Thanks, all, for the various perspectives. My need for a new jacket is in the “not urgent” range since (1) I have an array of jackets already and (2) my need for cold-weather torso insulation is quite modest — I don’t spend a great deal of time outside in temps below 40*F except on the bike, and for the bike I am amply supplied — I buy much more cycling clothing than civilian clothing.
Bike Snob cited the Rothco, I daresay ironically, in a recent post ( https://bikesnobnyc.com/2025/01/23/fashion-forward-two-steps-back/; he was sniping at Colnago’s new extravagantly price outerwear fashion line), so I looked it up and saw the $99 price and a few favorable reviews, and thought, “!”. I don’t have the time or interest to search up real military surplus, and I don’t need to pay $500 for a new jacket; I may or may not risk $99 on the Rothco but, as it stands, I am already well covered (!) for my habitual cold-weather outdoor activity — walking the dog, walking to the nearby grocery store, or sitting outside around a nighttime fire pit at a friend’s house. The ~$30 Costco Eddie Bauer down jacket is light enough to be comfortable at 45*, and with a wonderful, heavy Varusteleka full-zip Finnish wool sweater with super high neck, extra long sleeves with thumb loops, and ass-cover tail, it’s good down to well below freezing with suitable hat and gloves. And I have a very expensive but decidedly unfashionable trench coat. Way back in 1987 or so as an aspiring Washington, DC yuppie I paid $750 in then-current US Freedom Exchange Units for a top-of-line Burberry trench coat with thick, button-in camel’s hair lining. It was useful in WDC where I might spend 45 minutes in damp winter cold walking to the bus stop and waiting for the bus (Wisconsin Ave at Mass Ave to office on K Street) but after moving to ABQ, NM it sat unused in my closet for 35 years until I unearthed it a year or so ago. With a long Irish wool scarf it’s good for walking the dog on 10*F mornings (6*F last Tuesday morning) or sitting outside near a fire pit with a friend on winter evenings. Funny: It was 20*F this morning at 9 am per the thermometer on my shaded front porch, but I sat outside on my south-facing patio in the morning sun in said E Bauer jacket over t-shirt and thick LL Bean sweatshirt (with trooper hat from the movie Fargo and DeFeet wool knit gloves) and I was perfectly warm. The jacket is black, perfect for soaking up all of the massive radiant heat from our mile-high sun. Bike content: I recently pondered options for a very lightweight nylon shell — full zip, long sleeves, packs small enough to fit into a jersey pocket — and chose a Rab from the UK. I bought it a size large so that I can fit that Varusteleka sweater or, down to 30*, a med-weight Wabi Woolen first-edition LS merino jersey that I had modified with a full zip. I fully agree that layering is the most effective cold weather cycling option. Long ago: When I left SoCal in Sept 1978 for graduate school at Universite’ Laval in Kebek City, I had not dealt with real winter for 14 years since I was a child in greater WDC. Panicking, I found a wonderful Northwest Territories-level down parka at a very good price at a so-called military surplus store. It came down to my knees, had a massive hood standing 4” in front of my face with wolf’s fur trim, and extra-long sleeves trimmed with leather. I recall walking down the sidewalk in mid-winter at 10*F wearing it over a button down shirt over a t shirt and having to fully unzip it because I was sweating. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgusgzHcs%2BmdzoDcGarYDWO6qh6u%3DX2CQto5QdEAy0E1nQ%40mail.gmail.com.
