It's the cool season, not the off season.
Winter cycling only seems crazy if you haven't tried it before. With the right gear, it can be enjoyable and very rewarding.
So let's share our experiences, and please feel free to ask questions!
Record breaking temperatures today. 70F
What temp do you break out the insulated hood grips?
I'm lucky to be in SoCal where the worst I ever see is low 40's on a night ride. That is still (thicker) glove territory for me, but I'm a hardcore roadie. So, my ethos is, if you're cold, you're not riding hard enough.
Haha. This is a fairly upright e-bike, and I’m a pretty chill rider. I usually put the bar mitts on any time it goes below 50. I don’t like gloves if I can help it. With these I can go without gloves down to freezing.
Roadie gloves are nice for a few reasons, mainly they give you a sniffles snot rag, and if you're not ideally fitted to the bike, they are usually padded for a little extra hand relief in the palm. Real roadie gear is made for century (hundred mile) rides and longer. Not saying you're wrong or anything. I was the Buyer for a chain of 3 bike shops for years. For us, layering is key, I wear everything piecemeal so that I can take it off and stuff it into my back jersey pockets. That is how I can ride across the transition of morning or night and never be dressed wrong. It is a bit different when you're not putting out 300 watts at the wheel, but nothing roadies do is for looks or fashion. We all said "I'll never wear that" until we all learned why the gear exists. It is pretty much universal. If you ever have any questions just ask.
Ride safe.