Friday Frivolity: when the mercury drops, what first for you? Longer pants, long sleeve shirt...jacket?

So happy to hear I am not alone singing out loud while riding my bike. Yesterday morning and again today, something funny happened on the commute. I was colder than I like, but MTFU or whatnot and did my ride. I am a year round commuter but tend to fare better with acclimating to temp changes then this sudden drop. Whine whine. BUT here's the question: I am a shorts, t shirt commuter right now. So I am faced with the quandary of what layer first, which seems to beg the question which layer pyramid schematic do you follow. I am sticking with shorts and adding a vest. My legs usually generate plenty of BTUs perhaps from the cycling while my top half seems to shiver. Of course this assumes some sort of teleological nature of shorts then pants then long sleeve shirt then jacket...etc

TL/dr when the weather gets colder, which layer do you add on first? And do you follow any order of "building up" the layers.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on September 12, 2014 at 3:16am

Depending on the temperature range of a particular day, I may add one or more layers. My first choice is usually a wind resistant jacket of some sort.  It holds in some heat, but can still be okay if the day gets a bit less chilly. As it gets cooler, I add a lightweight wicking layer under that wind resistant jacket.

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on September 12, 2014 at 3:23am

I like a neck gaiter as one of my first layers.

Permalink Reply by Jeremy on September 12, 2014 at 3:25am

I will get a jacket out at the drop of a hat, and had one yesterday and today.  I usually leave long pants for under 50 degrees but I could have used them this morning.  Yuck. 

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on September 12, 2014 at 3:33am

When it gets just a little cooler, a jacket. Yesterday, a light jacket, long pants, long sleeve lightweight wicking shirt. Today, rain jacket on top of the same stuff, but when I got going the top was a little too warm. My core heats up fast.  I am thinking of getting arm warmers, though, since my arms seem to stay cold more.

It is easier to figure it out if we don't go from 80 to 50 in one day! :-)

Permalink Reply by Rich S on September 12, 2014 at 3:49am

Arm warmers are my first layer. I love them! They warm me up just enough to make high 50s comfortable and they're easy to pack away if the temps warm up.

After that I'll add layers like a long sleeve base layer or jacket first. Shorts to pants is the last thing for me and usually when it dips into the 40s. I find wearing longer shorts that cover my knees helps in cooler temps too. 

Permalink Reply by Nançois on September 12, 2014 at 4:21am

Yes, jacket; the legs can withstand a lot more than the upper body. But really, the go-to is GLOVES, as my hands get cold easily.

Permalink Reply by Apie (11) on September 12, 2014 at 4:42am

I go from poly t-shirts to wool.  I am most happy in wool :)

Permalink Reply by Simon Phearson on September 12, 2014 at 4:50am

I go with the jersey and shorts down into the lower 60s; pick up the arm warmers and leg warmers in the upper 50s; replace the arm warmers with a windbreaker jacket and add thin gloves in the lower 50s. As things get colder, I'm going to see how little I can add, since I think I tended to overdress last winter; but I'll probably start adding the thermal torso underlayer in the upper 40s and maybe tights by the lower-to-mid 40s. Can't remember precisely when I dropped the balaclava last season, so that might take some experimenting this time around.

Like the others, I tend to think a little bit less about my legs than my torso/arms. I think that makes sense both in terms of what you're working but also in terms of what parts of you need to stay warm (i.e., the internal organs of the torso). I've found that your extremities can feel a lot warmer if your body is spending less of its energy fighting to keep the torso warm - more warm blood flows out, blood vessels constrict less, etc. (That's my completely unscientific take on it.)

Permalink Reply by Jose A. Terrazas on September 12, 2014 at 5:03am

Yesterday, Short sleeve wool T, wind and water resistant vest and light pants. 

Today, light long sleeve thermal w/ T and vest and those Levis commuter Jeans. 

Luckily I finished all my laundry last weekend and had actually started freshening up my fall gear. Who knew, BAM cold. 

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on September 12, 2014 at 5:05am
1- Long sleeve shirt , 2-Hoody, 3-Gloves, 4-Pants, 5-Jacket, 6-Knit cap, 7-long under wear, 8-Polar accessories! ? ! Sigh ! !
Don't cha luv da Cha-caw-ga weather !
Permalink Reply by Maurice on September 12, 2014 at 5:41am

1. Long sleeves

2. Gloves

3. Light jacket

4. Pants

5. Heavy jacket

6. Ear & face protection, etc.

 

I wear shorts until it drops into the 40s, probably because I have a certain degree of natural protection and don't shave to reduce drag.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on September 12, 2014 at 6:34am

I have these great pants that I bought at BFF (see other thread) that breath and are water repellent so they were perfect for yesterday and today.  I do agree that otherwise shorts at these temperatures work just fine.

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