Cyclists ride in all weathers, from hot sun to freezing snow and a load of cold, wet days in between. We also ride at extreme intensities and speed; one minute we’re going as hard as we can up a steep, rocky trail at 5mph getting really hot and the next flying down a road at 40mph with no effort and getting cold.
The clothing you wear can make a massive difference to your ride experience. It’s important to wear the right kit for the job and that requires a bit of layering. You're looking to wear thin layers of clothing that are best suited to its position. The advantage of thin layers is that you can unzip, add or take away during the ride to keep you warm, cool or dry.
Related: AngryAsian: Embrace winter on your bike
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Death by T-shirt
If you only learn one thing from this guide, it's that riding in a T-shirt really could be lethal. The problem is that cotton feels nice but it sucks up sweat and then just holds onto it.
This leaves your skin and the T-shirt wet, so body heat passes straight through, leaving you frozen and vulnerable to hypothermia. It doesn't matter what super-technical jacket you wear over the top – if it's over a T-shirt, it can't work properly.
Related: Balance heat and cold on winter rides
Layering essentials
Base layer
Mid layer
Outer shell
Tights and overshorts
Extremities
Features to look for in your winter layers
Construction
Neck
Sleeves
Heat control
Fabric
Jargon Buster
- Body mapping: The latest clothing buzzword. It basically means working out which bits of the body are hot or which need more movement, and adjusting the cut and thermal properties of the garment to suit.
- Breathability: Normally used in reference to shells and not base/mid layers. Describes the ability of the fabric to let sweat vapour breathe from inside to outside, keeping you and your layers dry and warm.
- Coolmax: Lots of base layers use this breathable fibre to add a bit more comfort. Just check they haven't added cotton threads too.
- Fleece: Fluffy synthetic fabric (made from recycled plastic bottles) that feels lovely against the skin and mops up sweat nicely. Thick fleece is very warm though, and can easily overheat you.
- Meraklon: The first polyelfin fibre ever developed, winning its creator a Nobel prize! Now it's a brand name fibre that's common in base layers.
- Merino: Particularly fine wool from merino sheep. Expensive but sumptuously comfy if you don't mind its occasionally itchy feel.
- Storm flap: Strip or flap of fabric usually behind or in front of a zip designed to stop rain and wind penetrating.
- Synthetic: Man-made fibre such as polyester, as opposed to natural fabric like wool or cotton.
- Wicking: When a cloth's fibres suck the sweat off your skin and move it to the outer face of the fabric and then evaporate it into the air or next layer out.
- Windstopper: Proprietary Gore fabric, similar to Gore-Tex but with increased breathability/wicking properties and a softer outer shell. This material comes with or without a fleecy inner face.
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