Calling all hardcore FAST commuters - gear question

It's getting to that time of year again. That time when you need to bust out the softshell or something similar to ward off the chill, especially on those upcoming subzero days. I ride pretty fast, or at least fast enough to sweat a fair amount on both my ride to and from work. I struggled all last year trying to find some layering combo that wouldn't have me arriving to work feeling like I'd been marinating in my own juices for the last 11 miles.

I'll spare you all the permutations of my layering attempts and the garments (mostly failures), that I purchased last year. So what's your favorite cycling-specific garment that allows you to stay warm and yet is also highly breathable. I've been leaning towards softshell jackets, but the Nashbar brand one I bought last year for about $60 just doesn't cut it - the thing needs to be hung inside out for a few hours to dry before I can put it back on.

I guess choices don't have to be cycling specific if you know of a non-cycling softshell or similar jacket that is able to stand up to heavy sweating and keeping you warm at the same time. It'd be totally awesome too if any of you were able to suggest something that would cost less than $100. Oh yeah, and please don't say, "ride slower". I'm already taking between 40 and 50 minutes to get to work on the super-windy LFP, so the less time I spend out there when it's booger-freezin' cold, the better, which means riding fast, or at least about 14 mph average, which is fast for me, riding a 40+ pound touring bike.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on October 10, 2012 at 4:35pm

It's ironic that the biggest problem with winter cycling is overheating and dealing with the perspiration. I'm looking for a lightweight outer jacket with zippered arm pits, that's also safety reflective and ideally has several zippered pockets as well. I haven't had much luck with web searches thus far. 

Permalink Reply by Liz on October 10, 2012 at 11:40pm
For the temps we gave now I would suggest ditching the hat for ear warmers. Also using more layers and stopping for 1minute to take a layer off once you warm up (I do about 3 miles in) should help you arrive to work less sweaty steapandcheap.com or campmor.com are good places to find wool base layers.
Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on October 11, 2012 at 8:57am

Save the rain gear for the rain. Any waterproof shell is going to trap moisture. Heck, even the eVent and Goretex products I've used don't work well enough for a sustained high output activity.

Permalink Reply by Liz on October 11, 2012 at 12:02pm

+1 I find a heavy sweater with a couple of thin layers underneath to be much better in the dry cold than any sort of shell. 

Kelvin Mulcky said:

Save the rain gear for the rain. Any waterproof shell is going to trap moisture. Heck, even the eVent and Goretex products I've used don't work well enough for a sustained high output activity.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on October 12, 2012 at 4:19am

Heavy sweaters aren't your usual slim-fit aerodynamic cyclist (or hipster) fashion, but they will keep you pretty warm.

Permalink Reply by Dirke on October 12, 2012 at 5:11am

Not sure if this holy grail exists.

  Last winter, I commuted downtown to the Millennium Park bike station, 12 miles each way, which seemed to prove that everyone has the same problem, i.e. you can't travel fast in sub-freezing weather and be warm while not producing sweat over 11 miles.  Many of the riders I met came from far north or Evanston so had even more time to sweat than me.  Because the Geniuses who designed the Bike Station locker room probably weren't athletic themselves, they didn't think to provide any venting to the lockers -none.  I learned the first day that if you left your commuting clothes in those lockers, you would come back to cold.wet, disgusting, bacteria pools.  That is why during the winter, you will see bikes covered in clothes, acting as drying racks, and looking like a frat house on laundry day.

  The best solution I've found for the really cold is to incorporate a down vest into your repertoire.  Any full jacket will eventually get hot and apart from a few snowboarding jackets, winter jackets as a category rarely seem to include vents.  The vest will keep your core warm on the LFP in the sub-freezing, while allowing some lighter layers as many have suggested to cover your arms and allow sweat to wick away to the surface, rather than be contained by a shell.  For those layers, I would suggest wool, not anything made of polyester, as wool can get wet with sweat, left to dry, and not stink. Merino Wool tops are expensive but well worth their investment, and have the potential to be worn all week without stinking sufficiently to warrant washing.  Check out the Marshalls/T-J Maxx/Nordstrom rack for discounted Smartwool and Icebreaker.  Steep'nCheap.com is a daily-deals type site that frequently has Merino Wool garments from many makers at about 50% of retail, and has excellent customer service and return policy.

Permalink Reply by Xabi Roch on October 12, 2012 at 8:55am

Get something insulated with primaloft . It's like down but designed for alpine sports like skiing where you sweat but you can't get cold. It's as warm as down and once you're body heat builds up inside you'll be toasty warm. Best part is that it won't lose it's insulating properties when you sweat in it and it dries within a couple hours of taking it off, say once you get to the office. 

Permalink Reply by william on October 12, 2012 at 11:28am

for something decent, you'll pay 100-300 or so.

anything billed as "rain gear" or "water proof" will make you sweat. what you want is a  windbreaker. either jacket or vest. something you can ball up and fit into a pocket if you get hot. along with a jersey and/or baselayer, you'll be good.


kiltedcelt said:

Again, it really sounds like the best system is thin layers and a shell of some sort. I have a Bellweather AquaNo jacket that is supposed to be a breathable rain jacket. It has pit zips and a sort of split cape back with mesh kinda thing that is supposed to help it breath better. I might as well be wearing a plastic bag with no holes at all, because the AquaNo jacket doesn't breath worth a damn and the pit zips and vented back are worthless. I know there's got to be some sort of really, truly breathable shell to wear over thinner layers but I have yet to find it. I've seen ads in Outside magazine for some sort of wonder shell kinda jacket but when I checked the prices I found it to be so ridiculously priced that had I been drinking something I would have spit it out and had a coughing fit. I don't make enough money to afford most of the so-called "technical gear."

Joe Guzzardo said:

It's ironic that the biggest problem with winter cycling is overheating and dealing with the perspiration. I'm looking for a lightweight outer jacket with zippered arm pits, that's also safety reflective and ideally has several zippered pockets as well. I haven't had much luck with web searches thus far. 

Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on October 12, 2012 at 1:44pm

I found this: http://www.lifeinthesaddle.com/bicycle-gear-reviews/jackets/endura-...

Not overly expensive either. Thoughts?

Permalink Reply by Marc-Paul Lee on October 12, 2012 at 1:46pm
I dress for every 10 degrees. If it's in the 50s a simple long-sleeve merino wool jersy. In the 40s i layer this with a wind-proof vest. Another -10 degress and i'll add a thin shell with pit vents unzipped. these keep me toasty warm. the more challenging part is keeping my hands and feet warm so i have three pairs of gloves, too.

oh, and when it's below freezing i take CTA.

happy trails!
Permalink Reply by william on October 15, 2012 at 4:35pm

I think you got the right idea.

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on October 16, 2012 at 10:20am

I use a Showers Pass Elite jacket (http://www.showerspass.com/catalog/men/mens-jackets/mens-elite-20) down to around 55°F, and layer a thin cotton sweatshirt underneath down to 35°F or so.

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