This is a temperature-based clothing guide — change it to suit your riding style and metabolism. Adapted from Bicycling.com

This works for me for dry weather. If it’s moist or raining, everything usually moves down. So if it’s 13°-15° I dress as if it were 10°-12°. It’s important to stay dry — cold is ok; wet and cold will ruin your ride.

If you keep your core warm everything else usually sorts itself.

c/f
18° to 21° / 65° to 70°

• Regular base/transfer layer
• short-sleeved jersey
• bibs
• short-finger gloves
• (I wear sun sleeves year round — my arms are always covered)

16° to 18° /  60° to 65°

• Add arm warmers
• full-finger thin gloves

13° to 15° /  55° to 60°

• Add knee warmers
• Wollie Boolie socks

10° to  12° /  50° to 55°

• Change to wool base layer
• Leg warmers instead of knee warmers
• Wool skull cap
• Vest

7° to 9° / 45° to 50°

• Change to thicker gloves
• long-sleeved jersey
• toe covers
• thin jacket instead of vest

4° to 6° /  40° to 45°

• Change to tights
• long-sleeved base layer
• Wool Buff instead of cap
• Insulated jacket

2° to 3°  / 35° to 40°

• Change to shoe covers or winter shoes
• Even thicker gloves – lobsters
• Change to Possum socks

-1° to 1° / 30° to 35°

• Change to deep winter tights

Everything below is usually theoretical for SoCal:
-4° to -2° / 25° to 30°

• Add a second long-sleeved jersey, as well as a midlayer sock

-5° and below / 25° and below

• Add a base-layer short and/or knee warmers under tights