Casual dress for formal weather

A text reader recently asked me what one uses to bike in the winter. If you live in a warm climate, you may allow this text to wash over you, smug in the confidence that you may never need to use it. Or you can tuck it away for that one weekend you booked for New York in the winter, wondering, with grim horror, what to do about survival.

Climate change has brought about colder periods during our winters dating back at least to 2012, with air pushed away from the north pole (causing ice melt there) and towards North America (causing -52º weather here). In the meantime, of course you have a bike, and of course you live in a dense city, so now you’re wondering what to do. The answer is threefold:

1. Waterproof. Wet means turbo cold. You want to avoid turbo cold, especially given the likelihood of snow.
2. Layered. When you wear two pieces at once, there exists a barrier of air between them that provides greater insulation. This feels obvious, but is probably worth stating here.
3. No exposed skin. In -52º conditions, exposed skin will get frostbite in about 7 minutes.

With that in mind, here’s the gear that I personally use to survive bike rides, walks to the grocery store, dog adventures, and other outdoor folderol during times when I absolutely have to be outside during a polar vortex. It works about as well for 10º weather as it does for -10º weather; the only real difference between those two is in how cautious you need to be.