Unfortunately for most of us, winter has arrived, and has done so in style.
I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen the sun for about a month. And it’s not because I live in a cave (I don’t :D); the weather around here has been cloudy and murky. Chances are that I’ll see Elvis wandering on the streets rather than a glimpse of the sun.
This funky weather, however, hasn’t stopped me and many others from riding.
As fun as it may be, cycling in the winter does have its challenges. In this article I’m going to present a few tips on choosing the right clothes to help you stay warm. We’re going to focus on normal clothes. They’ll provide you the necessary, but won’t protect you from mud or precipitations. Fortunately, we’ve already written an article about this.
To do this, [Tweet “You must follow one basic principle: don’t let the cold air get in.”] That means having a compact set of clothes that aren’t necessarily thick, but form a shield between you and the cold air. You can choose whatever you like, but should make sure to follow this basic advice.
1. Wear a base layer
Having multiple layers is important, because the air is trapped between each one, helping to keep you warm. The base layer is the most important, as it greatly influences your overall comfort. It can either be a T-shirt, a turtleneck or even a shirt.
2. Cover your neck
This is something many people forget. They wear gloves and winter caps, but it’s not enough, because the cold air still gets in under the jacket. As the saying goes, “you best protect ya neck”. A simple scarf will do the trick. However, I prefer something like this, because it’s smaller and easy to carry around.
3. Stop the wind
To have a comfortable ride, you have to make sure the wind doesn’t go through your jacket. While most of them offer this level of protection, some winter coats are just too…permissive. Watch out for those, as they will ruin your riding experience.
So there you have it: three simple steps to take in order to have a smooth ride. As you’ve noticed, I didn’t go into detail about the exact clothes to wear. We’re urban cyclists, not Tour de France competitors, so any clothing that you like will do. That’s one of the great things about cycling: you can wear whatever you please.
Now that you know how to tackle the cold weather, don’t ever let -15° Celsius intimidate you. After all, what can possibly go wrong?