I need cold weather gear

First thing: I ride a 6volt bike, so plug in heated gear wont work.

I'd like to find something that works under my normal jacket, as that thing is comfy and armored. But if I need different jacket and pants, what do you like? I'd also prefer inexpensive (wouldn't we all.)

If its not snowing or has frost/ice on the pavement, I'm riding. I've ridden in 25F if that gives you any idea as to the warmth I'm looking for.

I have the red jacket out of these, it stays remarkably warm. I haven't ridden the bike with it though.

Normally I wear it when I'm out plowing our driveways and shoveling sidewalks.

Edit: E36 M3, I forgot to post the link.... http://www.milwaukeetool.com/heated-gear

I have a cycloak jacket that keeps me plenty warm below the freezing level.

Similar to this. http://www.casporttouring.com/thestore/prods/cycloakgtjktR.html

I would suspect a look into ski gear or snomobile is what you need to do. There are a few battery-operated undergarments out there for those sports.

Got a Columbia outlet near you?

Layers. 2 T-shirts, thermal top, turtle neck, scarf, leather jacket. Thermal bottoms, optional 2nd pair of blue jeans, leather pants, 2 pairs socks (preferably 1 pair of which are "thermal" socks), boots, blousing bands around the pant legs to the boots. Snow mobile glove liners under heavy insulated gauntlet gloves (I use ski mittens I bought in Alaska at an outfitter.) Some gauntlet gloves come with an outer mitten cover. 25F is not unreasonable outfitted like this.

Warm hands and warm feet are a must.

What's your normal jacket? If it's mostly mesh of some sort then an underlayer probably won't be enough. If it's got a pretty solid shell then you might be pretty happy with adding something like this;

http://www.salomon.com/us/product/discovery-hz-midlayer-m.html

For good winter gloves I have some Rev-It! gloves that are made for really cold temps. They weren't cheap, I think I paid $135 for the pair, but compared to everything else motorcycle apparel related, the price isn't crazy. I like them because they aren't crazy bulky and I keep a lot of feeling of the controls through them.

Are you wearing a balaclava?

For pants I still use a pair I got from Roadgear that have a bit of insulation to them. Not seeing them in their current lineup but they're decent with good side zippers to make getting in and out of them easier. Roadgear is nice because you can submit your measurements and have them made for you, basically. Mine were about $200.

I like LL Bean River Driver shirts (the wool ones not the cotton) and their flannel lined jeans.

Wind is your enemy. Keep it out, and you can keep your heat in. A rain suit over everything does a good job of stopping heat.

Stupid looking hippo mitts work wonderfully. Including cheaper knockoffs.

Depending on how long you ride, and how often, those chemical heat packs or the clicky type provide nice temporary heat.

A few yards worth of dense wind proof(ish) fabric and you can make a vintage riding apron or blanket. Captures a lot of the engine heat around your legs, and blocks wind.

Duct tape some of those fabric scraps to your helmet as a neck covering dickie. You lose a lot of heat around your neck,try to keep it.

Saddlebags. The cheap toss over types, will carry a motorcycle sized 12 volt battery easily in each side, giving hour of plug in electrical warmth.

Ended up picking up a bunch of Freeze-Out undergarments from Cycle Gear today. Only got to try the glove liners, but I noticed a marked improvement. We'll see how the balaclava, long sleeve shirt and long johns work tomorrow morning.

I was going to say cheap and good is Frezze -out. Heated grips are nice too.

Newspaper under leathers, shove it where the wind catches your chest and read it when you stop. Old school

I ride year around and it gets in the low single digits here, which translates into some nasty wind chill running 80-90 on my 36 mile (one way) commute. One of my bikes has heated grips, which really helps....your palms...otherwise here is what I wear. Full face with chin wind blocker and a balaclava, leather jacket with liner and a long sleeve shirt (or two), winter gloves with liners, Tourmaster over pants, good boots with two pair of socks. I still freeze my ass off but its bearable. A buddy of mine who also rides in winter runs electric gear and says he gets too hot sometimes, so apparently I'm doing it wrong, but I've been riding this way in the winter for years.

I'll take a look at the freeze out stuff....sounds like I may need to add that to the winter gear. My bike can handle the electric gear, so it might be time to give that a closer look as well.

It works. I sweated my ares off coming home in 60 degree heat.

How far are you going? Over an hour and it'll be hard to stay warm in those temps without plugged in electric gear. I find a windproof down jacket like the one I bought from Eddie Bauer under an Aerostich our equivalent will handle most short rides. A windproof fleece works well too.

Heated grips and snowmobile gloves plus elephant ears, hippo hands, or even normal bark busters with plastic shields are a godsend and damn near a must in my book. You have to block the wind on your hands of no where else.

A rain suit over everything can help if you get caught out on a long trip under prepared, and is one of the two reasons I prefer using a rain suit over a goretex jacket. The other is better venting in dry weather with better rain protection in wet plus less soggy great the next day. Not practical for commuting though.

20 minutes depending how retarded the people are in my way. 6 volt. No way to plug in.

Belstaff waxed canvas jackets are fantastic, but not cheap or easy to find these days. But they will keep you warm even when soaking wet, I can personally attest to that. There is another brand called Barbour that are similarly made.

I sell military surplus to all the club guys in the area. They seem to like my neoprene gear.

20 min? You'll be fine with layering. 'Stich makes fleece over pants for under your main pants if you freeze easy, I really just used them for trips, and a down jacket or a fleece for under your main jacket should suffice. Definitely don't forget the balaclava too. Wool socks in your normal boots. That's how i usually commuted in those temps.

HappyAndy wrote: Belstaff waxed canvas jackets are fantastic, but not cheap or easy to find these days. But they will keep you warm even when soaking wet, I can personally attest to that. There is another brand called Barbour that are similarly made.

True Belstaff stuff was/ is great. Vanson Leathers now has a line of Waxed jackets and pants....I almost bought a set when I picked up my race leathers.

I was thinking about picking up a set of those Freeze-Out pieces. I got in an hour ago and my fingers are still cold. It was 42 when I left. I need to be able to be comfortable colder than that. Although really, my fingers and my neck were the only parts that were noticeably cold. Glove liners plus balaclava should take care of me.

The liners and balaclava will work wonders...seriously I can't leave home without them when it's in the 20s or below.

Freeze out is 40% to 80% off right now!

I have Cortech cargo pants. Water(and snow) resistant, reinforced with kevlar, and even are convertible to shorts, with hidden zippers around the knees. I stay plenty warm with those. When it's above 35, a pair of flannel lined jeans work well. I just bought a pair of West Chester work gloves at Home Depot for $14.00. Hi-visibility, reinforced knuckles, and extremely warm. When it gets below thirty degrees, I might put on a hoodie under my First Gear jacket with the lining zipped in. Instead of a balacava, I have a nomex welding hood thingy. It's similar to a painters hood, very light(thin), and keeps the neck and head warm under the helmet. I have ridden when the temp is into the teens, and not been cold. Having a full fairing sure helps, but I don't even want to think about the "chill factor" when it 25 and I'm doing 65!

I have skied in sub-zero temps and brutal winds with just Under Armor cold gear compression shirt/pants, a Columbia seam sealed jacket and cheapo windproof ski pants without being cold but I wouldn't want to test them for road rash durability.

The people who ride bikes in the Alps must wear something that handles this sort of thing.