Winter Cycling Clothes

        

For those of you who want to keep cycling this winter, you will need some winter cycling clothes to keep you warm and dry. Cycling uphill soon warms you up, but it is very chilly on the downhills with the winter wind blowing at you. Your hands and face definitely will feel that icy blast. Then there are the shorter winter days, meaning that you are more likely to be cycling at night. This leads to the need for visibility.

Winter Headwear

Let's start with cycling headwear. Most of you will probably be wearing a really cool cycling helmet, but they don't exactly keep your head and ears warm. A microfleece beanie hat will fit under your cycling helmet, or you could try a balaclava if you are not too fashion conscious. A thin powerstretch hat may look better, especially when used with a fleece tube around your neck. You can pull these down so that they cover your ears.

Keeping Your Neck Warm

A fleece tube is better than a scarf for keeping your neck warm. You don't have to worry about it coming unwrapped. A Polar Buff is ideal. You can also pull it up over your nose to be really toasty, though some people find that it can steam up their glasses. You can pull it up over your nose when cycling downhill, and then easily lower it when climbing hills.

Winter Cycling Tops

You will definitely need a long sleeved top. Cotton is much better at ensuring you don't get too hot and sweaty under all of your layers. One recommendation is a Frosty Boy top from Ground Effect. They also do a ladies version. It is excellent as it has a windproof front to keep you warm when cycling downhill.

There are plenty of dayglo bright yellow cycling jackets on the market. Just have a look at Evans Cycles, or Wiggle. They should be reasonably waterproof, with a cotton mesh lining. The mesh reduces the amount of sweat you get inside. The cycling jacket should also be windproof. My jacket has a fold down flap at the bottom of the back which covers my backside when cycling. This stops the spray from the road going down the back of my trousers.

Cycling Gloves

Make sure that you have a really warm pair of gloves, as your hands are really exposed to the winter wind. You should still be able to grip the handlebars, as well as operate the gears and brakes. A great idea for cycling gloves is to make sure they have reflective strips on them. when you are cycling in the dark, cars won't see you indicating to turn. If your cycling gloves don't have reflective strips on them, you can get sticky strips to put on, or buy reflective wrist bands. You may also want to put reflective strips on your cycling helmet as well.

Winter Cycling Trousers and Leggings

Now we're getting close to the wet road. Waterproof trousers are recommended to keep out all of the spray. Evans Cycles sell waterproof trousers that are jsut the job when cycling in winter. The reflective strips on them light up really well in car headlights.

Winter Cycling Footwear

For keeping your feet warm and dry when cycling in winter, nothing can beat Seal Skinz. You can get a knee high version which will keep your whole leg warm and dry. You could also wear waterproof overshoes. These are less sweaty than Seal Skinz. For a cheap solution, just put some carrier bags on your feet before you put your shoes on. Or, you could always put them on top of your shoes, but you have to be careful that any loose bits don't get stuck in your wheels or chain!

Outdoor Shops for Winter Clothing

You can get clothing suitable for winter cycling from most outdoor clothing shops. At this time of year they will have a good range of winter clothing that you can also use for all sorts of other winter outdoor activities. Be cool and stylish whatever outdoor activity you are doing, even if it's just hanging out with your mates.

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