Winter Riding Clothes

Winter Riding Clothes

Below is a list of what I wear while commuting in the winter months. Please keep in mind that we are all different with respect to adaptability to cold. Hopefully this list will be a good starting point for you.

I normally wear the clothing listed under the heading Basic for every ride in the winter months. My commute in winter is mostly in the dark both in the am and pm. This makes the temperature a little more constant than if I were to ride one of the trips in the daylight and the other in the dark. But the pm trip is normally warmer than am ride.

Tip: Don't Under Dress!

Long Explanation about Don't Under Dress:
Riding in the dark and cold presents a little different challenge than daylight rides. Most of the time the temperature continues to drop during an am or pm commute. This means you don't want to under dress for your ride. In daylight rides, comfort at the start means I'm overdressed. This is not the case for commuting in the dark hours of the day as the temperature drops. Try to be nearly comfortable right away and ride at a steady pace. You will stay nice and warm.


Basics (Temp range of 15F to 30'sF):

• Wool socks
• Cycling Shorts
• Winter weight tights
• Long sleeve undershirt and jersey
• Light windproof jacket
• Buff (name brand) neck and face cover
• Skull cap (full head cover including ears)
  
• Downhill ski gloves (Try to get ones that allow some dexterity)
• Heavy weight shoe covers

If the weather is colder, I do the following:

Below 15F

• Replace tights with wind resistant front panel tights

Below 10F

• Add thicker socks or another layer over the shoe covers. I have a lighter pair of covers that fit well over the heavy weight ones. This is a better choice than additional sock thickness since the added bulk inside shoe creates more conduction than insulation.