Bicycle in the rain and cold? What do you wear?

[alf]

I have been commuting by bike 25 miles round trip several times a week for the last couple of months and love it. I modified my route so that it is now 90% on a packed gravel trail and 9% through a park or corporate campus.

Now that Summer is almost over, does anyone have pointers on riding a bike in the cold and wet? Most importantly what to wear...

[Tobra]

fenders help a lot. Depends on temps, you don't want your knees getting too cold. Need layers because you will need to add and subtract them, AM might be much cooler than PM ride home, for example. Lycra tights or polypropylene long underwear were staples for me.

You will need to have watertight panniers or a good back pack(my preference) and dry clothing to put on when you get there, or drive once a week and leave a supply of clothes at the office.

[HardDrive]

I have ridden a couple times in sub zero temps here in Seattle. I wear multiple layers of fleece. I have booties that go over my shoes (booties....not how I typically use that word....). I wear a spandex face mask that fits under my helmet. Also, a helmet cover can be nice, but I have found that I wanted the ventilation, even in very cold conditions.

[Tobra]

Yeah, hands, feet and nose get cold, if you are pedaling hard, the rest keeps pretty warm. I had some fingerless knit wool gloves that were nice for that sort of work.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Fenders are a must. So is a waterproof outer layer. There's an entire forum dedicated to bike commuting on this forum (I'm on it a fair amount):

http://www.bikeforums.net

[on2wheels52]

HD, I asume you meant below freezing.
"The coldest-ever temperature in Seattle is zero, recorded at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Jan. 31, 1950." From uwnews.org

[sammyg2]

When I was a kid I used to ride my bike in the rain and cold.

I moved.

[CRH911S]

I have ridden a couple times in sub zero temps here in Seattle...HardDrive
Just curious but what you really meant to say is sub-freezing; sub-zero requires a little more than layers.
Fleece is okay but I prefer something light weight, water-repellant with ample ventilation. Also under armor works well because it wicks the wet away and keeps you dry. You'd be surprised at what works and what doesn't.

[Dantilla]

while I enjoy a nice commute by bike in the summer, when it gets wet I enjoy a nice, hot cup of coffee while driving. It usually helps to mentally say "Neener neener" when I see guys on bikes getting soaked.

[VINMAN]

One word. Gore-Tex (or is that two words??)

[jyl]

For Portland winter -

Fenders, serious headlight (dual halogens for me), blinking tailight, plus headlight and blinking tailight on the helmet. Specialized Armadillo tires, don't want to be fixing a flat in the cold and rain.

Waterproof pannier - I use this one, expensive and hard to find but works great and can be used as a semi-briefcase. http://www.ortliebusa.com/cartgenie/prodInfo.asp?pid=106&cid=2

Rain jacket (yellow Burley), rain pants, medium fleece, bike shoes, full-finger gloves. Chilly for the first few minutes, before the body warms up. I get to work dry enough to not need a change of clothes, though I keep a change in the office just in case - though I don't need to impress anyone with the crispness of my pant creases either.

I've often thought a small fairing would be a nice thing too.

[svandamme]

most important part is a fresh set of clothes, and a shower

i used to cycle 10 miles to and from school every day with a 20 pound bookcase

nothing but jeans, some warm sweater , and a waterproof jacket if it rained, perhaps gloves if it was really, really cold ( lower then 5 C is considered really cold here )

and no fresh clothes or shower in school either

oh yeah, and it was uphill in the morning, and uphill going back too
and my chain was made from paperclips, coz we wuz poor

[Joeaksa]

Goretex to keep dry and the wind off of you. It breathes so that helps.

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by on2wheels52

HD, I asume you meant below freezing.
"

Indeed. It is rarely below freezing here. Subzero? Never. Coldest I have ever felt here was mid twentys.

As many have pointed out here, a water repellent outer layer is key. Once you get wet, forget it, your going to be cold.

[mattdavis11]

I used to work with a couple of dudes that cycled it to the office. On top of taking time out of our day to get ready for work, they also took the time to get ready to leave. Socks drying out on the door knob, sweat pants airing out on the coat rack, helmet cooling in the guest chair, it was just more than I could handle. Did I mention that the whole hallway would smell like a$$?

In all honesty, after you put your socks on, cover them with a news paper baggie, and secure it with a rubber band just above the ankles.

Obey all the traffic laws, and please don't turn into one of those guys.

[greglepore]

Sugoi waterproof/breathable socks. Expensive, but they really work. Gortex or other waterproof/breathable shell. Usual wicking layers underneath. I also use waterproof breathable gloves designed for cold weather rock climbing (from REI). Abrasive backsides, but they work as well.

[Tobra]

Ha, the plastic bag booties, I used to do that in college, Salem OR gets a lot of rain, fortunately little snow

[alf]

Lots of good advise, thanks!

There are quite a few bike commuters in my office...we have lockers and showers to store our stinky stuff Gonna scoot on down to REI this afternoon to check out the sale.