Yesterday morning was my first cold ride of the season. The temperature was around 40 when I headed to Shelby Farms for a quick pre-ride of the Spookycross course, so I figured it’d be a good time to test out a new pair of Ibex knickers and base layer that I got earlier in the week.

First impression- holy crap! Finally, a winter knicker that doesn’t make me look like a fleece sausage! I’m not usually one to post lame mirror pics of myself, but I was impressed enough at the fit that I took a couple:

I wore a thermal long sleeve over this, and, other than my hands (as usual), I was comfortable after about 5 minutes of riding. You can’t see in these photos, but the knickers have a windproof layer on the knees that not only keeps them warm, it also feels like it’d make them more durable for off-road riding (the knee warmers have a similar construction, and they aren’t showing any wear after a full season of use. Very impressed.)

What I like most about wool is that it has such a wide range of comfortable wearing temperature- perfect for days that start out cold and warm up while you’re riding. I’ve been wearing the Ibex bib shorts for all of my morning rides that start in the 50s and end up in the 70s.

Highly Recommended!