Clothing for Winter Cycling
Cycling in the wintertime can be an enjoyable experience if the cyclist is adequately
prepared. It’s often surprising how quickly you will warm up even on the coldest of days
once you start turning the pedals. It is however, vital that you put some careful thought
into the clothes you wear.
Many people are surprised to find they don’t need as much clothing as they might think.
The rule of thumb is to be slightly cold when starting off. As long as you keep moving the
core of your body will always be warm.
Fabrics There are many choices for the fabric of cold-weather clothing. One type of fabric deemed unsuitable is cotton. Cotton retains a lot of moisture that it then holds against your skin, rapidly drawing heat away from your body. Nice in the summer, but hazardous in rainy or cold weather. Instead choose fabrics such as nylon or polyester.
Head – It is very important to cover your head with something but don’t overdo it. It is well known that a cyclist will lose most of their heat through their head. Try wearing a thin polyester hat that just covers your ears. When it’s particularly cold, wear a thin balaclava
that also covers your face and neck. Forget a thick hat as it won’t fit comfortably underneath a bike helmet.
Chest – Your upper body will rapidly heat up after a few minutes of cycling. Wear a thin base layer and a loose-fitting, thicker layer over that. Wear two to three layers. The first is a long sleeve, thin polyester shirt. You will want something that will breathe and not hold sweat against your body.
If it is raining hard or really windy, wear an unlined rain jacket, often called a hard-shell.
Rain and wind will quickly rob heat from your body, especially if you are standing still.
You will also sweat a lot more when wearing a rain jacket so try not to leave it on any
longer than necessary.
Another option is a fleece top. This is a good compromise of an extra layer without being
too much. Also, choose clothing with zippers and vents to help control overheating.
Arms – Arms generally don’t get that cold. In most cases, long sleeves are enough. Another popular choice is pull-on arm warmers. These nylon or polyester sleeves can be taken off and quickly stashed in a backpack or back pockets once you warm up.
Legs - Your quads and hamstrings do the majority of the work when cycling, so
it is therefore very important to keep your legs as warm as you can in cold
weather. Nylon tights are enough for many mountain bike riders where
trees offer wind protection. Riding on the open road, where wind gusts are
more common, may require thicker polyester tights.
Some tights have a built-in chamois pad. Others will need to be paired with regular bike
shorts, either over Lycra shorts or under baggy mountain bike shorts. Instead of shorts,
some riders wear rain pants over their tights. These hold in heat during wet rides, but make sure they aren’t baggy enough to get caught in the chain or on the back of the saddle.
Face - When the wind is howling or snow is falling, wear a thin balaclava to protect the face and neck. If you don’t always want it over your face it’s easy enough to pull it down under your chin. However, when your mouth is covered, the air that you breathe in is already warmed from your body heat so your throat and lungs won’t dry out as much from the cold.
Hands – At the beginning of a winter training spin your hands may get cold,
sometimes numb. Hands are a trickier area to cover because gloves must
be flexible enough to manipulate the shifters and brake levers, but thick
enough to keep out the cold.
There are a number of winter bicycle gloves in varying thicknesses. Use
a thinner pair for cool autumn and spring cycles, but for true winter conditions you will
want thick gloves. Also, pack an extra pair of gloves in case the first set gets wet when
going on longer spins.
