Winter Cycling Clothing in Toronto

Hi folks. Hopefully some people have some ideas for me.

I am in Toronto and want to start biking in the winter. Outside of
proper tires which I can either purchase or make with stainless steel
screws, I'm interested in getting some opinions on winter cycling
clothing.

Pants - insulated? What goes underneath? What kind? I'm used to the
tight black long pants, but the ones I currently have are not insulated
so I'd freeze my future off.

Top - Probably the most important, as this is core heat. I'll be
assuming I'll bike to -10'C, which is nasty cold, so I need some great
ideas to keep warm, yet dry. Seeing as I sweat a lot, keeping dry is
important to me.

Hands - insulated gloves specifically for cycling?

Feet - I have clipless pedals, and my current mountain bike boots are
not insulated. What should I wear without buying new boots, and
without looking like a dork?

Head & Face - I have no idea.

Location - As I said I am in Toronto. Cold weather, on a mountain
bike. I usually shop at MEC, but thier selection isn't the greatest,
which is why I am posting here. Any recommendations for a supplier
would be great.

Gotta get out into the winter. I look forward to any ideas.

Cheers

BeeRich wrote:
Hi folks. Hopefully some people have some ideas for me.

I am in Toronto and want to start biking in the winter.

I've been commuting in the downtown area for more than 10 years now,
year round. My distance isn't too crazy - typically 30 km round trip
Mondays and only 10 km the rest of the week. (In summer, I take
'alternate' routes, time permitting, and get in some much longer loops
home.)

As to winter, I've eventually settled on LG tights over longjohns over
bike shorts - the shorts keep the important bits warm. If it gets
really sloppy, some lightweight 'rain pants' over top - I've used all
types, from EuroBound, Marathon, MEC, Walmart - not a lot of difference
though the Walmart ones are baggier (but can be tightened up easily
enough.)

So far this winter, I haven't worn more on top than a long sleeve
jersey covered by a long sleeve 'tech' t-shirt, covered by a thin
wind-stopping jacket. (MEC Mycroft.) The layers are accompanied by a
scarf and/or a neck tube, which can be pulled up over the mouth and
nose in really cold stuff. Atop my head is a rayon toque (down over the
ears and forehead) and a helmet with thin pads. I've worn belaclavas in
the past. Oh, and glasses over my eyes - clear shop glasses outside of
sunglass weather. They're wide and mate well with the toque.

I used cross-country gloves - leather palms, fuzzy backs, Velcro cuff
straps. When it gets really cold, big thick sausage-fingered Canadian
Tire gloves - purple nylon and Thinsulate. If I'm caught out without
the big gloves, I have a pair of surgical gloves (usually saved for
flat repair episodes) that can go on under the XC gloves. I figure I
won;t be doing much shiftig under extreem conditions, which is just as
well as the derailer cables might freeze.

I don't do much special for my feet, but wear thick woll socks and
always carry a dry pair. Natually, I have dry shoes at work.

I don't use studded tires, but have probably had 3-4 incidents over 10
years where they might have helped.

If you shop at MEC, you might want to look at Urbane Cyclist (John St
above Queen 3/4 of a block) or Duke's (Queen and Bath). Or Velotech to
the east. I find Urbane has had good prices on LG gear in the past
(though I dislike that brand in gloves, their tights are great.)

Oh, and carry a lighter and/or lock de-icer fluid if you have to park
your bike outside.

That's about all I can think of, and I bike to -25C or so. Fenders keep
you drier and warmer. Major TTC routes get plowed first. Drivers are
even less likely to see you coming, parked or unparked, so give the
door zone a wide berth and stay alert. Keep your blinky handy and its
batteries warm.

Brian Huntley wrote:
BeeRich wrote:
Hi folks. Hopefully some people have some ideas for me.

I am in Toronto and want to start biking in the winter.

I've been commuting in the downtown area for more than 10 years now,
year round. My distance isn't too crazy - typically 30 km round trip
Mondays and only 10 km the rest of the week. (In summer, I take
'alternate' routes, time permitting, and get in some much longer loops
home.)

As to winter, I've eventually settled on LG tights over longjohns over
bike shorts - the shorts keep the important bits warm. If it gets
really sloppy, some lightweight 'rain pants' over top - I've used all
types, from EuroBound, Marathon, MEC, Walmart - not a lot of difference
though the Walmart ones are baggier (but can be tightened up easily
enough.)

So far this winter, I haven't worn more on top than a long sleeve
jersey covered by a long sleeve 'tech' t-shirt, covered by a thin
wind-stopping jacket. (MEC Mycroft.) The layers are accompanied by a
scarf and/or a neck tube, which can be pulled up over the mouth and
nose in really cold stuff. Atop my head is a rayon toque (down over the
ears and forehead) and a helmet with thin pads. I've worn belaclavas in
the past. Oh, and glasses over my eyes - clear shop glasses outside of
sunglass weather. They're wide and mate well with the toque.

I used cross-country gloves - leather palms, fuzzy backs, Velcro cuff
straps. When it gets really cold, big thick sausage-fingered Canadian
Tire gloves - purple nylon and Thinsulate. If I'm caught out without
the big gloves, I have a pair of surgical gloves (usually saved for
flat repair episodes) that can go on under the XC gloves. I figure I
won;t be doing much shiftig under extreem conditions, which is just as
well as the derailer cables might freeze.

I don't do much special for my feet, but wear thick woll socks and
always carry a dry pair. Natually, I have dry shoes at work.

I don't use studded tires, but have probably had 3-4 incidents over 10
years where they might have helped.

If you shop at MEC, you might want to look at Urbane Cyclist (John St
above Queen 3/4 of a block) or Duke's (Queen and Bath). Or Velotech to
the east. I find Urbane has had good prices on LG gear in the past
(though I dislike that brand in gloves, their tights are great.)

Oh, and carry a lighter and/or lock de-icer fluid if you have to park
your bike outside.

That's about all I can think of, and I bike to -25C or so. Fenders keep
you drier and warmer. Major TTC routes get plowed first. Drivers are
even less likely to see you coming, parked or unparked, so give the
door zone a wide berth and stay alert. Keep your blinky handy and its
batteries warm.

I also spent many years doing the TO winter commute .. Brian has things
exactly right.

the COOP has much better stock in October.. and Urbane gets a lot of
courier business

one tip that worked well for me regarding cables freezing.. next time
you replace your cables and houseing instead of grease or oil use
raindance car polish on the cable..

LG gortex tights and thinsulte long johns are the way to go

wrote:
Brian Huntley wrote:
BeeRich wrote:
Hi folks. Hopefully some people have some ideas for me.

I am in Toronto and want to start biking in the winter.

I've been commuting in the downtown area for more than 10 years now,
year round. My distance isn't too crazy - typically 30 km round trip
Mondays and only 10 km the rest of the week. (In summer, I take
'alternate' routes, time permitting, and get in some much longer loops
home.)

As to winter, I've eventually settled on LG tights over longjohns over
bike shorts - the shorts keep the important bits warm. If it gets
really sloppy, some lightweight 'rain pants' over top - I've used all
types, from EuroBound, Marathon, MEC, Walmart - not a lot of difference
though the Walmart ones are baggier (but can be tightened up easily
enough.)

So far this winter, I haven't worn more on top than a long sleeve
jersey covered by a long sleeve 'tech' t-shirt, covered by a thin
wind-stopping jacket. (MEC Mycroft.) The layers are accompanied by a
scarf and/or a neck tube, which can be pulled up over the mouth and
nose in really cold stuff. Atop my head is a rayon toque (down over the
ears and forehead) and a helmet with thin pads. I've worn belaclavas in
the past. Oh, and glasses over my eyes - clear shop glasses outside of
sunglass weather. They're wide and mate well with the toque.

I used cross-country gloves - leather palms, fuzzy backs, Velcro cuff
straps. When it gets really cold, big thick sausage-fingered Canadian
Tire gloves - purple nylon and Thinsulate. If I'm caught out without
the big gloves, I have a pair of surgical gloves (usually saved for
flat repair episodes) that can go on under the XC gloves. I figure I
won;t be doing much shiftig under extreem conditions, which is just as
well as the derailer cables might freeze.

I don't do much special for my feet, but wear thick woll socks and
always carry a dry pair. Natually, I have dry shoes at work.

I don't use studded tires, but have probably had 3-4 incidents over 10
years where they might have helped.

If you shop at MEC, you might want to look at Urbane Cyclist (John St
above Queen 3/4 of a block) or Duke's (Queen and Bath). Or Velotech to
the east. I find Urbane has had good prices on LG gear in the past
(though I dislike that brand in gloves, their tights are great.)

Oh, and carry a lighter and/or lock de-icer fluid if you have to park
your bike outside.

That's about all I can think of, and I bike to -25C or so. Fenders keep
you drier and warmer. Major TTC routes get plowed first. Drivers are
even less likely to see you coming, parked or unparked, so give the
door zone a wide berth and stay alert. Keep your blinky handy and its
batteries warm.

I also spent many years doing the TO winter commute .. Brian has things
exactly right.

I commute year round in Toronto (18km round trip). I don't think core
temp is much to worry about if you keep moving. In winter I wear;
hiking boots, dress pants underneath a cheapo pair of rain pants from
Champs, a golf shirt and a lightweight MEC cycling jacket. For gloves
I've got fleecy/stretchy liners from MEC under big orange waterproof
gloves I bought at a hardware store. They keep my hands warm and dry
but the waterproof gloves need to be turned inside out overnight to dry
away the sweat. When the temp dips below -10 I wear a thin balaclava,
it makes a huge difference. I haven't needed to wear a sweater yet this
year but if the temp goes below-17 or so I'll add a light fleece. Often
I need to put on a sweater in the office to keep warm at my desk on
days when I've made the ride with just two thin layers.

As far as your bike goes I suggest you take a look at the bikes that
people are actually riding downtown. Full fenders and slicks are the
norm. Get 2 blinkies for both front and back, redundancy is the thing.
Cold batteries shut down fast when they're low and you can't be too
well lit when you're riding in the winter.

In summation; What Brian and Mr 54 said. Ditto.

Cam
I'm the one with the big orange hands who is covered in blinkies.

BeeRich wrote:
Hi folks. Hopefully some people have some ideas for me.

I am in Toronto and want to start biking in the winter. Outside of
proper tires which I can either purchase or make with stainless steel
screws, I'm interested in getting some opinions on winter cycling
clothing.

Pants - insulated? What goes underneath? What kind? I'm used to the
tight black long pants, but the ones I currently have are not insulated
so I'd freeze my future off.

See http://www.icebike.org/

For Christmas I got a pair of the powerstretch tights icebike recommends:

[http://www.icebike.org/Clothing/SpecialTights.htm]

I am amazed at how warm they are - when I unwrapped them, I thought "Oh,
these will only be good down to about 45 degrees (F)" - but I was wrong.

Last Saturday I did a long WET ride in them at about 40 degrees F and
the only time my legs felt even cool was when the rain was so strong it
was like pouring cold water on my legs.

On morning commutes at 32 degrees F, they are really comfy. Haven't had
a chance to try them below 32 yet, but I expect they will give good
service there, too.

The astonishing thing is how light and relatively thin they are. Pretty
thoroughly wind resistant, but they aren't clammy like my
neoprene-like-front tights, the powerstretch breaths nicely.

Good luck,
Mark

"BeeRich" writes:

Hi folks. Hopefully some people have some ideas for me.

http://www.icebike.com/ is the best starting point.

I dunno about the weather in Toronto, here in Minensota we have had
the warmest winter on record thus far. We have been about 20 to 25
degrees F above average. Today it will be 48 F (it's 46 now at 10:51
AM) instead of the normal temp which would be about 18-20 F. We've
had 8 of the 10 warmest winters on record in the past 15 years.
Climate change is happening, baby. Glad I don't live near a sea
coast.

Anyway, dress for the weather you are having, whatever that is, and
not the weather you might have. It's easy to stay warm, it's not easy
to avoid overheating and ending up wet with sweat.

Mark Janeba writes:

For Christmas I got a pair of the powerstretch tights icebike
recommends:

[http://www.icebike.org/Clothing/SpecialTights.htm]

I am amazed at how warm they are - when I unwrapped them, I thought
"Oh, these will only be good down to about 45 degrees (F)" - but I
was wrong.

Last Saturday I did a long WET ride in them at about 40 degrees F
and the only time my legs felt even cool was when the rain was so
strong it was like pouring cold water on my legs.

On morning commutes at 32 degrees F, they are really comfy. Haven't
had a chance to try them below 32 yet, but I expect they will give
good service there, too.

The astonishing thing is how light and relatively thin they are.
Pretty thoroughly wind resistant, but they aren't clammy like my
neoprene-like-front tights, the powerstretch breaths nicely.


I'll second this. I've had a pair of these for several years and they
are outstanding. Gekko Gear/Col d'Lizard makes great stuff. These
tights are comfortable into the mid-20s F and up into the mid 40s too.
They don't hold moisture and get clammy from sweat, and insulate well
when wet. I rode last year in a 200 km brevet, with a high of about
43 F, with 8 1/2 hours of rain. My legs were just fine.

I cycle year round in Toronto, my commute is typically 35 km round
trip. With the right gear, I am comfortable.

Here's what I wear:

Wind proof/water resistant running tights over long underwear
Wool socks
Cycling shoes, with shoe covers
thin fleece zip jacket with a nylon vest for down to -5C
thin fleece zip jacket with nylon cycling jacket for less than -5C
ski gloves
Fleece balaclava, with hat over top

I got all of my stuff at MEC, BTW. Naturally, you can go elsewhere.

You will find that wearing a heavy jacket is way too hot. Remember,
you are probably tripling (or more depending on how fast you ride) your
heat production compared to just sitting around. Focus more reducing
exposed skin, and keeping your head warm.

I don't think studded tires are required for toronto riding, but this
is a personal choice. I run my road bike 700x28c slicks year round. I
would think a mountain bike with knobbies would be just fine.

Also, get some full fenders. These are not optional in the winter.

Best of luck, and enjoy!

Jeremy

Tim McNamara wrote:
Mark Janeba writes:


For Christmas I got a pair of the powerstretch tights icebike
recommends:

[http://www.icebike.org/Clothing/SpecialTights.htm]

I am amazed at how warm they are - when I unwrapped them, I thought
"Oh, these will only be good down to about 45 degrees (F)" - but I
was wrong.

Last Saturday I did a long WET ride in them at about 40 degrees F
and the only time my legs felt even cool was when the rain was so
strong it was like pouring cold water on my legs.

On morning commutes at 32 degrees F, they are really comfy. Haven't
had a chance to try them below 32 yet, but I expect they will give
good service there, too.

The astonishing thing is how light and relatively thin they are.
Pretty thoroughly wind resistant, but they aren't clammy like my
neoprene-like-front tights, the powerstretch breaths nicely.



I'll second this. I've had a pair of these for several years and they
are outstanding. Gekko Gear/Col d'Lizard makes great stuff. These
tights are comfortable into the mid-20s F and up into the mid 40s too.
They don't hold moisture and get clammy from sweat, and insulate well
when wet. I rode last year in a 200 km brevet, with a high of about
43 F, with 8 1/2 hours of rain. My legs were just fine.

I'll "third" this. "Powerstretch" is made here in Massachusetts by
Malden Mills, it's the "uber" technical material for cold weather. I
have a pair of bib tights which work for me into the teens (F), below
that, I layer a pair of Powerstretch warm-ups over (good to sub-0).

Powerstretch is "4-way" polyester stretch fleece (smooth outside,
"terry" inside). It has very good "wet warmth" and is treated with a
(permanent) silver compound for anti-bacterial qualities. I also have a
LS jersey made from it, and I often just wear that under a wind vest
(good to 30's). I also have a pair of socks and booties in the same stuff.

I like to layer gloves, so I can peel outers when my hands get hot or I
have a mechanical task. X/C ski gloves are often better than bike
gloves. When it's below 20F, I use a mitten shell. For feet, I think the
best way is to either wear light boots or heavy sneakers with flat
pedals or too-large bike shoes with extra-thick socks.

For face protection in very cold (sub-10), I use a thin balaclava, ski
goggles and a piece of Powerstretch like a headband but worn over my
nose & cheeks (leaving only my mouth exposed).
http://home.comcast.net/%7Epeter_cole/face.jpg

BeeRich Wrote:
Hi folks. Hopefully some people have some ideas for me.

I am in Toronto and want to start biking in the winter. Outside of
proper tires which I can either purchase or make with stainless steel
screws, I'm interested in getting some opinions on winter cycling
clothing.

Pants - insulated? What goes underneath? What kind? I'm used to the
tight black long pants, but the ones I currently have are not
insulated
so I'd freeze my future off.

Top - Probably the most important, as this is core heat. I'll be
assuming I'll bike to -10'C, which is nasty cold, so I need some great
ideas to keep warm, yet dry. Seeing as I sweat a lot, keeping dry is
important to me.

Hands - insulated gloves specifically for cycling?

Feet - I have clipless pedals, and my current mountain bike boots are
not insulated. What should I wear without buying new boots, and
without looking like a dork?

Head & Face - I have no idea.

Location - As I said I am in Toronto. Cold weather, on a mountain
bike. I usually shop at MEC, but thier selection isn't the greatest,
which is why I am posting here. Any recommendations for a supplier
would be great.

Gotta get out into the winter. I look forward to any ideas.

Cheers


Check out Velotique on Queen St.
http://www.velotique.com/
Dan


--
Dan Burkhart