# Cold weather gear for bigger riders from head to toe



## lacofdfireman (May 2, 2010)

Hoping to ride through the winter hear in SoUtah. Temps are about 25-30F in the mornings. I don't have any real winter gear so went out the other day in my Bibs with leg warmers and a Jersey with a rain coat over top. Problem was the Rain jacket doesn't breathe well so sweat turns to freezing cold. My thighs and hips were freezing. My head was frozen. Yep I'm not prepared for winter riding. Hoping someone can give me a rundown from head to toe that will make me comfortable in the cold. I do have decent gloves though. That's the only piece I have covered good enough. Also I wear a size 48mega Sidi show which makes finding shoe covers almost impossible. At least I haven't found any yet. Also I'm 6'5 and 270lbs so looking for some bigger gear which most manufactures don't make. Any help would be appreciated. 


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

I can make some suggestions, head to toe.

Helmet cover (to slow airflow through the vents) and balaclava (to cover head and neck). The balaclavas are stretchy, so they probably will fit you, assuming your head isn't way bigger than average. Campmor is a good source. I have balaclavas in a range of weights, for different conditions. (I commute through winter here in the Northeast, so colder than you're talking about).

Torso needs layers, IMO. Outer layer is a shell jacket, breatheable but wind-resistant. Something like this, which comes in sizes up to XXXL
Performance Flow Wind Jacket
Under a long-sleeve jersey, one or more thermal base layers. Sierra Trading Post has deals on stuff that has worked for me. Example:
Kenyon Polarskins Expedition Base Layer Top (For Men) - Save 57%

Legs: tights over the shorts are indispensable, IMO. They come in many weights, and a good size range. Performance and Nashbar have good deals on their house brands, IME.

Feet are tough. Two layers of socks work better than one, if they fit: thin wicking inner layer, thicker over. A small plastic bag over the toe (inside the shoe) blocks wind flow without trapping too much sweat.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

I like wool base layers and wool caps, and like JCav said, Sierra is a good place to shop. I like the Smartwool and Icebreaker. Theirprices can be good, but get better with the e-mail alerts they send out. Sign up with them to get the alerts.

Merino Wool Base Layer Men average savings of 52% at Sierra Trading Post

Wool socks and tights also. I just got a couple of pairs of DeMarci tights for $23 a pair at Men's Bike Tights & Knickers | Backcountry.com


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## Migen21 (Oct 28, 2014)

I was around 300lbs when I first re-started cycling a few years ago. I found the Pearl Izumi's line of 'Thermal' stuff worked pretty well. Tights, arm warmers, leg warmers, etc... 

For jackets and such, you would definitely want to try them on for size though.

Lately (weight down to a little over 200lbs at 6'5"), I've been using a lot of Gore hi-viz. Their thermal shoe covers, and soft shell jacket are good for cool weather (not necessarily wet). I'm also using Craft's high-viz lobster claw mittens with good success on colder mornings. I wear them over my Pearl Izumi 'light' gloves. My fingers have some neuropathy from frostbite back in the old days (Military Winter Survival Training), so I have to keep my hands warm or suffer the pain...


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

You need a wicking base layer, to pull sweat off your skin. Any of the cycling brands sell it but considering your size, it may not fit. Then go for the more common brands such as what's being offered by Sierra Trading Post. Start with a medium weight base layer, long sleeve. Some fabrics will feel colder to you than others but it's WAY better than cotton.

You may want to put a short sleeve base layer under the long sleeve layer.

Put a short sleeve jersey over whatever base layers you wear.

The trick is, these layers should not be baggy/loose. They don't need to fit "racer tight" but the materials need to contact your skin to wick away the moisture. Also, the fit and the fabric traps air which your body can heat up. Won't happen with loose fitting clothing.

Add arm warmers.

Next is a cycling jacket. Even if your rain jacket doesn't breathe, you should stay warm from the proper base layers. The rain jacket should not be baggy either. Remember; your body is trying to heat up the space under the jacket and too much space will mean you can't generate enough heat to warm up the volume under the jacket. Some jackets are more permeable than others. I'd go with something that let's a little more air through and just wear an extra base layer.

Medium weight balaclava under the helmet should be sufficient. If not, put duct tape over the front vents of your helmet.

Unpadded cycling tights OVER your shorts.

If finding shoe covers for your feet is going to be a problem, you might want to see if you can find a scuba diving shop that makes custom diving gear; they may be able to make neoprene booties to fit your big feet. Otherwise, 1 or 2 pair of winter socks OVER the outside of your shoes may help. Do NOT wear extra socks INSIDE your shoes. You'll likely result of a tight fit and just like the layering of the upper body above, you want to create LOFT, or a layer that's thick enough to trap heat AND pull moisture off your feet. Keeping dry means keeping warm and if you squish your socks and feet into the shoes, you'll kill the insulating qualities of event he best socks.


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## Neolithic (Mar 24, 2015)

I can't speak to your particular size for fitting as I'm 6'1 @ 170lbs but I'll include what brands, models I have and you can look into available sizes/fittings.

Biking to work recently has been in the mid-20s to mid-30s in the morning.

For head, I've got a Cabella's Windstopper beanie I wear under my helmet. I've got a decent hipster beard going so I didn't bother with a balaclava.

For torso, I've got a wool base layer from Sierra Trading Post, a thermal long sleeve jersey (got on clearance, don't remember brand/model), and an Endura Gridlock II shell.

For legs I've got my usual summer bibs and REI thermal leg warmers.

For feet I've got Northwave Arctic 2 GTX Fahrenheit. Here I can speak on the size. I've got size 48 in these. My summer shoes are Shimano R087 in a size 47. My summer shoes are probably a hair tight and my winter shoes are a bit big. Currently I've been wearing the same socks between them and I'm glad the winter shoes have a bit more space so I can add an additional wool sock if it's cold enough.

For hands I've got Craft Siberian split-finger gloves.

Gloves, shoes, and shell are all hi-vis yellow.

I know that if I want to get below 20 I'm going to need a warmer base layer (the one I have is rather thin) and some thermal tights. My upper thighs and hips can start to feel the cold by the time I get to work when it's in the 20s. Fortunately it's only a 30 min ride to work and you can suffer through just about anything for 30 min.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

One of the best bang for the buck cold weather clothing items is a balaclava. They come in a variety of weights. I've got thin silk ones all the way up to a Gore-Tex one that's too damn hot to wear. 

Get a pair of tights. Pearl Izumi makes good tights that will fit you. 

I have a Burley jacket that I've used for years. The thing is fantastic. It's roomy and has the ability to adapt to different temperatures through all the venting it has. There's a draft flap on the back so you don't get sweaty. It has zippered pit zip vents, two zippered front vents. The cuffs are adjustable so you can let a lot of air, a little air, or no air in. All I wear underneath it is a short sleeved jersey down to the mid-30's or so, colder than that and I will wear a long sleeved jersey. When it's cold, zip everything up. If its warmer, unzip the vents to get the air flow you need. It's adjustable on the fly -- I can adjust it while I'm riding. The jacket was recommended by a former Road Bike Review legend who went by the name of MB1. They guy must have ridden 10,000 miles a year and said it was the best jacket he ever had. I agree. The bad news is that it's not being made anymore -- but this Showers Pass jacket is pretty much exactly the same thing. 

https://www.showerspass.com/products/mens-elite-21-jacket

Yeah, it's pricey -- I think I paid over $200 for my Burley -- but it's all you really need in a jacket. Compared to buying a vest, long sleeve jerseys, layers, etc., it's not that bad. It's good in the 20's and good in the 50's. Read the reviews. It looks like an ideal jacket for what the OP is looking for. On the sad day when my Burley wears out, I'm going to buy one of these.


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## bikerector (Oct 31, 2012)

I'll also add in that pearl izumi should fit well as they tend to fit bigger bodies pretty well, outside of their race cut items. For the temps you mentioned I would look at getting wind-resistant gear for sure. For the head, at that temp I would still just use a headband but my head runs pretty hot so I won't don a full hat until it's below 20's or very windy in the 30's. I find balaclavas uncomfortable for breathing purposes but will wear one if it's really windy or my sinuses get messed up.

I've also found craft's items to be very nice.

Another option would be to get a lot of nordic ski gear since the demands are similar and wear some cycling shorts underneath.

As far as a jacket, I've found softshell jackets to be the best for sub-freezing temps but they are warm as heck for much above freezing. The thing you mentioned about being warm, getting wet, and then getting cold is one of the things you'll have to learn to layer for. I don't like hardshells when it's cold because they keep too much moisture in and provide no insulation. Softshell seems to be the best warmth/bulkiness IMO.

The best show covers I've found for winter is the endura MT500 shoe cover. I haven't tried any of the super expensive softshell covers that are in the $100 range because I'll just get winter shoes at that point (which I've had but worn out from CX and crashing).


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## Rogus (Nov 10, 2010)

Aerotech has a Big & Tall section:

Big and Tall Mens Cycling Apparel | Many Choices for Big Riders


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