Is it possible to be too obsessive about winter clothing?

[johnr]

I don't regret a penny I've spent on decent winter clothes... and more importantly the question 'and what do you need that for?' is never asked.

 

[HJ]

I have to be warm. If i get cold it sets my asthma off. Some days i overdo it and end up in work drenched in sweat but its ok as i have showers there.

I too am an altura wearer, reproof once a year, dry in all but the very worst of it.

However the single most inpotant item i own is a buff. On really cold mornings i put it over my mouth and it seems to warm the air up before it hits my lungs. Generally a great bit of kit. Be warned though i tried to take it off whilst cyling the other day and it slipped back down off my helmet to make a perfect blindfold! Not advised on a nice busy rural road!!

See wearing a helmet is dangerous...

 

[Downward]

Yes
My kit costs way under £100 for everything
£20 shoes, £20 jacket, £6 Buff, £25 gloves (Birthday Treat !) although last year it was £5 Aldi ones £12 longs, £10 Long Sleeve Jersey, £8 Base layer vest type £4 warm Aldi Socks

That's the kit for the coldest days of which there were many last winter.

 

[GrasB]

Generally no, but by buying things for extremes you'll never encounter or you'll encounter 1 or 2 days a year you could go a little OTT. You need to feel comfortable & warm on the bike, if your fingers are cold your braking ability is reduced dramatically, if your legs or arms are cold you can easily injure your self. That said if you never see temps bellow 5C then there's no reason to buy gear which lets you ride at -5C.

Yes
My kit costs way under £100 for everything
£20 shoes, £20 jacket, £6 Buff, £25 gloves (Birthday Treat !) although last year it was £5 Aldi ones £12 longs, £10 Long Sleeve Jersey, £8 Base layer vest type £4 warm Aldi Socks

That's the kit for the coldest days of which there were many last winter.

Erms, there's a difference between buying appropriate budget clothing that does the job fine & spending 10 times that amount on the high-end Assos, et al gear for which you'll probably not appreciate any benefit. There's usually nothing wrong with cheap clothes, but I've found the cheap stuff doesn't do quite as good a job as the higher end items from value conscious brands.

From there it depends on how you ride & what your needs are. I ride fast & I want to be comfortable on the bike, I simply find spending about £40 to £70 makes a difference I notice when riding above 85% flat out so I don't mind spending the money. By the same token my partner who rides at a more leisurely pace finds that appropriately warm general casual clothes over a decent sports bra & cheap padded undershorts is all she needs

 

[Downward]

Generally no, but by buying things for extremes you'll never encounter or you'll encounter 1 or 2 days a year you could go a little OTT. You need to feel comfortable & warm on the bike, if your fingers are cold your braking ability is reduced dramatically, if your legs or arms are cold you can easily injure your self. That said if you never see temps bellow 5C then there's no reason to buy gear which lets you ride at -5C.


Erms, there's a difference between buying appropriate budget clothing that does the job fine & spending 10 times that amount on the high-end Assos, et al gear for which you'll probably not appreciate any benefit. There's usually nothing wrong with cheap clothes, but I've found the cheap stuff doesn't do quite as good a job as the higher end items from value conscious brands.

From there it depends on how you ride & what your needs are. I ride fast & I want to be comfortable on the bike, I simply find spending about £40 to £70 makes a difference I notice when riding above 85% flat out so I don't mind spending the money. By the same token my partner who rides at a more leisurely pace finds that appropriately warm general casual clothes over a decent sports bra & cheap padded undershorts is all she needs

Yeah for longer rides it's true but for commuting I'm sure most people are only out there for 30 - 45 minutes each way

 

[GrasB]

I do a 25-45min commute, my average commute speed for this month is around 19.5mph. This means I want that higher quality of clothing. If I was averaging 14mph over 35min to 60min the difference probably wouldn't matter.

 

[Downward]

I do a 25-45min commute, my average commute speed for this month is around 19.5mph. This means I want that higher quality of clothing. If I was averaging 14mph over 35min to 60min the difference probably wouldn't matter.

Thats impressive I can't get that average speed in a car with all the traffic lights round here so I'll be saving my money buying cheap crap - Kerching ££££

 

[GrasB]

A fair amount has to do with slate crushed into MOT hardcore turns out to be very fast riding surface even in the wet, this makes up 1/4 to 1/6 of my commute. Also I've arranged the routes so that I'm avoiding all but 2 traffic lights & have right of way across the busy junctions.

 

[Downward]

Sadly I am pretty much stuck with a crap commute.
Ho hum

 

[Twanger]

I do a 25-45min commute, my average commute speed for this month is around 19.5mph. This means I want that higher quality of clothing. If I was averaging 14mph over 35min to 60min the difference probably wouldn't matter.

I think this is very true. I average about 12-13 on my journey in, and don't sweat profusely (but enough to need to change clothes!). I just get too tired if I go for faster speeds on my commute. Perhaps because 25 is half a lifetime ago for me. Anyway, I ramble. If I feel myself oversweating, if I feel the sweat dripping off my nose onto the cross bar, I just slow down.

Now, I have every respect for other people's differing agendas in their commutes, but for me commuting is its own style of riding, and is one which aims to leave the commuter with sufficient oomph to actually do their job when they get to work.