Too cold to ride? No way!
HERE’S HOW… Dress to Ride Comfortably at 55 Degrees.
By: Mike Tomlinson, BikeSport Bicycles
Forecast temperature for tonight’s ride was 55 degrees. Too cold to ride? No way!
I ride COMFORTABLY at this temperature by dressing for it. For those of you who don’t ride when the thermometer dips, think about it like snow skiing. We snow ski in relative comfort when it is freezing outside by dressing for it. Let me share tips with you on how I “dress to ride” comfortably, no matter what!
Most of the time I am wearing – Normal stuff:
- Bibs
- Short Sleeve Jersey
Stuff I’m wearing — because it is 55 degrees:
- Base layer: Like an undershirt but made of a fabric that does not retain water
- Arm Warmers: I prefer a short sleeve jersey with arm warmers to a long sleeve jersey. If I get too warm I can pull the arm warms down to my wrists or off and stow them in my jersey pocket while riding.
- Vest: I prefer a vest and arm warmers to a long sleeved jacket for this temperature as it gives me more options to regulate my temperature. The vest is also easier to remove while riding and store in a jersey pocket than a jacket if I become warm enough to want to remove it.
- A headband that covers the ears
- Full fingered gloves
- Socks: My thickest and highest cycling socks that fit comfortably with my cycling shoes. (wool socks are great!)
Everyone is different. I am somewhat warm natured. Calibrate your wardrobe accordingly. The same principals when it gets even colder. There are lots of options. Whichever you choose, don’t let the lower temperatures keep you off the bike. Dress for comfort and enjoy the ride!
A friend once told me to be careful not to “over dress” – Once you get moving, you’ll get warmer and you might actually get too warm. Best is to make sure you wear layers you can remove (as I described above with the arm warmers and vest). If you are “slightly chilled” before you start riding, you are probably dressed just right!
OK, ready to ride? BikeSport has all the winter gear you need, so no excuses. Come visit us and we’ll help you figure out how to “dress to ride” just right!