I bought a set of Freeze-Out under gear from Cycle gear and yesterday was the first time I have been able to try it. We ride year around and if it's not snowing or below freezing, we go out. I also have a set of Gerbing heated gear. Frankly, I am not a big fan of the heated gear. To me it's drafty and the places where the heat elements are is toasty but anywhere else seems even colder. It works better if you wear a tee shirt and LJ over the heated stuff to control air leaks but then it's too bulky. I think if you are operating in extreme conditions, heated gear will keep you from falling into dangerous freezing effects and limits to performance, but for a gentle warmup they don't work for me.
Any way I bought the full set; head gear, jacket, pants, and socks. Frankly it's really pricy and I think the full set was about $250 or so. It claims to be breathable, wind resistant and thermal resistant. The gear appears to have quality construction with a lot of thought given to it's operation. For example, the jacket is long and has a draw string to snug it up so air doesn't get sucked under from the back while you ride. Oddly though, the sleeves don't snug up to seal, I don't get this one. ALso, the sipper on the jacket was a bit finicky and it actually let go the first time I zipped it. After fixing the zipper it performed well for the rest of the day and unzipped no problems.
It wasn't crazy cold on our ride yesterday. When I left my garage at 7:30 AM it was 36 degrees F. For most of the ride it was in the high to mid 50's. At one point for about 35 minutes we ran into some fog and I was getting an air temp reading of 39 degrees. I did start to feel colder but still within the range of what I call tolerable. We rode about 350 miles and were out for 7-8 hours. Long rides in sub-50 degree tempratures is much different than riding 20-30 minutes to work on a cold morning. The effects of cold are cumulative and over time even relatively mild temps can reduce feel and strength in the extremities.
The Freeze-Out gear performed very well. I was not only warm enough but actually comfortable most of the day. The gear feels a bit bulky at first but things get a bit better after 20-30 minutes on the bike. While I think the Freeze-Out gear is about 30% higher in cost than it should be, it does work well. You don't get sweaty when temps rise and there is no constant adjustment of the heater controls. The Freeze-Out made it feel like it was warmer outside - which is in my opinion what good gear should do.
I was wearing regular underwear and a tee shirt, the Freeze-Out gear, Sidi boots (vented but the Freeze-Out socks kept the feet warm anyway), textile pants, and a textile touring jacket with thermal liner. I also had on my gerbing gloves without hooking up the power (a mistake, as hands got cold). It should be noted that this gear is just for riding. It would be hard to take off the LJs when you got to work without completely undressing. I suppose it could be worn over clothes but I think it works best if it's tight to the body.
I would say this gear does work quite well in moderate to slightly extreme conditions. It is a bit pricy but like it and found it really improved the riding experience. I give it a 3 out of 5 happy riders.
Any way I bought the full set; head gear, jacket, pants, and socks. Frankly it's really pricy and I think the full set was about $250 or so. It claims to be breathable, wind resistant and thermal resistant. The gear appears to have quality construction with a lot of thought given to it's operation. For example, the jacket is long and has a draw string to snug it up so air doesn't get sucked under from the back while you ride. Oddly though, the sleeves don't snug up to seal, I don't get this one. ALso, the sipper on the jacket was a bit finicky and it actually let go the first time I zipped it. After fixing the zipper it performed well for the rest of the day and unzipped no problems.
It wasn't crazy cold on our ride yesterday. When I left my garage at 7:30 AM it was 36 degrees F. For most of the ride it was in the high to mid 50's. At one point for about 35 minutes we ran into some fog and I was getting an air temp reading of 39 degrees. I did start to feel colder but still within the range of what I call tolerable. We rode about 350 miles and were out for 7-8 hours. Long rides in sub-50 degree tempratures is much different than riding 20-30 minutes to work on a cold morning. The effects of cold are cumulative and over time even relatively mild temps can reduce feel and strength in the extremities.
The Freeze-Out gear performed very well. I was not only warm enough but actually comfortable most of the day. The gear feels a bit bulky at first but things get a bit better after 20-30 minutes on the bike. While I think the Freeze-Out gear is about 30% higher in cost than it should be, it does work well. You don't get sweaty when temps rise and there is no constant adjustment of the heater controls. The Freeze-Out made it feel like it was warmer outside - which is in my opinion what good gear should do.
I was wearing regular underwear and a tee shirt, the Freeze-Out gear, Sidi boots (vented but the Freeze-Out socks kept the feet warm anyway), textile pants, and a textile touring jacket with thermal liner. I also had on my gerbing gloves without hooking up the power (a mistake, as hands got cold). It should be noted that this gear is just for riding. It would be hard to take off the LJs when you got to work without completely undressing. I suppose it could be worn over clothes but I think it works best if it's tight to the body.
I would say this gear does work quite well in moderate to slightly extreme conditions. It is a bit pricy but like it and found it really improved the riding experience. I give it a 3 out of 5 happy riders.
I had to double time my chores in the afternoon to catch up. My group started with about 6 and we picked up a stray. We had a great group and a great ride. We will catch up soon!!! Meet and Eat is tomorrow at Cogan's. Don't know if I will make it becuae we have to go out Wed. It's always a great turnout though!
