Those would be YOUR burly legs, Jason. Mine are slim and trim. Quite fetching, actually. Mrs. Gear says so.
Merino Wool 3 bottomsNovember to March is the cold time of the year, so I鈥檇 layer up. Thinking a base layer聴wool, no question. 鈥檚 Men鈥檚 Merino Wool 3 bottoms ($90) are ideal. A little more than mid-weight bottoms, so they鈥檒l be good for cool to cold conditions. Excellent thermal regulation聴even if wet you鈥檒l be pretty warm.
I鈥檓 okay with synthetics, as well. They鈥檙e a little lighter and dry more quickly. makes a nice heavyweight bottom聴the Heavyweight MTS Bottom聴for $35 (on sale at press time for under $20). So price is a factor as well. But I do like wool.
Often, you鈥檒l be able to just wear a pair of shorts over the bottoms. But for the wet of winter, you鈥檒l want some sort of shell over the bottoms. The very basic setup would include 鈥檚 Full Zip Precip Pants ($90). More than adequate pants, and hard to beat at the price. Best if you鈥檙e not doing a lot of real aerobic stuff.
Nicer but more expensive? 鈥檚 Typhoon Pants ($180). Made with Gore-Tex Paclite, a very light, breathable, rainproof material. Fabulous over a nice pair of wool bottoms.