Riding in Cold Weather

Serious bike riding in cold weather can be great fun, but only as long as you can keep all parts of your body warm. Normally when we go outside to walk on a cold day, we put on a heavy coat, maybe a hat, and we can either put on gloves or put our hands in our pockets. This is fine for walking to the bus, subway, or around town or campus. We wear no protection on our face and we wear jeans or the like, and we wear gym shoes or whatever. However, when we ride our bike in cold weather, we need to be mindful of three things:
(1) A heavy coat will be too heavy and we'll end up sweating like a pig.
(2) The hat, gloves, and shoes for walking outside are all wrong for serious riding in chilly or cold weather.
(3) Concern should be focused on controlling wind contact as well as warmth control.

For a good riding jacket in cold weather use polypro or any one of its cousins (thermax, caprilene, etc), polyester fleece, or wool. Avoid cotton; it can soak up water, stops insulation, and will feel really disgusting.

For wind control, use a non-stretchy nylon. Or you can go fancy with Gore-Tex, Silmond microfiber, and friends. The difference between non-stretchy nylon and the fancier stuff is the weight of the fabic and water-restistance. They are all equal in wind protection.


On a chilly day:

- Padded tights (Performance Polypro).
- A fleece vest, a wicking T-shirt, or short-sleeve jersey is good as a base layer.
- A second vest of windproof nylon, a plain nylon jacket, or a cycling jacket with nylon on the front and insulating material elsewhere.
- A bike jersey with pit zips and a thin hood (such as Performance). They are thin enough to fit under a helmet and will not move around. If you don't need the hood, you won't need to put it in a pocket. Pit zips are adjustable so you can control the amount of wind cooling. This will keep you from overheating when you're working hard, and allow you to keep out drafts when you're not. A fabric such as Activent is very nice.
- A Gore-Tex helemt cover pretty much non-stop from Autum to Spring.
- Select a pair of Long-fingered gloves appropriate for the temperature. You don't want your hands to sweat.
- Socks, then cycle shoes. You may want a pair of hiking socks for warmth.
- Either your regular glasses or in windy weather, wear a pair of cycle-specific glasses.


On colder days, add:

- Wear several layers of nylon pants. You can wear padded tights and on top pair of tights with a wind-stopping material.
- A balaclava, which is stretchy fabric that goes over your head and face. It will also cover your neck. You can usually pull it up to cover your mouth when needed.
- If its below freezing, then also use a Gore-Tex helmet cover. It stretches over your helmet and will block the wind from entering the vents.
- Gore-Tex ski gloves.
- Wear several layers of socks. Two pairs of socks (one pair thin, the other pair fleece) or a pair of fleece socks with a pair of polypro sock liners. Or try Gore-Tex socks. Chemical heater packs are available if you have the room.
- Winter cycle shoes, for insulation and water protection.

So, there you have it.