• WHY CUSTOM
  • ORDER
  • MY STORY
  • DESIGN DETAILS
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT
avoir
Avoir
  • WHY CUSTOM
  • ORDER
  • MY STORY
  • DESIGN DETAILS
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT
Dressing for Cold Weather Cycling
Published on January 16, 2013on GT's BlogTagged as Cold Weather Cycling, Cycling Apparel

Dressing for Cold Weather Cycling

Dressing for cold weather cycling is a challenge. Warm weather outfitting is comparatively easy. Shorts, for sure, leaving only the top — will it be a tank or a sleeveless or short sleeved jersey?

But when the temperatures dip, choosing the right garb is much trickier. It’s no longer just a matter of knowing the temperature. Is it a sunny day, a cloudy day; is it calm or windy? And the Big Unknown: will you start out in one set of conditions only to find the weather changes during your ride?

There’s an old adage that says you should start out feeling a little under-dressed because once you warm up, you’ll be fine. I say it’s better to err on the conservative side. Start warm and peel things off if you get too warm. When the weather’s cold, you can always get colder; you can’t necessarily get warmer. If you ride fast to stay warm, you may create your own freezing wind chill in the process. Oh — pay attention to the wind direction. On a cold day, I prefer to ride out against the wind and come back with the wind.

The engineer in me likes to see concepts reduced to nice tidy equations, charts and diagrams. So, for my benefit (and hopefully for yours), here are some guidelines for dressing in a variety of conditions. This image represents wind and sky conditions at four different temperatures. The letters in the image correspond to my suggestions of what to wear.

Dressing for Cold Weather Cycling

Condition A (50 degrees, full sun, no wind)
Lightweight tights, short sleeve jersey, long sleeve base layer, short-fingered gloves.

Condition B (50 degrees, overcast, 20 mph wind)
Lightweight tights, short sleeve jersey, long sleeve base layer, windbreaker, short-fingered gloves.

Condition C (40 degrees, full sun, no wind)
Heavyweight tights, lightweight long sleeve jersey, short sleeve base layer, windbreaker, long-fingered windblock gloves, wool socks.

Condition D (40 degrees, overcast, 20 mph wind)
Heavyweight tights, lightweight long sleeve jersey, long sleeve base layer, thermal windbreaker, long-fingered windblock gloves, wool socks.

Condition E (30 degrees, full sun, no wind)
Heavyweight tights, thermal long sleeve jersey, long sleeve base layer, thermal windbreaker, long-fingered thermal gloves, wool socks, shoe booties.

Condition F (30 degrees, overcast, 20 mph wind)
Heavyweight windblock tights, thermal long sleeve jersey, long sleeve base layer, thermal windbreaker, helmet beanie, long-fingered thermal gloves, wool socks, shoe booties.

Condition G (20 degrees, full sun, no wind)
Heavyweight windblock tights, thermal long sleeve jersey, long sleeve base layer, thermal vest, thermal windbreaker, helmet beanie, long-fingered thermal gloves, wool socks, shoe booties.

Condition H (20 degrees, overcast, 20 mph wind)
Heavyweight windblock tights, thermal long sleeve jersey, long sleeve base layer, thermal vest, thermal windbreaker, balaclava, long-fingered thermal gloves, wool socks, shoe booties. (Better yet, stay inside and curl up with a good book!)

Recent Posts

  • Terry Titania Titanium Road Bicycle
  • Terry Precision 185SS Road Bicycle
  • Recent Georgena Terry Custom Bicycles
  • Small Bicycle Brake Levers for Small Hands
  • Georgena Terry Bicycles – Photos of recent bicycles

Archives

  • October 2020
  • June 2019
  • September 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • November 2014
  • August 2014
  • June 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • October 2013
  • July 2013
  • May 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012

Cloud

24" bicycle wheels 24" tires 24" tubes 26" tires 650c wheels Advertisements Bicycle Fit Bicycle Frame Construction Bicycle mechanics Bicycle storage bicycle tire rolling resistance Bike Buying Tips Brake levers Buying a Terry bicycle Cold Weather Cycling Coto Doñana Tour Coto Doñana Vagabond Cycling Apparel Cycling Books Flexibility Gale Force long reach brakes Refurbishing a bike Rotational Inertia Saddle height short reach brakes Sloping Top Tubes Weight Wind