I need winter cycling gear, what should i wear?

So i joined this club that rides every saturday…being a poor college student i cant afford elite winter cycling gear. I do have bike shorts and a jersey intended for summer.

Under 40F, put your shorts on under a pair of sweat pants, If it is really cold add a layer with wind pants. Use an old draw string or shoelace to gather the legs together to keep them from getting in the chain.

Wool socks help. If it is cold you can put plastic grocery bags over your socks inside your shoes and cut off the excess. It works in the rain, too.

Use your summer jersey as a base layer and put a wool sweater over it (again under 40F weather) a windbreaker shell over that will keep you toasty all day. A sweatshirt is real warm, but all cotton — holds moisture — good for short rides only.

Get a helmet liner from an Army surplus store for $5. They are the same as the ones in the bike shop without the brand logo silk screened.

Long finger gloves. Something with Thinsulate if it’s real cold. for 35 -40 degrees, you can wear a pair of batting gloves (no padding) and you can buy some cheap knit gloves to wear over them if need be.

If you think of layering you can dress cheaply for riding. Have a bag on the bike and you can shed as the day warms a bit. Sometimes the windbreaker will just make you sweat to death even in the cold. So if you start warming up shed a layer. You can always put it back on if it cools back down. Conditions change a lot in the winter.

If you can afford it or find some on sale — Under Armor (or Nike) Cold Gear is fantastic. It is so warm, I don’t wear it unless it is under 40F. They have long sleeve tops and tights you can wear over your shorts. Wear tights over your shorts in case the sun comes out and it gets up in the 50′s and you shed the tights and still have the riding shorts on.

There has always been cycling in the cold weather — before the bicycle specific clothing got to market.

College Bike Jersey

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