Dirt
October 6th, 2004, 02:34 PM
After last night's night ride, its time to talk about winter clothing for this year. It was freaking cold out there.
I've been riding since before the days of lycra (think wool, pantyhose and vaseline -- sounds kinda kinky, eh?), so I guess I can talk about this stuff and see what people have to say that works well for them.
Layers are the key to warmth. If you've got the right layers, then you don't need a lot of bulky clothes. The problem with bulk is that once you warm up, you get too warm, sweat, then freeze. If you're going out for a longer ride and it is cold, you need the layers to be able to adjust your temperature to keep yourself in the right range.
There are three basic kinds of layers that you should have -- Base, thermal and wind protection. You can use them in different combinations depending on the weather. This goes for tops and bottoms and even socks or gloves, though you don't normally need layers for gloves or socks unless it is really cold.
Base Layer: This is the layer that is close to your skin. This serves two purposes. The first is to draw moisture away from your skin. The moisture is your sweat. This is also called wicking. The second purpose is to add a little dead air space under your thermal layer. This gives a little extra warmth when it is cold out without adding real bulk to what you're wearing. Bulk is bad because it limits your movement and it traps moisture that later freezes. Base layer can be really cheap. It is often a pollyester or polypro mesh or fabric. Supergo sent me an add this week that had their base layer on sale for $10 each. You can buy one and wash it between rides if you're on a budget. It is great stuff that shouldn't be overlooked.
Thermal Layer: This is where the warmth comes in. It can be as simple as a thicker lycra jersey (they make ones with a little fleece in them) or a heavier fleece pull over if it is really cold. There are companies that make nice heavier jerseys out of coolmax or even wool that make good thermal layers. Polypro or wool long underwear works pretty well for this. There are great winter jerseys out there that have fleece in them. I've got some old school wool jerseys that are very comfy and warm, but don't hold moisture.
Wind Protection Layer: This is important. It can be as simple as a light windbreaker or wind vest, or as fancy as a goretex jacket. The idea is to keep the wind off your front, while allowing sweat and persperation to vent out the back. You generate a lot of heat and sweat in the winter. If you don't let some of it out, you'll get wet and freeze. I rarely use more than a light windbreaker, but I have heavier clothes that work well. It doesn't have to be a high tech fabric like Goretex. My best winter jacket for riding is a wool jacket with a pollyester front that I got back in the 1980s (yup! I still wear it).
There are some things that can help you use these layers. When it is below 50 degrees out, base layer becomes extremely important. It really keeps you very warm in all kinds of conditions. It will let you be comfortable when it is warmer out, but still keep you warm when the temps drop. That is important during night rides when temps can drop 10 degrees over the course of a ride.
There are some companies that make jerseys that combine thermal and wind breaking layers. These can be really good for specific conditions. I've got a few that I got from Performance back in the 80s and I still use them. They have a zip out wind front that works pretty dang well. Add base layer underneath and I'm comfortable down into the upper 40s.
The thing to avoid is cotton. Cotton absorbs sweat and holds it. If you have cotton in any of your layers, you'll get cold really quickly after you've been riding. In the summer, I often wear cotton t-shirts out west where it is dry becaue they actually hold some moisture and keep my body cooler. Avoid cotton at any cost. That means underwear too. Some folks like wearing skivies under their cycling shorts. It is a good way to freeze your butt and other things.
I'll continue this conversation on socks, gloves and headbands in the next post. :) This is getting long.
I've been riding since before the days of lycra (think wool, pantyhose and vaseline -- sounds kinda kinky, eh?), so I guess I can talk about this stuff and see what people have to say that works well for them.
Layers are the key to warmth. If you've got the right layers, then you don't need a lot of bulky clothes. The problem with bulk is that once you warm up, you get too warm, sweat, then freeze. If you're going out for a longer ride and it is cold, you need the layers to be able to adjust your temperature to keep yourself in the right range.
There are three basic kinds of layers that you should have -- Base, thermal and wind protection. You can use them in different combinations depending on the weather. This goes for tops and bottoms and even socks or gloves, though you don't normally need layers for gloves or socks unless it is really cold.
Base Layer: This is the layer that is close to your skin. This serves two purposes. The first is to draw moisture away from your skin. The moisture is your sweat. This is also called wicking. The second purpose is to add a little dead air space under your thermal layer. This gives a little extra warmth when it is cold out without adding real bulk to what you're wearing. Bulk is bad because it limits your movement and it traps moisture that later freezes. Base layer can be really cheap. It is often a pollyester or polypro mesh or fabric. Supergo sent me an add this week that had their base layer on sale for $10 each. You can buy one and wash it between rides if you're on a budget. It is great stuff that shouldn't be overlooked.
Thermal Layer: This is where the warmth comes in. It can be as simple as a thicker lycra jersey (they make ones with a little fleece in them) or a heavier fleece pull over if it is really cold. There are companies that make nice heavier jerseys out of coolmax or even wool that make good thermal layers. Polypro or wool long underwear works pretty well for this. There are great winter jerseys out there that have fleece in them. I've got some old school wool jerseys that are very comfy and warm, but don't hold moisture.
Wind Protection Layer: This is important. It can be as simple as a light windbreaker or wind vest, or as fancy as a goretex jacket. The idea is to keep the wind off your front, while allowing sweat and persperation to vent out the back. You generate a lot of heat and sweat in the winter. If you don't let some of it out, you'll get wet and freeze. I rarely use more than a light windbreaker, but I have heavier clothes that work well. It doesn't have to be a high tech fabric like Goretex. My best winter jacket for riding is a wool jacket with a pollyester front that I got back in the 1980s (yup! I still wear it).
There are some things that can help you use these layers. When it is below 50 degrees out, base layer becomes extremely important. It really keeps you very warm in all kinds of conditions. It will let you be comfortable when it is warmer out, but still keep you warm when the temps drop. That is important during night rides when temps can drop 10 degrees over the course of a ride.
There are some companies that make jerseys that combine thermal and wind breaking layers. These can be really good for specific conditions. I've got a few that I got from Performance back in the 80s and I still use them. They have a zip out wind front that works pretty dang well. Add base layer underneath and I'm comfortable down into the upper 40s.
The thing to avoid is cotton. Cotton absorbs sweat and holds it. If you have cotton in any of your layers, you'll get cold really quickly after you've been riding. In the summer, I often wear cotton t-shirts out west where it is dry becaue they actually hold some moisture and keep my body cooler. Avoid cotton at any cost. That means underwear too. Some folks like wearing skivies under their cycling shorts. It is a good way to freeze your butt and other things.
I'll continue this conversation on socks, gloves and headbands in the next post. :) This is getting long.