Essentials for the winter commute?

[sabian92]

Hello,

Basically, because I'm a skint student i'm going to be riding my bike to college next year at least 3 days a week without fail. Because it's still the summer(ish) i've been pottering about in a pair of bibs, shorts and a t-shirt, which I imagine would be bloody horrible when it's freezing, pissing with rain and windy, what would you personally say is the best things to buy for a winter commute? It's only 3 miles each way but on the way home I'm going to be extending that to 10, possibly 15/20 when I get fitter to start losing weight a bit quicker (Going to Greece next year, would like to lose around 4 and a half stone but I know that isn't happening... )

I'm desperate for a rack/panniers anyway (hate having a sweaty back!) and probably at least a rear mudguard as well, but what else would you say is essential clothing and accessory wise?

Cheers.

 

[ManiaMuse]

Decent lights, and at least 2 front and back for when one inevitably runs out of battery while you are riding.

 

[MontyVeda]

"Essentials for a winter commute"

... a lift?

 

[doog]

Gloves and if you wear a helmet get a skull cap

 

[Dayvo]

Leg warmers under bibs and rain trousers (if you haven't any winter tights).

Overshoes.

Wind jacket and rain jacket above long-sleeved jersey, or s/s with arm warmers.

Headband and skull cap (winter balacava if it's REALLY cold).

Buff around neck.

GOOD gloves/mittens.

Yellow-lensed glasses for the grey days.

Hi-viz jacket if your other jackets are dark colours.

Good lights.

Tools and stuff for roadside repairs.

 

[Dave Crampton]

Get Neoprene overshoes, which should last a few seasons for as little as £14, I have the Endura overshoes which took a battering from my cheepo SPDs when I wore them riding my MTB. I just sewed then when the under sole tore, but at the end of the season you could easily replace them at £14. They do two things, keep you're shoes clean & dry and new looking.

You can get a decent jacket for ~£50 but I started out with a ronhill packmac in yellow.

Poundland to lights for a £1 each, seriously. So you could get a new one each week, but really I would ask in the classified adds, I'm know people always upgrade, I did and someones got to have their first cateye which they'll sell for 1/2 price plus postage.

Get a good pair of windproof/waterproof gloves. I have a pair of Windstopper Mistral which look like new after a year.

I got a Merino wool jersy for when its cold under my waterproof. Its wool so doesn't absorb your sweaty smell so only has to be washed once a week. But I started with an Ex Army & Navy stores Norwegian shirt. Basically its a long sleived jersey with a high zipped collar, made from a material like towelling, lots of very small loops of cotton to let a layer of warm air keep you warm.

Get a decent repair and spares bag and kit. 2 spare tubes, multi spanner, and multi alen key set, plus the old puncture repair kit.

Also look around as at the mo most shops have a sale on, clearing end of summer season goods.

If you're going to be a Student for the next three years, get a part time job - I did (in the Territorial Army and I got ~£40 per day which added up to around £320 not including travel expenses and 4 X 1/4 days pay for drill nights each month, plus an annual tax free bonus of £1400 in the third year).

 

[Matthew_T]

I find that you can fit a lot of things in one of the saddle bags. In mine, I currently have; spare innertube, toolkit, puncture repair kit, tissues, chain fitting tool, travellers first aid kit, small torch, and front and rear lights. It is a lot in a medium sized bag.

Clothing wise, for me (as another student) I find that having a small vest underneath my jersey and long sleeve jersey is fine. I normally just put my shorts over my long leg lycra and that is sufficient.

From one student to another, you probably wont want to get to college looking like a fool with lycra on you from head to toe, so unless you are using a race bike (like me) probably just go with something comfortable but not too padded. You must remeber that you will be getting hot as well, so you dont want to leave the house warm and end up in a bath of sweat.

I get the bus to college as 20 miles is a bit far as I would end up like a fish when I got to college. (The lycra wouldnt go down well with my peers).

One thing I am meaning to get is a high-viz jacket. All my lycra is plain black and in dark conditions isnt very safe.

 

[Dave Crampton]

Get a few pairs of latex gloves in your bag. If you get a puncture or chain comes off then you won't get dirty hands.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I use a winter cycling jacket and just add a pair of gloves, a sweatshirt and a woolly hat. The commute is only six and a half miles and there's no point in wrapping up to much, unless it gets well below freezing. A Sunday club ride in winter and I will wrap up well.

 

[Dilbert]

Lidl have panniers next week - worth a look, some other bike stuff as well, including lights. Aldi usually have winter bike kit in at the end of September, and I have the bib longs which are really good. +1 for the endura overshoes

 

[BrumJim]

Winter is cold, so when it's wet, you need to be dry. Hence waterproof trousers and top. I've survived two winters without overshoes, but spare socks would be a good precaution.

Layers is OK for warmth, and buff is light, cheap, and flexible.

Good full fingered gloves are essential.

+1 for the lights (two front and back).

 

[punkedmonkey]

Some clear lensed glasses - most forms of precipitation to the eyes are not very comfortable - and riding with your eyes closed or partially closed is no fun or safe.

I love my skull cap and neck buff in the winter- it made such a difference having a warm neck and ears!

 

[twowheelsgood]

Despite what is popularly believed, Britain really isn't all that cold (or actually wet) and remember you are highly active while riding. 3 miles isn't enough time to lose core temperature. I did buy a fantastic winter training jacket from Foska only to find it needs to be about -5 before I can comfortably use it unless I want to be instantly transformed into an Uncle Ben's boil-in-the-bag product. Even here in Switzerland this is relatively uncommon outside late Jan early Feb.

Most of the time my autumn weight jacket with long sleeves with one or two layers added, bib longs and waterproof shell if necessary does me through the winter, as do numerous Aldi and Lidl long sleeve cycling or sports jackets I've acquired over the years. The key here being windproof outer and layering. It does occasionally get to -8 or below here at which point most cycling gear ceases to be that effective and you need skiing gloves and googles.

What does happen is you tend to get cold from your extremities. So gloves and warm socks are the essentials for me along with a buff under the helmet or better still a skiing microfleece balaclava. The only time I've ever really got seriously cold was on the feet - ironically it wasn't so much the outside temperature but the ground conditions meant I had to slow and prevented me from working hard enough to get warm. I solved this by stopping in a shop and wrapping my feet in two plastic bags.

This has done me my 10 mile each way commute for 10 years. The record low was minus 13! You don't really need a huge investment on clothing IMHO. I've never bothered with over-trousers etc. In fact, the main reason you use proper cycling or sports gear is that unlike cotton it doesn't lose it's insulation properties when wet either from rain or sweat.

 

[jonny jeez]

Dont take this the wrong way (Im'm not dissing the effort), but a 3 mile ride doesnt really warrant too much extra stuff. You could feasibly ride that in jeans and a jumper and arrive non sweaty and ready to step into class.

I'd consider buying a wet weather suit (jacket and trousers) that you fold down to nothing and keep in your bag and slip over your day wear in the event of a rain storm. Otherwise, wear what you would normally walk about in during the day.

skullcaps, goretex, buffs tool kits....none of that is *needed* as you can just wear day to day clothes and could walk that distance if the bike collapsed enroute.

lights are a good idea thouugh...but I assume as an intellegent student you'd worked that one out already.

Once you extend the ride to 10 miles you will then have a real experience of what works for you and can purchase accordingly

good luck

 

[jonny jeez]

Dont take this the wrong way (Im'm not dissing the effort), but right nowyour 3 mile ride doesnt really warrant too much extra stuff. You could feasibly ride that in jeans and a jumper and arrive non sweaty and ready to step into class.

I'd consider buying a wet weather suit (jacket and trousers) that you fold down to nothing and keep in your bag and slip over your day wear in the event of a rain storm. Otherwise, wear what you would normally walk about in during the day.

skullcaps, goretex, buffs tool kits....none of that is *needed* as you can just wear day to day clothes and could walk that distance if the bike collapsed enroute.

lights are a good idea thouugh...but I assume as an intellegent student you'd worked that one out already.

Once you extend the ride to 10 miles you will then have a real experience of what works for you and can purchase accordingly

good luck

sorry dont know what happened there...I'm having some techinical difficulties, normal service shall resume shortly.