Winter Cycling Tips

[gentlegreen]

ah, now I know what a snood is... that'd keep my nose warm too

have you had a really extreme face lift ?




/me gets coat

 

[Biddlybee]

no... this is what I thought a snood was:

ok maybe its not a snood - its like a thin stretchy legwarmer for your neck

usually with some sort of toggle/elastic so you can turn it into a hat.

 

[Chorlton]

no... this is what I thought a snood was:usually with some sort of toggle/elastic so you can turn it into a hat.

no, no toggle or elastic - you twist it.

right - go into an outdoor shop - any big outdoor shop and listen out for the infomercial that is looping in the background - the staff will be under its spell, silently mouthing the words:

'.... or for the ladies, the driving miss daisy....'

and go watch the infomercial.... it will explain the many ways of the buff.

 

[Hellsbells]

Hi, I'm just looking for some advice about what to wear when cycling in the winter. I can't seem to get it right and am reluctant to spend a fortune in a cycling shop getting all the latest gear so am trying to make do with the clothes I already have.

For example, this morning, as my base layer I used a polyamide tight fitting t-shirt that I normally wear to the gym. I've noticed when I'm in the gym that sweat dries really quickly when I wear it, so I thought it'd be ok for cycling too. On top of this I had a thin long sleeved cotton/polyester top. Then a light fleece jacket. And I had my waterproof/windproof jacket in my rucksack in case I was still cold. I also had a funnel scarf thing and gloves.

I was absoultely ROASTING....Is this b'cos I was wearing too much? Or the wrong kind of things?
Do I really need to get 'proper' cycling clothes? My commute to work takes about an hour each way but I tend to get hot very easily.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Whats warm before you start is generally too warm after 5 mins - the layered approach is sound though, lets you adapt as you ride. I find its really important to keep the static body parts (head, arms, chest, hands, feet) well covered as this'll be the first place you'll feel the cold. Cotton in base layers is a really bad idea as it holds moisture/sweat and end up acting like a radiator quickly making you very chilly.

 

[Nickster]

Whats warm before you start is generally too warm after 5 mins - the layered approach is sound though, lets you adapt as you ride. I find its really important to keep the static body parts (head, arms, chest, hands, feet) well covered as this'll be the first place you'll feel the cold. Cotton in base layers is a really bad idea as it holds moisture/sweat and end up acting like a radiator quickly making you very chilly.

Yeah - definitely give cotton a miss if you're layering up. It acts as a sink for all the moisture - so if you're wearing a cycling top against the skin this too will just get soggy from being in contact with a cotton overshirt.

My advice - go for a long-sleeved cycling jersey and a waterproof relective jacket. May start out feeling cold first thing in the morning but you'll soon warm up from the physical exercise, and the moisture will be able to escape so you don't get a chill once you stop.

 

[mtbskalover]

zips on your layers are good,

especially if your stop and starting. either on a ride talkig to mates and faffing or stopping at traffic lights,etc. you can open ur coat a bit, then if u get warm, pull the zip of your jersey down a bit and so on. if u get cold pull one zip up, or if u get hotter, puller a zip open more.

ZIPS!

 

[Orang Utan]

I'm not really feeling the cold yet - I get quite a kick out of the cold to be honest - it wakes me up

 

[Biddlybee]

Whats warm before you start is generally too warm after 5 mins - the layered approach is sound though, lets you adapt as you ride. I find its really important to keep the static body parts (head, arms, chest, hands, feet) well covered as this'll be the first place you'll feel the cold. Cotton in base layers is a really bad idea as it holds moisture/sweat and end up acting like a radiator quickly making you very chilly.

Maybe that's where I'm going a bit wrong then... all bar my top layer are cotton - I thought it made you sweat less

There are a few sales on at the moment... might invest in one of these keep you warm cycling tops

 

[Baboonking]

Be careful when cycling when temperatures drop below 0 degrees. All the usual safety (lights, making use of off road cycle lanes and paths) advice becomes more important.

Obviously there's slightly more risk skidding on ice and falling off your bike but the real danger comes from drivers on icy roads. Some idiots don't change their driving style and thus have much less stopping distance. I think it was last year that group of cyclists got killed by a driver skidding across the lanes of a country road.

 

[Hagal]

I'm shopping for mudguards, cycling in the rain is like sitting on a showerhead.

 

[Herbsman.]

I'm shopping for mudguards, cycling in the rain is like sitting on a showerhead.

Isn't it just.

Here's my winter cycling gear

 

[Herbsman.]

occasionally put mudguards on the bike but generally can't be arsed with them. they only time they come in useful for me is off-road