I already have several options for pants when I bike in cold weather, but I was curious about the Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Lined Pants since an ad for them with a 40% off code kept appearing in my FB feed. At the regular price, not such a good deal, but tolerable at 40% off.
They weigh in at about the same as my Makers and Riders winter pants. However, they are stretchier than the M&R pants.
You can tell that they are not cycling specific since the leg opening is a little wide. Here I show a comparison with the cuffs of my Swvre midweight pants. My cargo bike has a chain guard so this is not an issue, but YMMV.
One thing that I didn’t realize when ordering is that they have extra pockets on the thighs like cargo pants. Not really a problem, but they can’t really pass as office wear.
Yesterday and today were unseasonably cold, so it was a good time to test them out. In particular, this morning it was -20C, and I headed down to check out the ice on Grenadier Pond.
The black ice is completely clear of snow, and I’m definitely headed back tomorrow with my skates. When you’re on the ice, you can hear it sing: there is a cracking sound and then an otherworldly ringing when the ice shifts somewhere on the pond and the vibration is carried long distances.
I also did some Bike Brigade deliveries this afternoon for good measure.
Verdict: these pants are a tad warm for biking in -10C weather, although they would be perfectly fine for standing around at that temperature. Today, for temperatures between -20 and -15, they were great. In fact, during the TBB deliveries, I was out in -12C to -15C temps for 2.5 hours, and my legs were warm the whole time. I did end up overheating a bit, but that was mainly because I was wearing my winter coat.
From about +5 to -10C, the Swvre midweight pants are ideal since they are warmer than regular jeans or my Outlier Slim Dungarees. I’m waiting for them to come back into stock before getting a second pair. However, when it gets colder, these Eddie Bauer pants will be good for temperatures as low as I am willing to bike.
Here’s a quote from nine years ago. I must admit I’m feeling the cold a bit more nowadays.
Just a note about all of my personal favourites for bottoms: shorts MEC Mochilero, Long pants: Outlier slim dungarees, when it’s a bit cold: swvre midweights, when it is really cold, these EB or the Makers and Riders. In reality, 90% of my four season commuting is with the Outliers and the Swvre pants. I have multiple copies of my Outliers and the shorts, and my wife thinks I’m always wearing the same thing.
Biking in a Big City 
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