The days are getting shorter. The temperatures are getting lower. Cycling season has officially ended, right? Wrong! Well, not if you have the right clothing to get out and still enjoy it anyway.
Once thought to be a mild weather activity, the advancements in clothing have really transformed cycling to be a year-round sport. Whether you’re in an area that the roads stay clear and you just need to dress appropriately or if you’re going out on some groomed cross-country skiing trails on a fat bike, you can certainly enjoy cycling during the winter. It comes down to one word: layers. In this post, we’ll give you the low down on not only how to dress to enjoy riding your bike in the winter, but also the types of fabrics you should aim to get (as well as those to avoid). Let’s get started!
Layering, a Multi-Tiered Approach to Comfortable Winter Riding
The best thing you can do to ensure that you stay nice and warm throughout your winter bike ride is to layer up. Layering simply means to put on multiple pieces of clothing on so that you can customize what you’re wearing on the fly as the conditions change. We’ll discuss layering for both upper body and lower body to give you a full picture of what correct layering should look like.
Upper Body
Layering starts with the base layer, or the layer that is closest to your skin. You should try to wear a relatively light piece of clothing for your base layer like a long sleeved t-shirt. This will keep your body heat close to your skin, which will keep you warm throughout your ride.
The next part of your layering system should be your mid-layer. This is typically a fleece pull-over or a hoodie. Fleece is a great option for a mid-layer as it’s breathable, which will keep your body nice and dry throughout your ride, but it’s also incredibly warm. Wearing a mid-layer is important because it will give you the ability to dial your comfort, depending on how warm or cold you get as you ride.
The final layer you need is an outer layer consisting of a wind/water resistant jacket. The outer layer has to be something that will wick away moisture like rain and snow, because as you ride, you don’t want your body to get soaked with the precipitation falling from the sky or splashing up from the road. Getting wet is a sure-fire way to end a ride miserably!
Lower Body
Similarly to your upper body, start with a base layer for your legs. Put on a set of leggings for your base layer for your legs to keep heat close to your body. These should be a lighter duty legging, because you’ll be moving your legs quite a bit as you ride and you want to avoid overheating as much as possible.
After you’ve got your base layer on, put on an outer layer as conditions dictate. If the forecast is showing that the weather is going to be dry, you don’t need to worry too much about putting on an outer layer. However, if the roads are wet or there’s a chance of precipitation for when you plan on riding, be sure to put on some waterproof pants to keep your legs dry throughout your ride.
How to choose the right bike shoes – https://www.the-house.com/portal/how-to-choose-bike-shoes/
Fabrics to Buy
The biggest thing you need to know about proper winter layering for cycling is that fabric matters. What your clothing is made of will make a huge difference in the quality of ride you’ll get as well as how warm you’ll stay throughout your ride. Some of the best fabrics you can layer up with include:
- Merino wool
- Polyester
- Nylon
These fabrics are great for winter riding because they are moisture wicking and breathable. Keeping dry while you ride during the winter is important because being wet when it’s cold outside can accelerate symptoms like hypothermia. As cold air passes over a wet surface, more heat is exchanged through the process of convection. Being wet reduces heat faster and the wind that passes over you as you ride accelerates the rate at which your body cools. This can be uncomfortable at best and dangerous at worst! People can experience hypothermia at temperatures as low as 50°F, so it’s important to have moisture wicking fabrics on while riding in the winter.
Extra tips for first time riders – https://www.the-house.com/portal/tips-first-time-fat-bike-riders/
Fabrics to Avoid
The absolute worst fabric you can wear while riding your bike in the winter is cotton. While cotton is a much cheaper fabric and might be tempting to buy when you’re first building out your layering system, it’s terrible for winter riding because cotton absorbs water. It doesn’t wick water away at all, making it incredibly difficult to dry out.
Remember how we were talking about wanting to stay dry as you ride because of the risks of hypothermia? Well, cotton will definitely get you hypothermic in a hurry due to the fact that when you get wet while wearing cotton, you stay wet! Test it out for yourself by getting a pair of jeans wet and timing it to see how long they take to completely dry out.
Stay warm and dry by avoiding cotton at all costs. There are different bike socks available for those considering wanting to keep their feet warm & dry as well.
Final Thoughts
Alrighty, we’ve gone over the keys to how to dress for winter cycling. You now have the knowledge to begin putting your own layering system together to fully enjoy your riding during the winter!
In addition to the layering system, be sure to cover up your hands with a good set of non-cotton gloves. This will give you plenty of dexterity in your hands which is critical for shifting, braking, and turning as you ride. Also, keep your face covered up with a warm face mask. Nothing stings quite like a cold nose!
Let us know how your riding went by dropping a comment below. We can’t wait to see you out on the road or trail this winter!
