Let’s face it, for many cycling in winter hasn’t been the most pleasurable of outdoor activities. That cold wind sneering at your face, frostbite in your fingers, and treacherous weather imminently means that cycling has ended up being an activity savoured for the warmer seasons.

But you know actually cycling in winter can be just as enjoyable as cycling in summer, all you need to do is to understand and get yourself kitted out in suitable winter clothing for cycling and you’ll so know how much a difference it makes, and keep you cycling all year round.

Wicking Base Layers

In sports clothing, “wicking” applies to a method that a manufactured fabric uses to dispel perspiration away from the body. The fabric uses a capillary action to draw up moisture away from the skin and releasing it to the outside of the fabric, then it’s evaporated or absorbed by other layers of clothing. Wicking base layers help to keep you cool and dry during exercise but also provide base layer of warmth too.

Insulating Mid Layers

These insulating mid layers work by trapping our own body heat helping to keep us warm. Fleece fabrics are typically what are used here, and there are many different kinds of fleece available, and in different thicknesses or weights. There are types such as wicking, some have good stretchiness, others are waterproof, and more besides, which means you can tailor your mid layer according to the demands of your cycling and the severity of the weather.

As the weave of the fleece fabric traps air and our body heat is transferred to the trapped air, heating it up and keeping us warm. A couple of thin layers of fleece work much better at keeping that thermal insulation going than one thick layer. There is one snag though, that as the cold wind blows, this replaces the warm air in the fabric with cold air, reducing it’s effectiveness, so that means we need a final layer to offer resistance against the wind.

The Outer Layer – Shell Layers

These outer layers are what protect us from the elements. Shell layers can offer complete protection from rain, wind, sleet and snow with their weatherproofing/waterproof ability. Many are very lightweight too and offer great durability, and different manufacturers have created and given names to their own unique weatherproofing systems incorporated in their fabrics.

Further Reading