Winter gear

With the arrival of winter you usually see a flurry of queries on cycling bulletin boards enquiring about winter gear. There’s a lot of good quality clothing out there to choose from, but one thing that should be borne in mind is that what may suit one rider won’t do for another.

After riding for a good few years, I’ve discovered that some people feel the cold far more than others. What’s more, it doesn’t necessarily correspond to body types. I know some guys who are as thin as whippets and hardly wear more than a jersey in winter. I know others who have plenty of ‘natural insulation’ but will go out in a jacket and tights almost year round. With that in mind, here’s a few pointers on what works well for me.

Base layer: Essentially a long sleeved vest that goes under your jersey or jacket, the base layer is for me the single most important bit of winter kit. Don’t be fooled by the thin fabric, it actually provides a huge amount of additional warmth. While most of the cycling clothing manufacturers offer their own, my favourite ones come from Canterbury, which makes rugby gear. Their ‘Cold’ base layer is far warmer than any other I’ve tried.

Canterbury's Cold base layer, the warmest one I've used to date

Gloves: You’ll feel the cold most in your hands and especially descending, your fingers will be chilled to the bone in traditional fingerless mits. Full fingered winter gloves, while occasionally sweaty and a little bit more cumbersome, will save you from these horrors. Something that is reasonably light, but with a windproof or waterproof back will work best I’ve found since they tend not to get sodden on those very wet days.

Altura Thermostretch gloves. They've worked well for me for the past few years.

Tights: While there are some lunatics who’ll cycle in shorts year round, most people will need a little more for the winter. Tights come in several varieties. Some are little more than Lycia, but most have at least a thin layer of fleece inside them, which should do fine for all but the most extreme Irish weather. The really heavy duty ones come with windproof panelling on the front, but I’ve never felt the need. Bibtights are always a good idea if you want to avoid them sliding downwards, especially in the rain. The final choice is whether to get ones with their own padding or not. Unpadded tights can be worn over your shorts. It’s probably a slightly warmer arrangement and eliminates the need to wash the tights after every ride. Padded tights are probably a bit tidier, as you’ve less layers of fabric sliding around on the saddle. My favourites are Assos T.RX LL Bibtights. While you’ll probably get the same warmth from cheaper tights, their main advantage is they’ve the same great chamois that Assos shorts have, so they’ll always be my first choice for a long spin on a cold day. I’ve also a couple of pairs of dhb Merston bibtights which are just as warm, but don’t have as good as a chamois, which means they’re perfect for shorter spins.

Knee warmers: I only bought knee warmers for the first time this year and I regret not trying them out before. For a nominal sum, you can continue using your shorts well into the winter. They probably won’t cut it on the very bad days, but it means that if you want to ride regularly over the winter, you won’t have to shell out for multiple pairs of tights (which tend to cost a good bit more than shorts).

Jacket: When it comes to jackets, the choice really is endless and a lot of people get bogged down trying to decide which is best for them. The standard cycling jacket has a layer of fleece throughout, which is usually supplemented by windproof panelling on the front and sleeves. The Assos airJack is regarded by most as the holy grail of jackets. Although pricey, it certainly is a great piece of kit and should keep you warm in the depths of winter. If your budget doesn’t stretch to Assos, the next best thing is probably a pro team replica jacket from the likes of Santini or Nalini. They tend to be cheaper, especially if it isn’t this year’s kit. I’ve an Aqua e Sapone replica jacket made by Nalini that only cost me around €60 but is just as good as some of the more expensive stuff. While most people will wear a jacket throughout the winter, I’ve often found them too warm and will only stick one on very cold or wet days. Often I’ll simply put a short sleeved jersey on over my base layer. I’ve also got a few light jackets that do the trick for most days. One is the Assos Intermediate, which is essentially a long sleeved jersey with windproof panelling on the front. The other is a Castelli Destino jacket, which just has a light layer of fleece inside. Although they’ve different designs, both seem to provide the right level of warmth for me during the winter.

Assos airJack, the mother of all jackets

Overshoes: I don’t usually suffer from cold feet, but most people do and they usually opt for neoprene overshoes which are wind and waterproof to a certain degree. On wet days, I usually put a pair of Lycia overshoes on. They’ll do little to keep the rain off, but you’ll avoid getting your shoes dirty. It’s easier to throw them into the washing machine than scrubbing your shoes.

Rainwear: A lot of people get caught up in trying to buy gear that’s as waterproof as possible. I’ve always found though that the main priority is to stay warm rather than dry. I don’t mind the odd soaking, as long as I don’t feel the cold. The problem with most waterproof jackets I’ve found is that no matter how breathable they are, I’ve always found them a bit to sweaty to be comfortable. As a result, I’ve always gone out without rain gear. Most of the time I do just fine. However, on the really wet days, I’ve often wondered if I’d do well to carry a waterproof gillet with me, i.e. a sleeveless waterproof jacket that’s light enough to stow away in your back pocket. I may yet invest.

Aptly named

With the weather definitely getting decidedly more chilly, I was browsing around last night looking at winter clothing and I came across this rain jacket on the Castelli website:

It’s called the Dublino. And yes, that does mean Dublin in Italian. Somehow I feel the Italians are laughing at us.