Effective Clothing Strategies For Cold Weather Biking

Learn how-to use everyday, inexpensive and readily easily available clothes to comfortably go biking in cold weather, down to approximately -20 Celsius. These are not specialist biking clothes, but if used properly, they can be very effective for cold weather biking. I use readily available, everyday, low cost clothing to get a good result. This clothing strategy works for me; perhaps it will work for you as well. Once I get to my destination, I don't have to change, I can just take off these clothes, because my regular street clothes are worn underneath. I can transition from biking clothes to everyday street clothes very quickly, which can save time. Experimentation: Experiment and see what works for you in your particular circumstance and weather conditions. It is necessary to experiment with your clothes and try them under different weather conditions. Eventually you will figure out what works for you through trial, error and experience. The basic idea is to put on clothing and take off clothing in order to control your bodies heat and remain comfortable. I live in the Great Lakes climate where, on any particular day, weather is constantly changing. This clothing strategy allows me to adapt to constant temperature changes. If I go biking and then I sit on a bench for 20 minutes, I need more clothing, because I have stopped moving, which in turn reduces my body's heat output, and requires more clothing. The idea is to adapt your clothing to your environment. This clothing technique looks a little unusual, but it's inexpensive and it works. It gets you comfortably from point A to Point B in cold weather. I didn't include a section on the jacket. A parka can be effective. Another option is wearing nylon windbreaker and then layering clothes underneath, whatever you've got available. You can use any type of regular clothing, the idea is to layer the clothing and use it as insulation, meaning wear one piece of clothing over the other. Use a t-shirt, dress shirt, a synthetic pullover, a polar fleece, etcetera, whatever you have available. Ideally the clothing is loose and baggy, allowing flexibility of movement and helps trap warm air next to the body. I have definite preferences. Wool is really good, due to the warmth. It also stays warmer when wet. Silk is great next to the skin, because it wicks away moisture. They nylon windbreaker cuts the wind, provides some protection from rain. It also forms a warm air bubble around your body. If it starts to rain a little bit, the nylon provides some protection against the rain. Some wetness gets through the nylon, and the top of the underneath insulating layers sometimes gets wet. However, because the underneath layers are still dry, you'll feel warm. Once you get to work, hang up the clothes in a warm dry place and they should be dry by the end of the work day, ready for the trip home. There's another good video on layering, which I included as a card in the video. Shoe laces: Knot them until there are no lose ends. This stops the loops from catching in the chain rings, preventing an accident. Stuff Extra Clothing Into Backpack: I often carry a backpack with me when I bike. I wear more clothes than I think I need. The idea is to be warm but to avoid sweating. Inevitably, the clothes will be too warm. This is good because weather sometimes changes. It’s easy to take off clothes, but it is hard to put on clothes if you are cold and have no additional layers are available. Here are a couple of cold weather cool down options. In the summer, it’s sometimes very difficult to cool down when biking. In the cold weather, it’s really easy to cool down. This means you can perfectly control your body temperature when biking, which is key to comfort and performance. The key is not to sweat. Once the clothing is full of sweat, and you stop moving, your body will no longer make lots of heat from exercise, and the cold, sweat soaked clothes will quickly cause cold discomfort. Cool down options: Remember, it’s cold outside. The idea is to let the air cold at your body, cooling things off, and preventing sweating. The first option is to unzip the jacket. As you bike, because you are moving, cold air is forced into your other layers, cooling you down. If this doesn't work just take off some base layers and put them in the backpack. Less insulation means you will cool down. Clothing is really weight, so the backpack won’t get too heavy. Another option is to take off the hat first and then the gloves. This lets you lose lots of heat quickly. However, try only one option at a time, and then wait a little while to see if you cool down. If it works, great, if it doesn’t, try another option as well. This might sound obvious, but many people feel really hot and then just take off lots of winter clothing all at once. In 5 minutes, they are often shivering. Again, the idea is to gradually manage and control body heat while exercising. Have a good ride!