When do you start taking it off?

[summerdays]

I usually carry too much stuff, but it does mean I then can put it on or take it off on route! Today I added the Down jacket I had for when I was off the bike as it was such a cold biting wind, but I wasn't carrying it expecting to wear it cycling. When it starts getting warmer again I carry alternatives, as it's usually cool for my morning commute and then baking for the PM commute!

 

[2IT]

70 or 60 degrees would scorch the skin completely off wouldnt it?

Above 10 is enough to start removing winter gear.

Wow is there a divide here. While I was raised in the northern USA living in Ohio and Minnesota, living in Texas - Florida - Georgia may have thinned my blood. I don't even ride below 10 here in Georgia. What about wind chill when one is sweating? What about hypothermia? 15 is OK. Prefer 20 or above which is about 70 degrees or above where I live now.

No wonder they are usually heavily dressed on GCN. Must be pretty raw and cold in GB.

No the skin does not scorch off, we just tan and then brown. If there is too much sun, we can put clothes back on to prevent a sunburn and retain some sweat for cooling. Without a tan, one looks rather pale, frail and sickly around here.

Original question could have been stated differently. Would like to know what would help riders get it right when they are standing at the door and ready to head off. Sometimes I'm comfortable at the door and then cold on the ride.

Thank you all for your guidance.

 

[Tin Pot]

Wow is there a divide here. While I was raised in the northern USA living in Ohio and Minnesota, living in Texas - Florida - Georgia may have thinned my blood. I don't even ride below 10 here in Georgia. What about wind chill when one is sweating? What about hypothermia? 15 is OK. Prefer 20 or above which is about 70 degrees or above where I live now.

No wonder they are usually heavily dressed on GCN. Must be pretty raw and cold in GB.

No the skin does not scorch off, we just tan and then brown. If there is too much sun, we can put clothes back on to prevent a sunburn and retain some sweat for cooling. Without a tan, one looks rather pale, frail and sickly around here.

Original question could have been stated differently. Would like to know what would help riders get it right when they are standing at the door and ready to head off. Sometimes I'm comfortable at the door and then cold on the ride.

Thank you all for your guidance.

Ah right, you're American so you're using Farenheit - I've used only Celsius for decades, I've got no sense of that system of temperature.

 

[summerdays]

Wow is there a divide here. While I was raised in the northern USA living in Ohio and Minnesota, living in Texas - Florida - Georgia may have thinned my blood. I don't even ride below 10 here in Georgia. What about wind chill when one is sweating? What about hypothermia? 15 is OK. Prefer 20 or above which is about 70 degrees or above where I live now.

No wonder they are usually heavily dressed on GCN. Must be pretty raw and cold in GB.

No the skin does not scorch off, we just tan and then brown. If there is too much sun, we can put clothes back on to prevent a sunburn and retain some sweat for cooling. Without a tan, one looks rather pale, frail and sickly around here.

Original question could have been stated differently. Would like to know what would help riders get it right when they are standing at the door and ready to head off. Sometimes I'm comfortable at the door and then cold on the ride.

Thank you all for your guidance.

Get to know yourself, and what your weather conditions are like. Here it's been foul today, cold, damp and a biting wind, but tomorrow should be better so I may have less layers in the bag. What you need depends on how fast/how often you stop partially. Before I moved house I had a shorter commute, with lots of junctions and traffic lights, now that I'm slightly further out and taking a different route, I find I don't need as many layers normally as I did because I'm moving more, and slightly faster. Having layers and zips allows you to change as you go along.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Above 10C shorts. For everything.

 

[contadino]

It was 16 degrees and calm today. I was out in my trusty(/crusty) Ronhill Bikesters, with base, mid and fleece up top. Anything less would be macho madness.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

It was 16 degrees and calm today. I was out in my trusty(/crusty) Ronhill Bikesters, with base, mid and fleece up top. Anything less would be macho madness.

It was about 3 degrees today: I was wearing a normal (not cycling or thermal) pair of leggings, a thin thermal top, a soft shell jacket, buff and hand knitted hat, light weight non cycling specific gloves.
Got cold only when I stopped to have a chat.

 

[ayceejay]

When do you start taking it off?
as soon as the music starts

 

[Jaykun85]

anything less that 10 and I'm out there in my full arctic adventurer get up :P can never be too careful in this climate

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Would like to know what would help riders get it right when they are standing at the door and ready to head off. Sometimes I'm comfortable at the door and then cold on the ride

The only sensible role is that you start off cold (first 15-30 mins) and warm up on the ride. If you are too cold on that ride, you need to learn from your mistake. If you don't like learning from mistakes, carry leg warmers and a spare top.
But at the end of the day everyone is different and has different tolerances. The weather here in the UK is so variable at this time of year that what works here won't work for you. All you can do is stand outside for a few moments and make your own decision and learn from it.

PS, you only have 1 set of knees, so look after them. Better they are warm and covered unnecessarily than not imo.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I wont wear shorts till i've visited a sunbed salon to tan up my legs first!

 

[ManiaMuse]

Only got 2 pairs of leggings and 3 pairs of shorts so try to look at the forecast so I have a clean pair of leggings when it's actually cold/frosty. Looks like we are past the last cold snap hopefully though.

Have been wearing decent overshoes everyday since the beginning of November, might be a shock when I stop wearing those as they cover up the stupid ventilation holes at the bottom of my cycling shoes. Ditto when I stop wearing full-fingered gloves.

Thinking of ditching the jacket pretty soon though now that it is light on my commute, hate wearing hi-vis gear and prefer to be wearing less rather than more when it's raining tbh.

 

[marcg868]

0-14 Celsius winter bibs
14-25 still bibs but light ones.
26+ I might consider shorts.

Jacket may come off at 14-25 and above.

Same goes with the motorbike it's got to be 26+ before I'll even consider leathers. Textile jacket and pants for the rest.

 

[Mile195]

12C+full summer gear
8-12C - Bib Shorts&thinnish long sleeved top, possibly thin gloves
6-8C, dry: -Bib shorts and thicker long sleeved top, thin gloves. Possibly leg warmers with shorts.
6-8C, damp: Bib tights (or possible shorts with leg warmers) & long sleeved top, thick gloves
4-6C: Bib tights, long sleeved top and possibly wind jacket (though might omit wind jacket if humidity is low). Might go for double socks, or neoprene overshoes depending on which way I think the temperature will go. Thick gloves.
4C and below: Full winter gear: Bib tights, long sleeved top, fleece lined jacket, and if it's very cold wind jacket as well (so 3 layers on top), Neoprene overshoes. Thick gloves.

These are commuting rules for me because it always gets warmer on the way into work (I go through london and it's always warmer there). If I'm heading out in to the countryside, I might go with an extra layer from 4-10C as the temperature tends to go down as I head further out, or I'd at least shove a wind jacket in a small rucksack.

 

[mjr]

Sub 5C is fleece freezer jacket, probably thermal undertrousers and socks. 5-12C is heavy coat or lightweight with lots of layers. 12-16C is lightweight coat. 16+C is no coat. Roughly.