Winter Commuting

Had a few chilly cycles recently, this morning was -21C before any wind chill, so somewhat brisk on the bike. Thought it might be worth showing what I wear for this sort of cycle as a few people at work have asked what to wear for a winter cycle.

Headgear

• Baselayer of Northface hat/earmuff thing which has an underchin tie (important so you can have it on tight, if you don't have something to keep your ears warm its game over)
• Balaclava on top of that to ensure my neck and chin stay warm
• Helmet for skidding off protection

Even with all this my cheeks and nose get very cold, especially at the start of my journey

Body

• Baselayer of lycra sports top
• Mid layer of bog standard fleecy jumper
• Top layer of cycling jacket

So you can see that I don't wear too much on my body, this is important as its easy to overheat once you get going. Typically your core doesn't get too cold anyway so the most import thing is the windproof outer layer

Legs

• Cycling shorts
• Lycra cycling leggings
• Fleecy tracksuit trousers

A few layers is the key here, you need to keep the wind out and not get cold sitting on the saddle

Shoes

• Walking boots - forget cycling shoes in this weather, you're not going that fast anyway

Gloves
I just use my Burton snowboarding gloves, they're the best ones I've come across so far, they're not as thick as some of the others I have but for whatever reason they seem more effective

So that's what works for me on my cold rides in, of course it doesn't really help your lungs and by the time I'm in my balaclava is half white and covered in frost from my breath but that's all part of the experience.