Comfy Cozy is Worth Every Penny

When is this cold weather going to leave us? I know, I know... I'm Canadian, this is like summer to me.  BUT IT ISN'T. Living the past 13 years in Los Angeles has thinned my blood and I am the first person to complain when the weather gets cold.  I have this fabulous little heater than sits on the counter next to my desk. I named him Sherlock and he is my lifeline. Perhaps I am mildly dependent on him but he is always there for me, keeping me warm, happy and with a smile on my face!

I wrote my name on it and made him my own.

I can't always be sitting in front of my computer with Sherlock blasting heat onto me. Even though it is a happy place, I would much rather be on my bike. BUT IT'S COLD OUTSIDE! Time to layer up. I'm such a wimp!!

I rode with the boyfriend a week ago and I took every piece of clothing I could find and slapped it on in an effort to stay warm. Needless to say about half way through the ride my temperature was rising and I was wondering, if just maybe, I might have put on one too many. You're probably thinking, she looks fine. Well... you tell me!

At this point I really didn't care. Nothing could ruin my day more than by having cold fingers and toes. I'll take you all through my awesome outfit. The more I look at it, I'm quite proud!

Bare with me.. some of this I have mentioned before but there's no harm in sharing again (in a little more detail)!

1. LAS Victory helmet (retails for around $150). Great helmet. Love the little spike design at the back. I crashed in a LAS Victory helmet and it kept my noggin safe and sound. Expensive, but aren't you worth protecting to the fullest? Only downside I found (and I didn't learn this until I chopped my hair off and needed a pony tail at the base of my head), is that it's become a pain to get it on in the right spot, with the right fitting because of the ponytail. Before my hair was always in a long braid so this was never a problem. It's still a great helmet and I recommend it to everyone. It's light weight, has plenty of ventilation and comes with swappable liners.

2. Oakley Jawbone custom sunglasses (retails for around $200-$250). I had to get a pair to match my bike. I just had to! But then I went and swapped out my bike. At least the new bike (a Giant TCR Advanced) is black and white and goes with EVERYTHING! Color matters. These shades are great for cycling. You can swap out the lenses whenever you want. They've got vented lenses (in 6 different colors no less), polarized and photochromatic. The choice is yours. I won't ride without them, eye protection is crucial, and since I suffered an eye injury back in 2009, I won't ever leave mine unprotected again. You never know what a rock is going to kick up and smack you in the face!

3. Base layer and jersey. The jersey is a no brainer but when you start riding the wind just cuts right through the damn shirt. I get why, but on a cold winter day, it's not going to cut it. I don't have an officially legit base layer, so if Rob doesn't have a clean one for me to borrow, I reach for one of my thick dryfit workout tanks.

4. Pearl Izumi Women's Elite Softshell 180 jacket (retails around $175). BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER (boyfriend Rob scored beaucoup points with this one)! I needed a jacket and so this was the perfect gift for me, and it came in the perfect color ever. It's a great jacket, comfy and fits well. I'm a "smedium" so I got a medium in this. Fits great in the length of the jacket, sleeves and bust, but I wish it was a little more fitted in the mid section. Since I won't be racing in it, I'm not too concerned. It's fabulous, pretty and I love it!

5.  Pearl Izumi's Women's Cyclone Gel Glove (retails around $40). These gloves are perfect for the cold weather. A little thicker than my usual gloves, they provide excellent wind protection and moderate water protection. And... they just so happen to match the jacket. SCORE!

6. Pearl Izumi's Women's Elite Cycling Bib (retails around $145). Super comfy, love the clasp at the front that brings the straps together atop my boosum. Much more comfortable than having the straps on the outside of the girls, rubbing up and chaffing on my side boob and arms. NOT FUN!

7. Pearl Izumi's Elite Thermal Knee Warmers (retails around $35). Now, you probably already know how I feel about this if you read my other post about Cold Weather Riding Blues. They aren't female-with-thighs friendly. They cut, they irritate and jack up my blood flow. Not cool! But, they kept me warm and since I didn't have another option (I really need to invest in cycling pants), the do just fine.

8. Electra Women's Koi Stripe Knee Socks. (Retails for around $20). CUUUUTE! Not cycling socks, but they worked for me. They covered me from where the knee warmers ended, all down to my tootsie toes. If they were black and blue striped versus the brown, they would've matched perfect. However, on the bike, moving at the speed of light (I dream), you could hardly tell.

9. Sidi Sock Shoe covers. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE shoe covers. Makes a night and day difference and worth the $30 bucks or so. If you are on a super tight budget, try getting a large man's sock and cut a whole in the bottom for the cleat. Get creative!

So all in all, it took a little digging and lots of creativity but I managed to make it work, keep myself warm, and stay on the bike in some sort of fashionable manner. At least I think so...


Pedal on, Lady Pedalers!