Manitoba Geocaching Association

[junglehair]

I bought myself a pair of WindRiver Microfibre long underwear at Mark's Work Warehouse and I must say they are great.

WindRiver Microfiber long underwear

They are so thin, they feel no different than wearing pantyhose (the guys may or may not be able to relate to that). I've worn them to work under my regular dress pants or jeans and was able to walk home comfortably even in the cold temperatures we've experienced lately. That's about a 20 minute walk for me. It's not quite as warm as wearing ski pants, but they definitely help.

[bevro]

My neice sells a line of silk underwear which tends to breathe better than a man made product. It is very warm and extremely lightweight natural material that allows moisture out but retains heat, great for X-country skiing or other outdoor activities. Shameless plug for the Wilderness Supply Company at the end of Ferry and Ellice.

[burchil]

I have a few options for long underwear but my favourite riding attire is a pair of wool flight pants from Amy Navy. They breathe well & the tight knit is somewhat wind proof. I bought large and just put them over my regular pants and off I go - only thing I have used over the last week.

On top I have a 60/40 cotton/poly coat with nylon liner and a fleece - the coat comes to mid thigh. I use leather garbage mitts when the temperature drops below -20-25. Under my helmet I use a helmet liner (fleece with nylon sides) and pull an old toque over my helmet.

Wool socks and duct tape toe covers finish the look.

I carry extra hat, mitts, socks, dicky, scarf and sometimes wind pants in my courier bag incase it gets really nasty. I also keep some extra money incase I need to take the bus or call for help.

My ride is usually ~10km but Jan-March I work at UofM Ft. Garry campus as well as HSC. If I am geocaching I might put in an extra 25-30km.

Keep Warm!

[Dragonfreys]

I too am a winter cycling commuter. Luckily I only have a 4 km commute, which is about perfect by cycle, ski or snowshoe. To make sure I don't whimp out and drive I got rid of my vehicle over 10 years ago and so our family has one car.

Ironically, it is often easier to get overheated in the coldest weather (-42°C here last week) when the lubrication and bearings are so ineffective that you need to peddle downhill to keep going. Or stranger still is when one part of you is burning up while something else is frozen.

A couple of items that I would highly recommend are:
- Gauntlet mitts popular with snowmobilers, especially cycling as you can't keep the blood circulating as well while riding.
- Ski goggles which are very handy in sleet and blowing snow conditions.

I'll second the thick wool pants, although I find them too warm to wear while doing anything unless it is below -35. I wear wind pants down to -15 and fleece pants underneath at any temperatures below that.

For the core I have an waterproof breathable shell with fleece or other insulating layers underneath. I trade in my toeclips in winter for warm boots. I wear a toque and neck warmer which in combination with the goggles leaves no bare skin exposed, and is compact enough for a helmet over top.

Anyway, keep warm but don't melt

Dragonfreys