Cold Weather Riding

The cold weather has arrived, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a great ride outside.  There’s nothing like waking up in the morning, gearing up for your ride, only to step outside and realize it was colder than you thought.  Before you get on the bike, make sure you’re equipped with the gear you need to enjoy your ride rather than cutting the ride short.  Here’s a list of some things you may want to add to your checklist before you head out.

Base Layer – It doesn’t matter how tightly bundled you think you are, a base layer is a must before any cold weather riding.  The base layer is the layer that is closest to the body.  In cold weather, the body sweats the same as it would in the warm weather, but as we all know, moisture against the skin in cold weather only makes you colder.  The base layer is designed to pull moisture away from the skin, keeping you drier and warmer.  Your body creates heat that escapes through the base layer, but with the proper layering, the heat is kept within the base layer.

Hands & Feet – You have to brake, shift, and pedal right?  Your hands and feet are definitely parts of your body you should pay extra special attention to, especially in the cold.  Companies such as Pearl Izumi, Castelli, Glacier Glove, and Giro make several different models of gloves depending on how “hardcore” you are.  Once you’ve picked out the right gloves, don’t be so quick to forget about your feet.  Your warm weather riding shoes will work, but your feet will be cold minutes into the ride.  If you’re riding this winter, companies such as Pearl Izumi, Mavic, and Castelli offer shoe coffers which are designed to protect your feet from the cold and wind.  Winter riding boots are also a great option to protect your feet from the elements.  They are insulated and water proof, keeping you warm and dry throughout your ride!  Look for these boots by Mavic and SIDI!

Protect Your Head – Most of your body’s heat is lost through your head.  Your cold weather beanie is just too fat to fit under your helmet, so what do you do?  Ear bands are warm but balaclavas are warmer!  A balaclava is a form of cloth headgear that covers your entire head with only your face exposed.  Some balaclavas cover your entire head leaving the eyes, nose, and mouth and sometimes just the eyes and mouth exposed.  Any helmet should fit comfortably over a balaclava.

Cream – No, not the song released by our favorite hip hop group in 1994 or even the stuff you put in your coffee.  We’re talking about warming cream.  Warming cream isn’t necessary, but on the colder days you may want to take that extra step and apply warming cream to your legs.  On days that its extra cold or breezy out, warming cream will keep your legs warm and depending on the application, hot.  Not only will the warming cream keep you physical temperature warm it’ll also keep your muscles loose.  So if you have a flat or some other mechanical problem, you will stay nice and loose.  Adding leg warmers, or leg tights combined with warming cream will keep you well protected from the elements!

For all those people who love outdoor riding, winter riding is an animal in itself.  Don’t hesitate to make as many stops as you’d like for coffee, tea, or any other warm beverage.  Bundle up and stay warm out there.  Spring will come before you know it!