WinterCyclingGear

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WinterCyclingGear

Global warming or not, the English winter is still harsh enough to thicken the synovial fluid in your knees on a bike. Wear longs or grind your knees! You decide.

GoreTex is good of course. I have yet to read a detailed technical review of it and its competitors but I am sure lesser known brands would be almost as effective and potentially cheaper. I have been won over to a lagged jacket for short trips round town. At 3C one rarely rides for long enough to get really warmed up, and a nice puffy jacket does keep the cold out if you're standing around outside for any length of time. In UnheatedSkvats, a cardy is a nice solution: easy to discard for performance, and nice and cosy in the crypt.

Lowe Alpine, Patagonia, and various Lycra thingies are all good for base layers.

Make sure you're got fleecy thermal insoles fitted in your shoes, particularly if you wear SPDs, and nice wooly socks of course, that overlap your longs.

Finely knitted wool is an acceptable midlayer.

Your head is an intensely vascular structure. Always wear a hat, even if you've got loads of hair.

Gloves, and a scarf to keep your chest warm are also essential.

And pants. Nice pants.

OverShoes are great if it's raining and don't do any harm to your WindChillResistance either. I've worn a pair in Scotland til the summer solstice, but you can safely dispense with them in July and August throughout most of western Europe (i.e. the height of summer).