How do you hold in this this temp??

[Brenchen]

9C last year was the coldest morning (recorded) that I went out for a ride, wearing arm/knee warmers and base layer (yes, I've been told numerous times that I'm soft and need to HTFU). Recently, I've been observing the temperature, it seems to be easily sub 9! Do you think arm/knee warmers with a base layer is really enough!? What do you wear for your morning pre-sun rides these days?

The reason I ask here is because I am interested in more SEQ riders, what you do usually rather than everyone. NSW/VIC I know can be even colder, so their answers might be less accurate.

[Marty Moose]

I live in Perth not as warm as where you are though. 9c Id wear arms, knee warmers, base layer, top and a gillet.You can always undo the gillet.Also depends on the day and time as well.

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[Lukeyboy]

Arm warmers, leg warmers, base layer, is usually enough for me. Sometimes I'll chuck on a gillet if its really early morning. Sometimes I'll cop the cold as it does warm up very quickly here in Brisbane.

[Abby]

If the wind chill is making a big difference, then a wind vest ('gillet') can be a handy addition to your attire...

[Crawf]

Same, same.
Warmers, gloves, base layer, thats it. Just got to get through that first 10 mins... or go hard for the first 5 to get the blood pumping.'
Need to invest in a gillet some time soon.

[Purt]

-0 (pretty much never) - Gabba jersey, arm warmers, gloves.
0-5 - Gabba, gloves.
5+ - Normal SS jersey and knicks.

[marinmomma]

Last winter I rode on a 4 degree morning, wore a gillet, arm warmers, long tights over my bibs and toe covers over my shoes with full fingered gloves....still froze but just ride faster so you warm up quicker...and get back for coffee quicker too

We've still got July/August to go, 9 is still fairly warm!

[Stoo]

This morning is was 9C.
Even that's too cold for me.

i hate the cold.

[RonK]

Just returned from some cycling on the Queenstown Trail in EnZed last week. The maximum temp didn't reach two digits, but we were comfortable with a hard shell jacket in addition to our usual Brisbane winter garb.

[ldrcycles]

7 degrees this morning on the Sunshine Coast, felt incredibly cold. I had chunky full finger gloves, arm warmers and a short sleeve jersey (and knicks and shoes obviously ) and was ok but if I had a wind vest I would have worn that as well. My legs were a little cool but I wouldn't bother with leg warmers, what I would have liked was a balaclava or something to keep the wind off my ears and nose, they were quite uncomfortable.

Not often things get really cold here though so it's cheaper to just keep repeating rule 5 through clenched teeth .

[Brenchen]

This gillet that was mentioned many times, I don't have one but got a singlet (got it from 2XU on sale) which has fleece inside. I use it everyday even as non-cycling cloths. They are essentially the same thing right?

[marinmomma]

This gillet that was mentioned many times, I don't have one but got a singlet (got it from 2XU on sale) which has fleece inside. I use it everyday even as non-cycling cloths. They are essentially the same thing right?

Not really, you have an undershirt, which is impossible to take off mid ride, without almost stripping off ...a gillet (vest) is worn over top of your jersey and has a full length zipper so it can be easily removed mid-ride, or unzipped while climbing then zipped up again for the descent. The front is usually made of a wind proof material, the back of mesh type fabric so you dont over heat.

Most gillets have reflective tabs, piping or writing on the back, handy for low light conditions during early morning/late afternoon rides.

hth

[Brenchen]

Yea that's what I have, except with fleece. It's got reflective material on the outside, 3 large pockets at the back, some zippable ones in the front and back with a full length zipper at the front. This looks like gillet but with fleece inside, that's the only difference.

It does keep me warm, but arms and legs get the cold bad... I used to have some shoe covers, probably still do (hidden away somewhere), doesn't seemed to have much comment about those covers here??

[rkelsen]

How about a nice big, warm cup of HTFU before you leave the house?

Here in Oz, we really don't have a "winter."

Go to Northern Europe in January if you'd like to see what I mean.

[Brenchen]

I some how found myself riding in around 0C (Northern France) in winter, did it once

[ldrcycles]

How about a nice big, warm cup of HTFU before you leave the house?

Here in Oz, we really don't have a "winter."

Go to Northern Europe in January if you'd like to see what I mean.

Ah but then the people who are used to dealing with that sort of winter would probably die when presented with typical Australian summer temps.

[marinmomma]

How about a nice big, warm cup of HTFU before you leave the house?

Here in Oz, we really don't have a "winter."

Go to Northern Europe in January if you'd like to see what I mean.

It's all relative though, when your summer minimum is barely under 25 then a 5 degree minimum is cold!

And for some people, they are learning to deal with less 'natural' insulation than they've previously had and are feeling the cold.

[Brenchen]

Hence I post this in the QLD section and not the parts etc. section; to see how our average queenslander deal with the cold

[bprb]

Also remember that you lose a huge amount of heat through your head. A cycling cap, helmet liner, thin beanie etc makes an amazing difference.

As mentioned, a gillet (windproof front and mesh back) is hugely versatile. But if you just need something to keep you from freezing at the start of a ride until you warm up through exertion, the old newspaper down the front of the jersey seriously does work. Just pull over and throw it in a rubbish bin once you warm up. And toe or shoe covers make a mighty difference as well. If your shoes have large ventilation holes you can just put electrical tape over the holes too (ugly but effective!).

I add items in roughly this order of attack for descending temperatures: arm warmers; gillet; toe covers; leg warmers; full finger gloves; helmet insert. I start with arm warmers at around 10°C, and finish with helmet insert at around 0°C. But everyone's different. I warm up quickly — you may need much more, and at higher temps.

[elantra]

Ride in the afternoon it's a lot warmer.
But if that not possible - i am sure the necessary gear has been mentioned in the posts above.

Personally my favorite bit of cool weather kit is a balaclava.
Yes, seriously, one of those things that you can get from Mountain Designs or Kathmandu stores.
Years ago when i lived in Toowoomba i would ride with a beanie always if the morning temp single digits.
But a (thin) balaclava is much better - you can wear a helmet over it.

[citywomble]

Ah but then the people who are used to dealing with that sort of winter would probably die when presented with typical Australian summer temps.

I came from Northern Europe.

Coldest I cycled was minus 25 Celsius in the UK. Yes, it very occasionally gets that cold.

I now live in Perth, arrived 2006, and really dislike cold which for me is now anything below plus 10 Celsius.

Amazing how you adapt, I now love low to mid 30's and do not die even when it is mid 40's. having said that Perth is generally not humid in summer so dry heat is always easier.

[nickobec]

As a west australian I am about as use to cold weather as a queenslander

Note that up to 20 or so I wear a light weight base layer

I regularly commute in the morning, when it is 10 or so
arm warmers and gillet

a couple degrees lower
swap my regular SS jersey for a wool SS jersey, trade my under helmet halo sweat blocking bandana for lightweight beanie and maybe some long fingered gloves

a couple degrees lower
3/4 length bib knicks or 3/4 tights over regular knicks, warm base layer, beanie that covers my ears, neck warmer

which is what I wore on Sunday's 100km ride when it dropped below 3C during the ride, I only missed my toe covers

around 4C it is long sleeve wool jersey, long sleeve base layer and toe covers

when it gets lower below that and I have started a ride at 0
full length warm bib knicks, extra warm long sleeve base layer, glove liners, sock liners, extra warm beanie

edit - most of my morning commutes in winter are in the 6 to 10 range

[kb]

Rode from Yarra Junction to Mt Donna Buang a couple of weeks ago. That started at 2.4° and dropped to 0.9°. Still sweated on the way up in short knicks under polypro leggings and short sleeve jersey over polypro top. Thin summer gloves underneath with more padded fingerless gloves over them. Still dripped with sweat on the way up. Down was cold though! First time I've seen dew freeze on the garmin. I find the humidity makes more difference 1-5° along a creek path in the early morning has me wishing for a hat.

[DaveOZ]

It's always cold here and we have long winters. The MAX this week has not made it over 10C with MIN of 0. Last year there were a couple of days at -8C. I ride to work in most weather and really need to rug up because it's only a short ride. Thick gloves and boot covers are important. I have an Assos Jacket with built in hood which keeps me warm.

I have to admit that this year I'm finding hard to get motivated with the early cold weather.

[Paddles]

I just ride at gentleman's hours when the sun is well and truly up, just after lunch on a nice Queensland winter's day is magnificent, I don't deal with cold at all well.