I've only had my ebike since April so no cold weather riding yet. I'm in central Maryland so Oct-Nov we get days where the high temperature will be in the 50's. So 50 degrees at 15 mph plus any additional wind can make for a chilly ride. I'd like to keep riding as far into the fall that I can but I'm not very tolerant to being cold. I know for some of you 50's is not cold, but as I said, I'm kind of a p**sy when it come to being cold. Short of moving further south, the only solution is warm clothing. What do you cold weather riders wear? Under Armour? Long johns?
Cold weather riding clothing..what do you wear?
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Django
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I wear layers. I still wear my cycling jersey and bibs, but depending on the temperature, I add a polypropylene sweater, (dry suit liner), and leggings as well as a windproof, breathable shell or vest and full fingered gloves below 45 degrees. I also wear a helmet liner when needed.
One thing that helps me feel a lot warmer riding in the cold is this ski mask. I like this one a lot. Its warm, and shear enough to wear under a helmet comfortably. You can wear it covering your face, pull it under your nose, or pull it under your chin to expose your face. It's long enough to cover your neck, and go under your shirt. In the winter I always carry mine in my coat pocket in case I need it.
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m@Robertson
Well-known member
Bibs are essentially lycra cycling shorts with built in suspenders. Its more coverage than a short and less than a onesie/full shirt.
Layers are totally where its at with cycling in the cold. If you are working out (pedaling hard and not just throttling) an old cycling rule of thumb is to be really cold on the first mile, then your body heat from exertion makes up for it. In other words you learn to underdress. If you don't, you sweat and thats worse. Get it right and you are perfectly comfortable in the cold and not sweating while pedaling and getting a workout.
Otherwise... if you are just cruising and throttling you wear another layer or two. So... what does "layers" mean?
In dry weather in your temperatures, it starts out with a long sleeve t-shirt. Thats your against-the-skin warm 'base' layer. The top layer - to stop the wind - can be nothing more than a thin windbreaker. Think soft shell rain jacket. Its thin but because it stops wind coming in, it also traps heat in. So you have very few layers on, and this may be fine for 50-degree weather. If not, layer on a short sleeve t-shirt over the long-sleeve base layer. Don't do another long sleeve layer because with your base and your outer layer your arms already have two layers. Step this up another notch a little differently: Base layer of a simple short sleeve cotton t-shirt. Second layer of a cotton zip-up hoodie (the zip up lets you unzip a little if you start heating up) and outer layer of soft shell rain jacket.
My outer layer soft shell was a Condor Summit Zero for many years, and I still have it. This is a jacket good at 50 degrees with a t shirt no problem and, really, its good down into the 30's with two layers underneath. It also gives excellent freedom of movement. Note I am specifying the Summit Zero and not the heavier Summit, which is a great jacket in and of itself but even though its thin its pretty heavy. Here's a link. The product page says "Men's Modern" but all the info down lower still says "Summit Zero". NOTE this jacket runs small in sizing. Probably you should go up two sizes from your usual.
I said the Condor "was" my go-to, and thats because I have replaced it with something that gives me dramatically more safety. Its a Proviz Reflect360 jacket. Its a big deal because basically the jacket looks like an ordinary grey jacket in daytime, but in twilight or night time, its all one giant super-bright silver reflector, all over. The effect is astonishing and NO ONE coming at you in a car will ever miss your presence. I have had drivers roll down their windows at intersections and tell me how amazing it looks. And cars about to cross in front of me instead stop dead and just stare as I go safely by.
They run super-small. I normally wear an XL and needed a 3XL because of tight body and shoulders. That oversized, the sleeves are perfect for reaching forward all the time in a riding posture. But be advised they are rated as a rain coat, and breathe like a garbage bag. I combat this by wearing fewer layers, and unzipping the pit zips and half-zipping the front if thats not enough. Wearing a t shirt and the jacket alone is perfect in our 50's coastal weather.
Gloves: Polypro glove liners and deerskin gardening gloves over top. Warm and protective in case of a crash. Socks: Woolens from Costco if down in the 30's. Pants: Duluth Trading DuluthFlex cargo pants. Full leg coverage, and the 'flex' they advertise gives them a spandex-like give that makes them as comfy as cycling shorts in the waist and the legs. No constriction at all. Plenty warm on a cool 50's to 30's winter day. The ski mask @biknut links is perfect for mild cold too. You can pull it down if need be and its thin enough to fit under a helmet.
It gets to the 50's and 30's here with a biting wind coming off the ocean, so thats what I dress for.
Layers are totally where its at with cycling in the cold. If you are working out (pedaling hard and not just throttling) an old cycling rule of thumb is to be really cold on the first mile, then your body heat from exertion makes up for it. In other words you learn to underdress. If you don't, you sweat and thats worse. Get it right and you are perfectly comfortable in the cold and not sweating while pedaling and getting a workout.
Otherwise... if you are just cruising and throttling you wear another layer or two. So... what does "layers" mean?
In dry weather in your temperatures, it starts out with a long sleeve t-shirt. Thats your against-the-skin warm 'base' layer. The top layer - to stop the wind - can be nothing more than a thin windbreaker. Think soft shell rain jacket. Its thin but because it stops wind coming in, it also traps heat in. So you have very few layers on, and this may be fine for 50-degree weather. If not, layer on a short sleeve t-shirt over the long-sleeve base layer. Don't do another long sleeve layer because with your base and your outer layer your arms already have two layers. Step this up another notch a little differently: Base layer of a simple short sleeve cotton t-shirt. Second layer of a cotton zip-up hoodie (the zip up lets you unzip a little if you start heating up) and outer layer of soft shell rain jacket.
My outer layer soft shell was a Condor Summit Zero for many years, and I still have it. This is a jacket good at 50 degrees with a t shirt no problem and, really, its good down into the 30's with two layers underneath. It also gives excellent freedom of movement. Note I am specifying the Summit Zero and not the heavier Summit, which is a great jacket in and of itself but even though its thin its pretty heavy. Here's a link. The product page says "Men's Modern" but all the info down lower still says "Summit Zero". NOTE this jacket runs small in sizing. Probably you should go up two sizes from your usual.
I said the Condor "was" my go-to, and thats because I have replaced it with something that gives me dramatically more safety. Its a Proviz Reflect360 jacket. Its a big deal because basically the jacket looks like an ordinary grey jacket in daytime, but in twilight or night time, its all one giant super-bright silver reflector, all over. The effect is astonishing and NO ONE coming at you in a car will ever miss your presence. I have had drivers roll down their windows at intersections and tell me how amazing it looks. And cars about to cross in front of me instead stop dead and just stare as I go safely by.
They run super-small. I normally wear an XL and needed a 3XL because of tight body and shoulders. That oversized, the sleeves are perfect for reaching forward all the time in a riding posture. But be advised they are rated as a rain coat, and breathe like a garbage bag. I combat this by wearing fewer layers, and unzipping the pit zips and half-zipping the front if thats not enough. Wearing a t shirt and the jacket alone is perfect in our 50's coastal weather.
Gloves: Polypro glove liners and deerskin gardening gloves over top. Warm and protective in case of a crash. Socks: Woolens from Costco if down in the 30's. Pants: Duluth Trading DuluthFlex cargo pants. Full leg coverage, and the 'flex' they advertise gives them a spandex-like give that makes them as comfy as cycling shorts in the waist and the legs. No constriction at all. Plenty warm on a cool 50's to 30's winter day. The ski mask @biknut links is perfect for mild cold too. You can pull it down if need be and its thin enough to fit under a helmet.
It gets to the 50's and 30's here with a biting wind coming off the ocean, so thats what I dress for.
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What M@ said, layers are key to staying comfortable.
I like merino wool for next to my skin, absorbs sweat without feeling damp on your skin like cotton, and not itchy, worth the money.
I just bought a pair of these pants, https://aerotechdesigns.com/mens-cl...08.640316713.1697320169-1113636096.1695666093
Cutting the wind is key, I like cold weather cycling clothing because they are wind proof on the front side but breath on the back side.
I like merino wool for next to my skin, absorbs sweat without feeling damp on your skin like cotton, and not itchy, worth the money.
I just bought a pair of these pants, https://aerotechdesigns.com/mens-cl...08.640316713.1697320169-1113636096.1695666093
Cutting the wind is key, I like cold weather cycling clothing because they are wind proof on the front side but breath on the back side.
Also I use my snow helmet for winter riding. They are made to keep your head warm including your ears, you can get a good one for $75 I have a nice Smith helmet that was around $150 like this https://www.mountainsteals.com/prod...7076&msclkid=f5cafe653c4f1eb64d519b4e1cf50ff9
m@Robertson
Well-known member
I take painter's tape and cover over my forward-facing helmet vents for the winter. The painter's tape is easy to remove residue-free.
Under the helmet I do the thin balaclava to keep warm. I have an Under Armour one that is really warm and really thin. However for extreme weather - if I am say winter camping in the mountains - I use a USGI nomex tanker balaclava which is almost arctic-level protection.
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Rambo_Of_PA
Active member
Back in '89/'90, I lived in Brooklyn, NY and ride my then new DiamondBack 26" MTB to 20th St. & 5th Ave. in Manhattan even during winter. People thought I was nuts. I would buy thermals for extreme cold weather with a balaclava and ski goggles. I'd ride over the Brooklyn Bridge and up the west side to connect with 6th avenue and continue up that way. And I wasn't the only one riding in winter that way as Manhattan, during that time, was full of bike messengers wearing the same gear I was. So, I wasn't alone.
I rode yesterday for about 10 miles. It was 58 degrees and I was comfortable with a sweater and windbreaker over my shirt. Blue jeans for pants. I also had a thin wool cap under my helmet. I need a different helmet though because the one I have is too small to wear with something under it. The ride gave me an idea of what to expect riding in the cooler weather so I'm looking forward to not putting the bike away just yet. I'd like to be able to ride up until December. When the daytime temps stay below 50 I doubt I'll want to ride much. The balaclava looks like a good idea to keep the wind off my neck and throat which is where I feel the cold the most.
Rambo_Of_PA
Active member
@neutron = this has the balaclava built-in so basically the same just easier to manage since it's one piece....
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m@Robertson
Well-known member
I wouldn't do a combination balaclava/athletic shirt unless you ride very infrequently. Ride today and if you want to ride tomorrow you have to either own 2+ of those shirts, or wash one before every ride. With a balaclava alone you don't have to do that.
For the same reason, I wound up buying quite a few pairs of cycling underwear: Spandex shorts with the padding, but meant to be worn under regular shorts or pants. When I only owned a couple of pairs I had to do a lot more laundry loads.
For the same reason, I wound up buying quite a few pairs of cycling underwear: Spandex shorts with the padding, but meant to be worn under regular shorts or pants. When I only owned a couple of pairs I had to do a lot more laundry loads.
Superb_Raccoon
Member
44 miles in low 40s, sporadic rain, and 15 mph winds.
Used a Buff for the head, thermal jersey over a standard one, thermal full leg bibs and a wind/waterproof shell cycling jacket. Cycling socks with a regular pair and a wool pair over them... I use my half worn out Duluth ones.
Sure, my legs hurt, but I was thermally comfortable, even with all vents open I pushed the jack sleeves up to get some extra cooling. 2800 calories is a lot of waste heat.
I think the limit is going to be 32, if only for ice on road concerns.
Used a Buff for the head, thermal jersey over a standard one, thermal full leg bibs and a wind/waterproof shell cycling jacket. Cycling socks with a regular pair and a wool pair over them... I use my half worn out Duluth ones.
Sure, my legs hurt, but I was thermally comfortable, even with all vents open I pushed the jack sleeves up to get some extra cooling. 2800 calories is a lot of waste heat.
I think the limit is going to be 32, if only for ice on road concerns.
NYC bike messengers are a different breed; part animal, part machine, pure aggression.
I just ordered a balaclava and I'm probably going to have to buy a new helmet because I don't think my helmet will fit over the balaclava. My existing helmet is supposed to be adjustable to 61 cm but I think it's smaller than that. I'll have to measure my head with the balaclava in place and order a helmet to fit. I'll keep the old one for summer. Balaclava should arrive tomorrow.
Rambo_Of_PA
Active member
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LennyK
New member
Living In The North East (U.S.) - Great Great Advise - THANKS 
Riding Fat
New member
Bar mitts are the best winter riding purchase...afyer a good pair of winter boots.
Rawly Old
Member
Doesn't begin to get as cold here as it was 20 years ago. I recall wearing a parka to watch fireworks on the 4th'.
Iwear a good pair of motorcycle glovse most of the year.usually these days a sweater under a good windbreaker
is enuff with snug pants, good socks. Only snow we got last year was gone the next day. Climate here has changed
a good deal.
Iwear a good pair of motorcycle glovse most of the year.usually these days a sweater under a good windbreaker
is enuff with snug pants, good socks. Only snow we got last year was gone the next day. Climate here has changed
a good deal.
