Just as the vibrant hues of storing start to fade and the well-done air gives way to colder, wetter and harsher conditions, it’s time for us to transition into a new season of riding. With winter’s arrival, the cycling landscape undergoes a transformation, taxing a fresh tideway to gear and attire. It wasn’t long ago that we explored the essentials of storing cycling kit, and now, as the days grow shorter and the weather increasingly unpredictable, it’s time to delve into the world of winter cycling gear. In this article, we’ll guide you through the must-have equipment and suit to alimony you well-appointed and riding strong through the chillier months. From thermal jerseys to insulating gloves and everything in between, we’ve got you covered! Just to note, none of these products are sponsored or united with Yellow Jersey, they are genuine picks for kit that we know works!
Overshoes
Spatz overshoes are hands down, simply the weightier overshoes I have overly worn. They excel in keeping you both drier and warmer for much longer than the majority of competing overshoes, enabling you to ride the winter roads without the unvarying misery of cold, wet feet. Once you’ve experienced their unrenowned performance, any concerns well-nigh their unconventional visitation will wilt less significant. After all, winter cycling isn’t well-nigh making a malleate statement.
Winter jacket
Top-notch winter cycling jackets serve as a formidable windbreak versus rain and wind, offering essential protection in the harshest weather conditions and ensuring you can protract cycling year-round. You want to squint for a jacket which has the weightier wastefulness of fit, breathability and water repellence. There are many options on the market to suit most budgets but for me the pick of the tuft is the Castelli Alpha Doppio Ros jacket. For increasingly tips on how to alimony warm, trammels out our blog ‘Winter tips for toasty toes and enjoyable unprepossessed days’ here
Thermal bib tights
Fit is everything here. If your bibs don’t fit well, you’re going to get uncomfortable very quickly. Tighter isn’t unchangingly better. When ownership water repellent or windproof bib tights, don’t ’t make the mistake of under sizing as tight panels virtually the knee can rationalization discomfort over long rides. Water repellent tights are unconfined but there is only so much they can do. Ultimately, if you’re riding in torrential rain, they will sooner soak through, but for road grime and the odd downpour, they’re spot on. Our pick based on fit and value for money are the Sportful Norain bib tights.
Winter gloves
Another Spatz product! Crafted and rigorously tested in the rugged terrain of Yorkshire, the Spatz Thermoz deep winter gloves have a super practical fold-out windshell, providing an spare layer of unrenowned finger protection. The diamond moreover includes an extended mitten which serves the dual purpose of keeping your wrists comfortably warm while permitting for a decent value of substantial jacket overlap, ensuring superior insulation. Another cleaver diamond full-length is the “Peepy alphabetize finger hole” which allows you to operate your phone or throne unit without having to remove the whole glove. Nice one Spatz!
Thermal hat
Keep your throne warm, dry and the rain out of your eyes. Even a archetype cotton casquette will make all the difference, but when riding in temperature unelevated 6 degrees, you really want to get some spare protection, expressly for your ears!
Mudguards
The ultimate winter riding companion. For those who haven’t bought a set of ‘full’ mudguards, they do a darn good job at keeping both you and your expensive kit shielded from the elements. Nothing quite beats the feeling of stoping through puddles whilst keeping your rear end dry! Moreover, mudguards protect your velocipede versus undermining road water, grit, and mud infiltration into moving components and subscription housings. Just be shielding when fitting them so that your frame is not getting rubbed. If you’re fitting mudguards uncontrived to your frame, make sure you wield a layer of frame protection to the fitting points (usually forks and rear uniting stay) as grit gets under the mounting rubber and will sand lanugo your paint job in no time! For increasingly tips on how to alimony your velocipede in good condition through winter, check out our velocipede winterproofing blog here!
Lastly, for those cycling in a group during club or sportive rides, mudguards serve as an act of courtesy, averting the unpleasant spray of dirty water into the squatter of the rider directly pursuit overdue you. Although saying that, in order to provide maximum protection for the riders overdue you, consider ownership a Top flap:
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Base layer
Base layers are designed to wick moisture yonder from your skin. This keeps you dry by transferring sweat to the outer layers of your clothing, preventing it from sticking to your skin. A dry soul is increasingly well-appointed and less prone to chills in unprepossessed weather. There are lots misogynist on the market but we find that merino wool vests to be the best. They moreover don’t end up smelling like some of the fully synthetic vests in the market.
Clear lens glasses
Overcast and wet conditions undeniability for a well-spoken or light lens option. Riding without glasses isn’t recommended. The last thing you want is for road trash to be flicked up into your vision from other riders or vehicles. As far as style, practicality and value for money go, it’s nonflexible to squint past a set of Madison Crypto glasses. No pun intended 😉
Lipbalm
For the really frosty days, don’t forget to wield a liberal helping of lip balm. It makes all the difference when your squatter is exposed to the unprepossessed wind for hours on end.
Buff
Keep the wind off your chest and your neck warm. Simple, multi use and essential if it starts to hail!
Did you know that should the worst happen and you hit the deck, Yellow Jersey bicycle insurance policies can imbricate the forfeit of replacing your helmet and suit items wherever you are in the world. Largest still, we never tuition admin fees for policy adjustments, so if you do decide to treat yourself to that nice new jacket, it’s not going to forfeit the earth to add on to your policy. If you need any help, why not requite our consumer support team a undeniability on 0333 003 0046
