Thursday Thoughts ~~ Layering: A Replay

Cold Weather Riding (redux)

I’ve had a lot of discussion of this lately, so I’m reprinting an article I wrote for randonnuers on dressing and preparing for cold weather riding. Hope this is helpful.

So you’re facing the prospect of the coming Winter. It’s going to get cooler. If you don’t want to be confined to indoor work and cabin fever, you are going to have to get outside under chilly conditions. This is actually a good thing. I can almost guarantee that at some point in the coming season, you will deal with the cold. Probably for longer than you would wish to.

Basic Cold Weather Principles:

1. You must fuel to ride in the cold.
2. No one rides as fast in the winter. (And they shouldn’t!)
3. Hydration is just as important in cold weather. (Maybe more so.)
4. If you’re warm when you first get on the bike you are over dressed. (And you will regret it.)
5. Staying warm consists of “The Unholy Trinity.” A) Transport moisture away from the body. B) Trap an insulating layer of air. C) Block air
6. Layering is your friend.
7. More than 75% of your body’s cooling takes place through your head
8. Cold weather clothing should not be too tight! (Restricting circulation to the extremities makes them colder!)

How to layer; the basics:

Look at point 5 above. Those are your basic “layers.” This is what “layering” is all about. First there is the base layer of technical wicking fabric which moves moisture away from your body. Next is the mid layer of micro fleece or fleece, to trap a barrier of warm insulating air between you and the outside. Last is the top layer which is designed to block wind, while “breathing” to allow moisture to leave you. It is possible, and often desirable to double up on the mid layers when conditions are colder. That’s it. “Layering” in a nutshell. Oh, one other thing… Do not use cotton in any part of your cold weather wardrobe. Cotton absorbs moisture, and holds it. You might as well strap ice packs next to your skin.

When to wear what:

First you have to establish your personal “Set Point.” This is the temperature at which you first wish you were wearing more clothing than your summer riding gear. It’s an individual item and varies greatly from one person to the next. But once you’ve established yours, you can then use it to figure how to dress for just about any temp. Below is a good guide to how to “layer up,” based on your individual set point. (All temps are given in degrees Fahrenheit)

• Set Point & higher -> shorts, summer jersey, helmet, socks (optional), fingerless gloves
• Set Point -5⁰ -> add polypro undershirt, arm warmers, knee warmers
• Set Point -10⁰ -> add wind vest, socks
• Set Point -15⁰ -> add wind jacket, do rag or skull cap, full fingered light gloves, remove light jersey and add long sleeve jersey
• Set Point -20⁰ -> Add light tights & windshell
• Set Point -25⁰ -> Sub long sleeve polypro for short sleeve, add second jersey, or light fleece, outer glove, medium weight tights, wool socks, shoe covers
• Set Point -30⁰ -> Add skull cap & helmet cover, use medium and light tights, windvest and windshell, heavy gloves, wool socks, shoe covers
• Set Point -35⁰ -> Consider balaclava to replace skull cap, long sleeve polypro, fleece jersey, fleece vest, Heavy tights and knee warmers, wool socks and liner socks, heavy jacket, heavy gloves. Consider chemical hand and foot warmers, along with balaclava, and helmet cover
• Set Point --40⁰ -> Helmet cover, Balaclava, long polypro, heavy under-jersey, fleece jersey, fleece vest, heavy jacket, heavy gloves with heaters, shorts, light tights, knee warmers, heavy tights, liner socks, wool socks, heaters, shoe covers.

Conditions will constantly change. This means you will need to carry more clothing than you need. It also means you will adjust your clothing (add/remove layers, open/close vents) almost constantly throughout each ride.

And there’s another implication here. You have to carry a way to carry your extra clothing. This could be a rack and bag, a back pack, a trailer, a follow car (although I personally tend to frown on this one), or some other means of hauling cargo.

Cold Weather Technique Considerations: How you dress and what you carry depend on the conditions you expect to face and the time you are starting to ride. Beginning a ride in the evening requires different planning from one begun in the early morning.

Start time counts. Yes, there are days when frontal movement can do tricky things. We’ve all seen them. The “high” for the day occurs at dawn, and noon is considerably colder. Conversely, we’ve seen times when an advancing front causes warming after sunset. The norm, however, is that it warms after dawn, and cools down in the afternoon and evening.

If you start riding before dawn, expect to drop layers after the sun rises. But be prepared! Remember, the coldest hour of the night is the one right after the sun rises.

When planning a ride that will continue into the night hours, always carry extra clothing. I’ve had many occasions when, two hours after sunset, I was getting pretty chilled. Simply pulling on a wind jacket and a pair of glove shells made a world of difference.

Expect the unexpected. Our climate is capable of some pretty wild gyrations. It can get unexpectedly cooler, almost without warning. A sudden warm up is usually not a problem, but a sudden cool down can be serious.

Always let someone know where you are going and when to expect you back.

Have a “Plan B,” an alternate activity if weather is too severe to start, and a series of “bailout options,” in case it turns nasty on you.

Carry extra clothing in the late Fall and Winter.

Pack four of those chemical toe and hand warmers. They aren’t expensive, and they can make a huge difference.

Never underestimate the power and beauty of a spare pair of dry socks. (They can double as emergency mittens too!