Friends of mine swear by lobster gloves. Personally, I have some blaze-orange winter hunting gloves that fit all 3 of the criteria, and I picked them up at Gander Mountain. I like the blaze orange just to be seen better by cars. (http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Guide-Series-Mens-Whitetail-TecH2O-Insulated-Glove-Blaze&i=442180)

The glasses thing is a challenge...I use an over-the-glasses ski goggle and some anti-fog spray for my regular prescription frames under them. The ski goggles tend to seal the eye opening for the balaclava so my exhaled breaths don't go straight up into my glasses. Here's what I've used and been happy with- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008S34BGK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Maybe this is something that you want to have?

Commuter X4

You can wear it like a vest or wrap it around your backpack. I used it in winter on my backpack and it's pretty bright.

I really like my Halo Anti-Freeze headband. Thick enough to stop windchill on the ears but easily fits under my helmet. The sweat blocker strip on the front does a really good job of keeping sweat out of my eyes.

I've had this one for a year, has survived many drops and plenty of rain. Sounds good too. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MTK45ZO?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

For some budget options:

I can vouch for the Przewalski brand soft shell jacket (https://www.amazon.com/Przewalski-Thermal-Cycling-Softshell-Windbreaker/dp/B075DSGQTY). It's thicker in the front and sleeves for wind protection, lighter in the back for breathability, with back pockets which are very convenient when commuting.

Someone on here last year mentioned cutting up a tyvek envelop (woven plastic fiber) to use as booties inside a regular shoe can really help keep feet warm until you figure out a more elegant solution.

I've gotten by with inexpensive balaclavas (something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Fabrics-Motorcycle-Cycling-Skateboard-Balaclava/dp/B074RBN864/).

I rode my commute pretty much all of last winter in DC , it really wasn't too bad. A few days of really nasty wind, and one with ice. This year might be worse, but don't be too scared!

I've been using Giro Alpinduro, but I hear they're discontinued. Gets down to 10F or so here, and I'm good for 2 hours at that.

The biggest difference was ditching the stock insoles and getting aerogel insoles - now I get cold from the top, not the bottom.

Anyone here wear glasses? I'm thinking of getting this https://www.amazon.ca/JULI-Goggles-Over-Glasses-Snowboard-Goggles/dp/B075HD653N/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543099997&sr=8-1&keywords=otg+goggles but my prescription glasses are pretty wide, not sure if this would fit.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002B93CVW/ref=pd_aw_sims_1?pi=SS115&simLd=1 these are the bomb.

>coldavenger

is fine I use something very similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Zanheadgear-3-Panel-Neoprene-Half-Black/dp/B001GAVGX8 maybe to follow my advice with what you already have would be to slide under your thermal shirt the excess material under you shirt so there is a nice gap between your coat where hot air exit from you neck while still protecting your throat from the cold air.

It’s a cheap plastic target crate. Pretty flimsy.

I’m actually looking at getting this instead

Bushwhacker Omaha - Bicycle Grocery Pannier Cycling Rack Basket Bike Rear Bag Rear Accessories - Sold as Pair https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B4ZKZK0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_SaHQDb50MCTFA