Commuting Kit - Bib Shorts, Jerseys

[4xsama]

Hi All,

Bit I need to buy some more riding clothes for winter. Between washing or wet weather it's sometimes to make sure I have dry gear to put on each morning. I currently have a couple of pairs of bib shorts and a couple of shirts. One is a race cut and quite thin, ie, not warm, and the other is an Endura shirt (bright red and while good a little bit 'old man' sometimes - I'm nearly an old man so don't need reminding). I also have a set of Castelli leg warmers and Giro arm warmers

I want to get a pair or two of bib shorts or even try long leg tights instead and a jersey - again I wouldn't mind trying a long sleeve job. Question is how much should be in the correct price range for;

- Jersey (short sleeve)
- Jersey (long sleeve)
- Bib Shorts
- Bib tights

In regards to the 'correct price' comment, I'm after something for a ride up to 3 hrs, simple colours ok, and of reasonable quality, ie not cheap junk. I ride every day.

Also, are arm and leg warmers better that long sleeve/long leg clothes due to the flexibility of being able to remove mid ride or mornings v afternoons (when it should be a bit warmer - even in Melbourne.

[caneye]

there is a number of Windstopper soft shell options in the market - started with the Castelli Gabba, now called Perfetto. Other brands like Gore, Giordana, Passimo also have their own. they usually start from $80 onwards. not cheap, but lasts a long while. i personally have the Gabba from many years back.
Galibier have their "Mistral" jacket that's really popular - https://galibier.cc/long-sleeve-wear/. not as expensive because they sell direct online only. plenty of good reviews online.
you probably just need a base layer under these soft shell clothes.

not sure about long bib tights. i usually continue riding with regular bibs but adding leg warmers. you get many choices of leg warmers from Wiggle. apparently the DHB branded ones do the job well. i have a couple of pairs of Cell bikes leg warmers and arm warmers, all bought from their online shop before they went bust. You might also want to consider knee warmers that extend down to your shin but not all the way to the ankle. Leg warmers usually cost anything from $20 to $60 depending on quality, water-proof material, brand, etc ..

a good gilet helps too.

layering is the key - e.g. i have a Biemme windstopper jacket that is good down to 0C (and probably lower). i only wear a baselayer under it. but anything above 8C and i start overheating so it's usefulness is limited to winter dawn rides! after 9am and it's .. bleah ...

[warthog1]

^^thanks.
Those Galibier jackets look good.

[queequeg]

For my winter gear, I am still using the dhb aeron and dhb flashlight range of bib tights, just because they hit the right pricepoint and functionality. The flashlight bibs are covered in massive reflective hexgons and stripes, and you would have to blind not to see it in the dark when lights are shining on it.
For the tops though, I have a mixture of long sleeve winter jerseys from Cuore and now Attaquer. I also have my Castelli Gabba2 JAcket, which is very very nice (and which I picked up at massive discount in an end of season sale). I have the version with the removable sleeves, so it it gets too hot, it becomes a short sleeve jersey instead of a long sleeve one. It's such a great jacket that in winter I just wear that plus a base layer and I am covered for lal but the coldest of days.
For the cold cold days, I have a couple of thermal long sleeve jerseys from Cuore, plus a deep winter jacket which is awesome (but would get worn only a few times per season because we just don't get those low low temps that often). Finally, I have a couple of other Castelli long sleeve jerseys that are nice and warm.

For my Summer Bib Shorts, I have tried various brands. My current "go to" ones ar the "Very Plain Plain Black/Plain Navy" knicks from prism.bike, which is a local company in Sydney. He does all our club kit and comes out with wacky designs from time to time, but the plai knicks are a staple. They have reflective leg grippers, and the winter version is fleece lined. He also does full length tights but I reckon you are better off with the dhb tights for value. For long rides of 3+ hours, the prism.bike knicks are awesome. Expect to pay $250 a pair for them, which is still way cheaper than stuff that is half as good.

[4xsama]

Galibier have their "Mistral" jacket that's really popular - https://galibier.cc/long-sleeve-wear/. not as expensive because they sell direct online only. plenty of good reviews online.
you probably just need a base layer under these soft shell clothes.

Good site. Cheers. The Tempest Pro jackets look good (I think a decent wind stopper with layers under will work) and the Dolimiti Skull cap also looks good - my ears freeze some mornings.

[RobertL]

I'm in Brisbane, so take my "winter" advice accordingly, but to keep my legs warm I have a couple of cheap pairs of Aldi tights. They're full tights, not leg warmers, and they are marketed as "compression sports tights" - or something similar. They're not padded, so I wear them under my usual knicks. They are proper sports tights, so they have no annoying seams. They cost around $15.

I point this out because they only have them on sale a couple of times a year, and they had them last Saturday! So if you want to check them out, get down to your nearest Aldi asap and see what they have left in the Aisle of Wonder.

[duncanm]

Another vote for DHB gear here..

I find their knee-length roubaix bib tights work well in Sydney winters. Not too overboard on the 'keep warm' part.

I just use a generic polypro thermal top under my regular jerseys, and a cycling beanie if I need more warmth. This is Sydney winters.

Disadvantage of the top, of course, is that you can't remove it mid-ride without stripping off.

[nickobec]

+1 for layering
though very different layering for 5 to 15C ride than 4 to 8C ride

I do split my kit into wet and dry days

Wet days kit
I have everything from an original Gabba (a revelation), a long sleeve Perfetto (which I can only wear under 5C and I live in Perth, so not often) and more as I commute and race in the wet. Can recommend Morvelo Stormshield kit, unfortunately end of northern hemisphere winter so only end of clearance sale https://www.morvelo.com/search?type=pro ... ormshield*

I always wear a summer undershirt under a jersey/jacket to wick sweat away from my body.

with wet weather kit, it is short sleeve, jersey, shorts, arm warmers and leg warmers as it needed to regulate temperature

DWR (durable water repellent) treatments do wash out, so I try to not use newer wet weather kit on dry days

Dry day kits
+1 to DHB still using 7 year old bib knicks and bib tights, though I now tend to ride in heavier weight shorts, sometimes with knee or leg warmers, most often without.

Finally decided I can ride in long sleeve warm jersey, the Spexcel solid, plain colours are bright, cheap ($45 including postage and GST) and equal to DHB in terms of quality. https://www.aliexpress.com/store/2219030

+1 gilets are your friend

I would also invest in lightweight long finger gloves and undergloves, together they cover a good temperature range

final word wool socks

[Halfamillion]

Commuting Kit - In an Urban environment e.g cars, wet driveways with polished 'bullnose' edges, broken chain when accelerating from the lights in-front of traffic, and emergency stopping for a large snake and going over the handle bars. All these real events resulted in heavy falls and bruises and skin lost. I have learned the hard way to wear a very good helmet and MTB armor under shorts (POC, Alpinestars etc.) with a size larger Knicks. There is a Airbag vest available in Europe but so far my Gym backpack and side mounted Yoga mat have worked to date. It is a hostile environment and one slip or miss judgement and you will find yourself on the ground hurting! I cannot stress enough the effective helmet (mine a POC multi sport) and armor shorts!

[Eug1]

I recently purchased long thermal bib tights from Decathlon for $69. I've found them comfortable on rides up to 60km, but I haven't had a chance to try them on longer rides yet. They get very warm if it's over about 12-15 degrees, so I'm thinking could be good for single digits.