Does anyone out here wear chaps in the cold?  Do they keep your legs warm?

What do you use to keep your legs nice and warm during those cold weather rides?

I've got some good cold weather gloves and a good, heavy lined leather jacket. I had a great cold weather riding suit, well still have it. But, due to the properity around my mid-section, I can no longer wear it. It's thick, insulated and quilted, covered with heavy waterproof nylon. Now, since I can't wear the suit anymore and can't spend the few hundred on a new one right now, what does everybody do?  I will ride in just about any temperature as long as there's no snow or ice to deal with and I can stay warm enough.

Around here, we generally see lows in the the upper 20's to low 30's with a couple of cold snaps during the winter down into the teens.  It's very rare to see anything below the teens here.

I ride in wet and cold here in the PacNorWest.
Granted my ride is rather short, 10 miles each way with a ferry ride to break up the long haul  
and I am not doing super slab speeds, but what I have found that works great is a ski bib for the bottom, and a good rain jacket on top.
I have a 3 year old First Gear Splash jacket that allows for layering underneath, and keeps me very dry, But, after 3 years this will be its last year of use.
The ski bibs ( bought for @ 30 bucks on amazon ) allow for boots, so they are not a problem to slip on and off, and they have elastic in the foot/leg openings to keep out snow IF you fall while skiing which work great to keep the rain from blowing up your legs.
Mine are lined too, adding warmth, and a heck of a lot cheaper than buying motorcycling designed gear.
Keep it off the exhaust and you are good.  

Oh, BTW, I have a First Gear Thermo Suit, it is fantastic, however, I get too warm wearing it, and I have ridden in the twenties with that, and wind chill factor, I have never been cold, or wet, but it is like wearing a sleeping bag with arms and legs.
Also. I am not going to ride anymore under 32 degrees, just to dang old to mend if I ever fall, come close, however, the little girl was easy to keep up, as the BIG harleys went over, in some black ice we ran into

I roughnecked in some bad weather, negative ten on night, and I was dressed up for it, but being busy helps distract the mind from discomfort. Kinda like why I chose a ten speed over the gym. I can be exhilarated by the near death moments enough to ignore the burning muscles, but on a machine, with nothing to focus on other than my own misery? No Thanks.

So , chaps, are they worth it? They stop the wind coming from the front, but, they get cold and the cold comes through. The only way to be warm at speed is to be insulated And windproof, or, electrically heated.
I got some insulated coveralls and sewed vinyl upholstery down the chest, and front of the legs. Chaps over that.
Inside, well, layer upon layer, and chaps, outside the jeans.
One of the best things I found was a large pistol zip up case, unzipped, with the vinyl out and the wool in, across the chest.

Putting boots up on the engine helps.

Cold, like ugly, goes to the bone.

I was interested in the same question of chaps. I have to wear a cotton underlayer beneath my jeans, and the wind still seems to get through and chill my legs, I was also thinking of something to catch the rain and mud before it drenches my pants.

Does anyone have recommendations on cheap insulated leather gloves?

I roughnecked with men, real men, who wore pantyhose. Under Armour is the new pantyhose. One of the drillers I worked with was so strong he could hang two chain repair links in the door frame of the doghouse of the rig and do pull ups with his pinky fingers. I weighed almost 130 pounds and I could sit on his feet and grab his legs, and he could do a pull up with just his middle fingers. Now, only the sexually secure can envision a moment like that and not see a strange picture. It was worth the potential of the chance that someone would see it as strange, just to see such a feat done.
This guys hands were so big that his nickname , though never used in front of him, was eleven peters. He had to cut the knuckles of new gloves, or, when he closed his hands , he would rip the glove.

Now, You go question That mans sexuality because he wore pantyhose...
Me? I value my life more than that...


So, such a memorable person, I hit the internet, just called him and had a chat. He's 82, so, I was 28, and now I'm sixty,so, he was fifty or around that, and the old man I wrestled was six years older, and that dude was around 56,when we tangled up,up in the Nothing But steel and welded corners, doghouse, on that rig, more than an hour from medical attention, and that dude and I scrapped till we were both winded. He smoked a coupla packs a day and had his wind back before I did. He died six years ago, the world lost a good man.

No, there was no argument, we were friends,and he knew that I wouldn't let him get hurt, and I knew that he wouldn't intentionally let me get hurt. It was just good natured rough housing.

Out of curiosity, what formula are you using?

probably the one that the eurospace union used to put the beagle in orbit around mars.

   Wind Chill = 35.74 + 0.6215T – 35.75(V^0.16) + 0.4275T(V^0.16)

T is the air temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, and V is the wind speed in miles per hour.

I get 27°F <corrected, left out a factor>

Or real cold weather, nothing beats a snowmobile suit.  Easy to get on and off over your street clothes.  Keeps you warm and dry.