We’re already having damp, blustery winter weather here, though the snow hasn’t stuck yet, so we’ve been thinking about what is needed for comfortable early-to-mid-winter riding (besides, you know, lights and awesome studded tires) (Yes, I am speaking collectively here – it’s been a frequent topic of conversation between Angel and me in the past month.).

As total newbs to winter riding, we’re hardly in a position to offer advice, so instead, here’s where we turned:

• EBC’s winter riding workshop – or we would have, if our little ones hadn’t developed fevers that day. Hoping to make it to the next one! Update: EBC wonder-wrench Keith has written a great post on winter cycling that likely contains at least some of the advice you would get from him at said workshop.
• The definitive blog post and video on the subject from Dottie at Let’s Go Ride A Bike
• Walk & Roll Peel (Ontario)’s point-form version of the City of Toronto’s Cold Weather Cycling website & brochure
• A discussion of what to wear for winter riding over at Fletcher Five
• An older post from Pamela Blaylock talking about layering with wool for winter bicycling
• Some helpful posts aimed at the road-bikes-and-technical-fabrics set at A Practical Cyclist, BikeCyclingReviews and Bicycle Touring Pro

Of course a big part of fall and winter riding is wearing tights with great boots. Ever noticed how hard it is to find a comfortable, well-fitting pair of opaque winter tights – especially if you have womanly curves and muscular legs? Well, so had our friend Fiona, from the Girl Can Bike Retro Rides & Prairie Skies blog. With the help of some friends (including us), she is doing an ongoing series of posts reviewing hosiery at her other blog, A New Me. So far we have reviewed tights from Maggie’s Organics and Sock Dreams – complete with embarrassing-to-us photos and the real skinny on where the crotch seams actually fall. Reviews of tights from Chinese Laundry, Addition-Elle, and We Love Colors are coming soon.

Now if only I could find a great pair of stylish, waterproof, warm winter boots…