i had to punch a few extra holes in it for breathability... but it looks so bad ass.
http://flyingtigerssurplus.com/big-id-7-shbgid-9938.html

i'll ride in my underpants as long as i got a great set of windproof gloves and windproof ear protection.

ArlieMarshall ,puttin' up my dukes and givin' a damn.

I've been riding this past two weeks to work here in Maine! It's f-in cold, but it's been an adventure. People look at me like an OUI victim and I ignore the ones who may be rude like I'm not supposed to be on "their" road. I stop at all intersections and use hand signals. The problem is that the ice is covering the safe zone so rather than wiping out I need to stay out towards dry pavement. Bummer for them! I wear jeans, a thermal shirt, longsleeve T and a woolie mammoth sweater that covers the tops of my thinsulate gloves, as well as a friggin redneck hooded flannel. I just need a scarf to keep the moustache from icing up. I have a real warm rasta hat with ear flaps and a back pack. I also use old bike lights and replace the bulbs with tireflies for the rear and a halogen light on the front. Safety is a big key! Everyday is getting easier as the folks get used to seeing some crazy bastard riding on the same morning that they burned 4 gallons of gas warming up the vehicle and still wear winter clothes after it warms up. I feel damn good!

is what I wear to keep warm. I wear a polypropylene or wool jersey and tight fitting "sweats" (can't afford expensive gear and haven't found poly or wool at the thrift store yet) under a nylon shell. On my hands I wear thin wool under thin leather, a fleece head band for my ears under my helmet and thin wool socks under my leather sneakers. When it rains I rely on an old 1-piece motorcycle rain suit I've owned for almost 20 years and doesn't breathe too well but it works in keeping me dry. Granted the temperature has only gotten as low as 8°F on my morning commute but the above works for me.

I recently invested in their midweight long-underwear and they are amazing, worth every penny. I also own about 15 pairs of Smartwool socks and I wear them year round. I also wear a lightweight but waterproof Novara cycling rain jacket over layers and it works great. Novara is REI's house brand for bike stuff and a great source of inexpensive, quality bike apparel.

My favorite concoction for after a cold ride:

Hot Toddy:
Boil water
Pierce a slice of lemon with 5 or 6 whole cloves
put a teaspoon of honey in the bottom of a glass or mug
pour the hot water over the honey and mix
add lemon
top off with Bushmills!

Honey can be substituted with Agave nectar if vegans abound.

My setup is good for my 2.5 mile commute to work when it's near and below freezing.

For my feet, I have a cheap pair of leather shoes that work well against the cold, and they fit well in my toe clips.

For my torso, I wear an undershirt; shirt; thin wool or cheap cashmere sweater (BJ's/costco); thin wool scarf; a light/thin "tech" jacket I got from the clearance rack in EMS that is more or less a windproof layer; 180 earmuffs; and, my helmet, for which I now have a fitted cap for rain, but after wearing it once I think it'll also do fine to keep my head warm. I also wear a messenger bag that adds a little insulation to my back.

Generally, my legs don't get too cold, but on really frigid days I wear long underwear.

For my hands, I have these gloves that I think are meant for mechanics that allow for fine motor movement. They're made up mostly of a synthetic leather and polyester, which keeps off the bite and works good enough to keep most of my hands warm. The gloves are cheap. Could probably get them at Pep Boys, or hardware store.

In the winter, or cold, I used to always get these terrible headaches/earaches from riding in the cold/wind, but now I wear foam earplugs and I don't get them. anyone else get earaches from cold weather riding? try earplugs if you do..

I'm just a girl on the street..

What do you use that works best under your helmet or on your own for keeping your head warm, ears included. I used to wear a flap hat from Amsterdam... Needless to say I was hit twice in the same month by a car and started (by force) to wear a helmet a Citi by Bell. Now I'm left to keep trying different hats, caps, etc with the helmet, but my ears are still left out in the cold.

Thanks in advance for any help.

riding everyday 25+ commute miles, SEALSKINZ, they are the best for dry feet, they seem to fit even the tight shoes, but I ride lakes mx 80, and they are more ventilated than my ex-wife and twice as cold on winter days, but a pair of woolie's and my sealskinz keep me dry and warm for about 45 min of heavy rain(normal here in oregon) been wearing them for about 5 years and have never replaced them yet cuz they still work great.

My feet always get soaked, I guess that's what I get for wearing vans in Portland when it rains all the time. Other than that, I get too hot and layer up too much.

i wear glasses to see, so a bandana over the face like a train robber just blows air upwards and fogs my glasses, but works well in eugene oregon (not that cold) works well so far for face heat. so i have two tips for those with glasses. the first is two tear the metal strip out of a ruler and roll it up in the top of the bandana, then bend it so it fits over your nose to keep the breath down. the second is to leave the bottom of the bandana loose when you tie it to help with the condensation, it works for a bit and its cheap.

tip one; don't over dress! once you start sweating you'll cool off too fast.
tip two; a scarf will allow you to breath warmer air and can be easily removed while riding.
tip three; leave the cycling shoes at home, they have too much ventilation- wear old hightops or hiking boots that let you wear thicker socks and use toe clips to let you sport the beefier shoes.
reteptterrab

I realize this option isn't available for many cyclists for reasons of sex or genetic roulette, but for those of us who can pull it off, it turns out evolution steered us right when winter hits.

But why can't I grow or stop it at will? It's hardly fair.

stay the hell away from manhole covers

Just dipping your chain in multan wax does a really good job of keeping it fresh despite the salt.

I recently started riding fixed gear hear in ithaca,so between the combination of snow and hills its great for stoping, I might be a little bit crazy because I am still riding 20m slicks, and although they do not always give me enough traction to go up the hill coming down is great because I can skid as often as i need to and still remain in controle, if we could get rid of the cars I would be set

I recently wrote this article on the subject of winter commuting. It's more of a rough guide than a technical how-to.

Here in Vancouver we don't get the bitterly cold days that you get out east, but we do get our fair share of miserable days. 1°C, raining buckets with lots of wind and if we're lucky we get the rain/sleet days. What I've found is that biggest weakness in my gear was the gloves, after searching for a couple of seasons for a glove that will stay warm in the wet and wind was near impossible until I had a conversation with a friend of mine who suggested getting some paddling gloves. Great suggestion, went to the local MEC and picked up a pair of their neoprene paddling gloves and the problem was solved. My hands are now warm on the wettest and windiest days.

Next thing to tackle, how to ride on black ice. Any suggestions?

In NYC it hasn't gotten TOO cold just yet, but it will. one of my favorite winter accessories would have to be a Thermasilk undershirt.

http://www.terramarsports.com/category.php?nv=1|1|3

This coupled with a long or short sleeved t-shirt (depending on the temp) and a slightly insulated wind proof shell provides a nice warm core on even the most bitter of days

I understand they also make glove liners and balaclavas. I can vouge for the liners in 0°C+ weather but for sub zero conditions, snowboarding Mits work great.

One of the most important things in winter riding is the convertibility of ones attire. Make sure you are able to ventilate yourself as you begin to overheat.
questions?, this may help:

http://www.icebike.org/Articles/strategy.htm

I live in Northern Ontario, Canada, where our Winter temperatures will average around -17C or 0F, but have a tendency to dip down to -25C or lower for weeks at a time. I owe no car, instead relying on my alloy stead to commute to work and wherever else life may take me.

As far as warmth goes, we are all different (Personally I wear shorts until -5C), but a few points are universal. Wear multiple layers, preferably things that can be removed or opened easily should you start to overheat. A wind/water proof outer layer is a must, as are thick Thermal socks.

Many people like to have a full face covering, but I personally find this causes too much moisture to settle in my lungs leading to wheezing and general discomfort. A balaclava with a mouth hole works well for me. Add a pair of earmuffs, a warm touque, and some snowmobile mitts and you should be good to go.

As far as components go, it again depends on the conditions in your local area. We get lots of snow. Most traversed trails and walkways pack down quickly due to the cold temperatures, making them rather easy, while roads are covered in thick slop from the vehicle traffic. I have been running Specialized Chunder 2.3 on my winter bike with a lot of success. Great traction, with predictable slide, and excellent shedding abilities.

That being said, when biking through slushy streets, keep an eye on the treads of your front tire. Should they become completely packed, you will quickly loose traction and be subject to extreme deviations.

Other equipment notes, would be to keep it simple. Gears may make things easier to push, but become packed with snow and freeze quickly becoming useless. Consider a single speed setup instead. The trick is to find the ratio that you are comfortable with.

Keep your chain and sprockets safe with a good lubricant that prevents rust. I recommend the Krown series of products. This stuff is used to undercoat cars, and can be found in a few formulas. The newest being a foamy industrial chain lube, which although thick, has the best coating and rust prevention/removal I have experienced thus far.

Ditch the rim brakes, and upgrade to some mechanical discs instead. The rubber pads become hard and freeze, and any friction against the rim causes melting and further freezing. Rim brakes will cause you nothing but frustration, so save yourself the trouble.

And the final note to add to this novella of information is to get a good set of fenders. If you have been riding without, you will curse your stupidity the instant you ride with a pair. I went through 5 years, getting soaked from head to foot, before throwing down to buy some. It was the best money I have ever spent, and I curse every ridiculous day I rode without them previously. Small investment, HUGE payoff!!

Well, Dress warm, Roll Safely and Enjoy it!

My winter survival guide.

A mask,
http://www.respro.com/popup_techno.php

and solid tires.
http://www.rpmb.ca/

I've used masks for 3 years and I never ride in the winter without one.

I don't believe Respro's filtering claims, but they do get damp quickly and the moisture helps retain a lot of heat making the air temperature irrelevant, so I can still sprint and breath deeply.

Solid tires means no possibility of flats, so pot holes and debris hidden under the snow just mean a bump during the ride, instead of a flat and changing tubes in the slush/snow.

But I don't recommend solid tires for summer riding. They tend to come off the rim when enough lateral force is applied, but in the winter slowing down to under 30km/h for turns is required due to the snow and ice.

i don't commute, but i've been riding this winter. i find that after 15 or 20 miles, my toes are frozen despite wearing like 3 pairs of socks. other than that, in freezing temperatures, i have no problem keeping warm. what does everyone else do to prevent frozen feet?

Put a bandana on your head to keep the wind off your noggin and wear one in front of your face under your helmet strap. It'll get soaking wet from your breath, so set it up to dry as soon as you arrive. When you leave, switch their positions so the dry one is in front of your face and the damper one is on top of your head, which will dry out in the breeze quickly.

Good winter biking gloves are expensive! I use work gloves from Home Despot. They keep the wind off the knuckles and have great finger flexibility as well as being grasp-shaped. as opposed to seems good to me, particularly since I lose my gloves every spring.

A great hot drink that does aid circulation is Ginger tea. I know that sounds awful but is in fact very good for blood circulation.
Recioe.

Use about half a thumb length of fresh ginger.
Slice it up very very thinly. You dont ned to peal it.(I find it easier to slice it than to chop it up).
Now put about a liter of water in a pan and bring to the bpoil. When Boiling add the thinly sliced ginger. Allow this to cook up again and then let it simmer on a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

Thats it. Simple!!!

Now Drink it with honey and lemon mixed in. Delicious. And it is scientifically proven to aid blood circulation. I use this before and after a winter ride. Scandinavian winters are not known for their meekness.

regards
Chainwheel.

Here in Turin (Ita) it goes to 32F for the morning commute. With that temperature if you commute about 4 miles, then you can basically dress if you would walk. I commute 12 miles one way. In this case, I have to protect a little better the feet. The good thing about the winter is that you can control swetting much better. Just by opening a zipper of few inches you cool off so much to zero swetting.
Reflective gear is then very important, since at least one way is at dark.
In this particular region of the world we get pretty high diesel particulate pollution during most of the winter. It is not totally clear how to deal with this pollution, since especially the small size one (10um, 2.5um) is the most damaging. Somebody wear a breather mask, but they are said to be useless for the real harmfull particulate. I do not know yet what to do. One British designer developped this :
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4836/casquewy6.jpg
+
prototype "Breathe Air"

Ride just as you would any other time of the year, don't hold back, stay conscious that you need to prepare accordingly. with that:
1. get more rest, the cold weather literally sucks the energy from your body. Drink more water than you think you need.
2. Put a brake on your fixed gear, cold knees are more prone to injury.
3. Find access to a boot dryer.
4. I can't really say I do this too well, but, stretch.

Some of the best tips I've found were on Bike Winter Chicago. A few things that have helped this year: layering gloves, microfleece balaclava, and a regular cycling cap.

The really nasty cold hasn't hit Chicago yet. The worst we have had is a few days of 15 degree weather in the morning, which is perfect for the balaclava. I find that for weather around 32 degrees a cycling cap + helmet is enough. I will get my snow bike uploaded soon (Bianchi BUSS)