I'm cold.

I need some opinions on how to stay warm once I start sweating in this temperature and colder. Maybe a heated vest?

This past weekend it was maybe 12 degrees, not cold,  once I start sweating and then stop at the top of a climb or start going downhill I get cold and can't warm up. My hands or feet never get cold, it's my core, chest, back, neck.

I've tried light and medium wool layers, fleece/polyester layers from MEC and Marks Dri-Wear type stuff. Nothing reliably keeps my core warm.

Starting now and through fatbike season I very carefully moderate my pace so I minimize sweating and minimize waiting around at the top of a climb. 

Gear down a chainring size, slow down, sweat less, don’t stop.

For starters castelli makes a mesh that is incredibly creepy when you wear it alone (so dont) but it is the most amazing winter base. It is made of a thick loose mesh that actually keeps your next layer off your skin so the rest of your clothes don't get wet from sweat.

If you are having a lot of trouble staying warm, I find road gear much better than mtb for managing moisture, rain and warmth while staying breathable. I use castelli perfetto and ROS stuff all winter and couldn't be happier. 

I'd go fleece over merino every day.

Merino base layers/jersey as they wick moisture and evaporate it fairly well. This lets the excess heat and moisture escape on the climb up to stay comfortable. Also a big plus is the no stink factor compared to synthetics. Pack a fleece jersey/top to throw on for the ride down as they trap heat well to keep you warm. Inexpensive and effective. Even a thick fleece top for colder days is fairly lightweight and easy to strap to your bars for the ride up. 

The advantage of layering is moisture management which is critical for winter riding, for both comfort and safety.

On an E-bike so I don't do much sweating but its pretty much getting into the zero temps up here

so i bring lotsa layers in the pack and a thermos of hot tea,

ski gloves are a good thing as bike gloves start to not cut it

last year the non- fatbiking was pretty much done by nov 15 so not much left before skiing takes over

I was think of a neoprene vest maybe but that mesh vest is interesting

Protection from wind is usually more important than isolation after sweating. Throw on a wind-resistant or windproof jacket once you get to the top.

Mesh underlayers are great in cool or cold temperatures. I found them to work much better than anything merino for wicking moisture away from skin. Wear the merino stuff over the mesh if you like.

I've spent a lot of time in the cold, including a couple winter ultras, and for me the key is not sweating. I modulate my pace to keep my heart rate low and dress very lightly. If I feel myself getting warm and starting to sweat, I unzip some stuff or stop and readjust layers immediately.

The one thing I have issues with is my feet. They sweat like crazy regardless of how cold it is. Merino socks work well for shorter rides (<3 hours) but for longer or colder events, I wear waterproof vapor barriers under my socks. My feet still sweat, but the socks stay dry and keep me warm. Just don't take off the vapor barriers around anyone you like; it is a smell like no other when you've been wearing plastic bags on your feet for 24 hours.

I had this problem for a while and used to carry a dry merino base layer in my backpack so I could swap it out when the one I was wearing got soaked in sweat.

For winter rides on the Shore my strategy was to keep them short, be underdressed on the climb (my engine runs pretty hot so I'd warm up quickly), then at the top swap my sweaty base layer for the dry one and add a windbreaker before starting the descend. Worked pretty well.

Then I improved my core and leg strength a lot which made climbing easier and I started sweating less and the problem disappeared.

Mark's Driwear stuff is in another league for moisture management compared to anything put out by Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, anyone with Merino wool, etc. The problem is that they put their driwear branding on a whole bunch of products even though they don't use the same technology/materials/etc. That's what happens when you try and sell both highly technical clothing right alongside fashion clothing. I say this as someone who used to work at Mark's head office many years ago. I've tried tons of baselayers over the years and won't use anything else when it comes to intense activities in cold weather (ie: fat biking, xc skiing, etc). While the product lines have changed a lot and their website does a terrible job of differentiating the important details of each product, what you're after is the driwear baselayer options. Those are the ones that use the better material (or at least used to). I would wager this one would work best (unfortunately only in long sleeve): https://www.marks.com/en/dakota-workpro-series-mens-driwear-long-sleeve-t-shirt-color-black-352672.html#352672%5Bcolor%5D=BLACK. 

Keep in mind that even the best materials have limitations. Once the fabric hits the saturation point, then the moisture wicking element stops working. You also need to remember that ALL of your layers should be moisture wicking and breathable. The idea is that your baselayer will wick sweat from your skin and move it to the outer layer of the fabric where it has a chance to evaporate. If you're wearing multiple layers, each of them need to continue that same wicking action moving the sweat from one layer to the next until it reaches the outer layer and can evaporate. Otherwise you'll hit the saturation point quicker and end up wet and cold. 

All that being said, it sounds like your problem is overheating and you need to dress in layers. Do your best to manage your temperature and moisture management will be less of an issue.

So many good suggestions in this thread. No one is wrong either. But you need to experiment to find out what works best for you. I sweat heavily unless it’s really cold or I ride slow. Many climbs don’t really allow going easy around here so it’s about sweat management for me. Going up "be bold, start cold" works for me. If you feel comfortable walking around the trail head, you wore too much. Remove a layer and carry it up. Wind vests and jackets are great. Many are very light weight and packable. I like merino for really cold weather where I’m not going to go so hard that the sweat faucets are full open. Cross country skiing sees me in Lifa polypropylene under layer as it dries faster than merino. It may not completely dry out on a longer descent but I find it has a better chance of that than merino. Dry polypropylene is warmer than wet wool.

Anyone try any of that expensive and trendy Fjall Raven stuff?  Looks like quality, old school (waxed canvas!) kind of stuff on the outer layers.  Does their stuff work?

i been wearing a soft shell vest and a softshell parka with the hood up & I put the helmet over hood makes a difference in keeping the wind out

Not really an under armour person but their stretch beanies fit under a helmet to help moderate temp my temp even in hot weather, if you sweat they keep it out of your eyes and you just wring them out

Posted by: coolatt

I was think of a neoprene vest maybe but that mesh vest is interesting

But you'll die. I do a lot of stuff in neoprene, it's indescribable awful unless submerged in cold water. 

While all day kayak diving last week, had to peel off all the neoprene layers each time got out of the water and back on to the kayak. Literally couldn't paddle 10 strokes with the neoprene on without feeling like puking from heat. It wicks exactly as well as wearing a trash bag, because it's designed specifically to hold water against your skin. Simultaneously the protective nylon outer layer holds water and evaporates slowly when exposed to air, so if you stop moving you freeze. 

Like a bicycle for a fish...except the other way around? 🤔