Autumn bike commuting

In the winter's-coming department, my coworker innocently asked me...

>>Came in one piece this morning on the bike ?

Actually, I came in many pieces:

• 1 pair cycling shoes
• 1 pair neoprene booties (mmm toasty feet!)
• 1 pair socks
• 1 cycling shorts
• 1 commando pants (mmm toast knees)
• 1 synthetic long-sleeve zip-T jersey
• 1 floro-green cycling jacket (it just got it's annual wash!)
• 1 pair full finger cycling gloves
• 1 pair over gloves (mmm toasty fingers)
• 1 velcro neck gaitor
• 1 tuque
• 1 helmet
• 1 clear safety glasses (they make good cycling glasses for darkness)
• 1 flashing front lite
• 1 flashing rear light
• 1 bike
• 1 backpack
• 1 lock
• 1 badge
• 1 set keys
• 1 set assorted bike parts and tools
• 1 set work clothes
• Assorted lunch
• 1 la Presse newspaper
• 1 list of after-work to-do item
• $1.55 for bran muffin - my reward for surviving the dark-season!

Every ride is an opportunity to reassess the clothing, and today I think I learned that +5 means two inner core layers, not one, although once the warmup phase is completed, I am not chilly. translation: additional fleece vest tomorrow.

It took a lot of years to figure all this out, and at the same time not end up looking look like the michelin man.