Image main 1

How to Dress for Cold Weather Cycling

It’s that time of year to bust out the winter cycling gear.  Note:  I live in Southern California so all these recommendations are good for 40 degrees and up.  I’m way too wimpy to ride outdoors when it’s below 40.  Here are some tips on how to dress for cold weather cycling.

My Basic Philosophy

The most common mistake for beginners cyclists is to overdress.  Remember, your body creates a lot of heat and will warm up fast as soon as you start riding.  So don’t dress for the first 5 minutes and roast the rest of your ride. This is a trial-and-error so just play around until you find the right mix for the weather.  Here’s a trick, wear clothing you can peel off and store in your jersey pockets

Here’s The 9 Items You’ll Need For Cold Weather Cycling

What am I missing?  Please leave a comment and let me know.  

  1. The Weather.com App and look at the weather forecast by the hour if things look dicey and dress accordingly.
IMG 1637

2. Beanie.  This is the most important item in my cold-weather arsenal.  You lose the most heat from your head. 

beanie

3. Full-fingered gloves with a touchscreen feature so you can use your phone without taking off your gloves. 

gloves

4. Arm Warmers:  The beauty of arm warmers for cycling is that they turn a short sleeve jersey into a long sleeve jersey and can be pulled off and stored in your jersey pocket if you get too warm. There are various thicknesses available so you can find the one that best matches your climate. 

arm warmer

5. Leg Warmers:  Like arm warmers, you can peel them off if you get too warm and stash them in your jersey pockets for the remainder of your ride.  

leg warmers

6.. Undershirt: I have 2  sleeveless undershirts. One that’s pretty thin and one that’s thicker for colder days.

Base layer

7. Jacket:  Make sure you buy a cycling-specific jacket so you don’t overheat (please don’t wear a puffy coat) and you can put in your jersey pockets if you get too warm. 

Jacket

8. Winter socks: You’ll thank yourself on cold days for buying cycling-specific winter socks.   

socks

9. Toe Covers: Toe covers slip over the front of your shoe and keep your toes warm on those cold days.  

toe covers

What am I missing?  Please leave a comment and let me know.  

Share this Post:

Similar Posts

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *