Anyone who freezes while biking has done something wrong. The selection of high-quality and functional cycling clothing is huge (and not necessarily expensive). What cycling clothing must be able to do in winter and what should not be missing under any circumstances.
As trite as it may sound, there is no such thing as bad weather. There are only bad, or better: inappropriate, clothes. And that also applies to cycling. Apart from the dangerous black ice or a knee-high blanket of snow, there are hardly any good reasons to swap your bike for full buses and trains or your car, even in winter. Nowadays, you can even arm yourself reliably against icy temperatures without having to cycle to work like the famous Michelin man. Wind, rain and darkness are also just sparring partners. Provided you dress smartly. In this article, we tell you which pieces you use to give winter the cold shoulder and give yourself a good laugh in the face of frost and snowflakes.
Feet like it hot, hands too
If you were to start a survey of which parts of the body cyclists are most likely to freeze in winter, the fingers and toes would probably be at the forefront. In addition to the nose (which you can maximum with a multifunctional cloth can protect) the headwind automatically cools down the hands and feet first. To make matters worse, when the temperature is below zero, the body tends to focus on keeping the internal organs at operating temperature.
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So let’s first focus on protecting your feet from the cold. And that starts with the right people cycling socks on. They can be cut a little higher and at least partly made of cozy merino wool. If you use your bike every day to get to work, you should also attach importance to sturdy shoes. Sneakers or sneakers made of light mesh material are certainly more comfortable, but they don’t keep out the cold or rain in the long term. Water-repellent gore material is therefore the minimum that cycling shoes should have in winter. At the Pavey Mid Winter by Vaude A flexible shaft also protects against splashing water. If you want to do a small training session directly from the way to the office, you can also screw cleats under your shoes and click into the pedals using the SPD system.
Those who still feel cold on their toes despite Merino socks and Gore cycling shoes can ignite the third stage. So-called overshoes are – quite surprisingly – pulled over the shoes from the toes and protect against wind, cold and moisture in equal measure. Overshoes are always a good choice to get your feet dry. A slightly more flexible alternative is this waterproof one Oversock by Sealskinz, which thanks to the reflective material also has a little extra portion of safety on board. The only thing that matters is to protect the toes from the wind and cold, are so-called toe caps a good option. They are only pulled over the toes and reach up to the instep.
Warm trousers and the onion skin principle
When cycling, your legs are constantly in motion. Nevertheless, they should also be packed appropriately in winter. If there is no opportunity to change at the place of work, there is one lined and waterproof trousers which can be pulled over jeans or trousers. If you want to be a bit more sporty and want to incorporate the tour to the office as a small workout into your day and be able to change in the office, it is better to use lined cycling shorts with a thin seat pad. Whether with or without straps is a matter of taste. Tip: Cycling shorts can be transformed into a winter variant with leg warmers in no time at all. These practical overcoats are lined (here a Thermal model by Gonso) and unlined (here a Model by Gore).
Of course, it’s not enough just to be warmly wrapped up underneath. The body emits most of its heat through the upper body and especially the head. And that’s exactly what you should contain in winter, at least as much as possible. The so-called onion skin principle has proven its worth. This should not only ward off the cold, but also ensure that excess body heat can be reliably transported away. The rule of thumb is: it is better to stack a few thin layers than one very thick one.
The basis for this is the base layer, i.e. functional underwear that is worn directly on the skin. Their job is to absorb moisture, i.e. sweat. And this is not only important when skiing in the mountains, but also when cycling in winter. Not only, but above all, when things get down to business a little faster. A secondary downside: high-quality functional underwear (e.g. from Odlo) does not always look chic. But she doesn’t have to. Advantage of the base layer: It dries quickly. In our latitudes, a short or Long-sleeved shirt (e.g. from Odlo or gore).
The next layer, the so-called mid-layer, is supposed to provide the necessary warmth. For cyclists, this is usually a short or long jersey, depending on the season and temperature. In winter, slightly roughened models or, even better, cycling jackets are ideal. When it comes to everyday rides, the best mid-layer is a warm fleece jacket (e.g. this one Quechua women’s model). The outer shell completes the winter bike outfit if required. This should ward off wind or moisture so that the midlayer stays comfortably warm and dry. Softshell jackets (like that Qimsa by Vaude) are not just the classic for the weatherproof third layer of clothing.
Cycling clothing in winter: use your brain
A hat, scarf and gloves are less bike-specific, but indispensable when cycling in winter. The most important requirement for headgear is that it must fit comfortably under a helmet. Bobble hats are therefore rather unsuitable at this point. In order to be able to react to different temperatures, it makes sense to have two types of hats in the closet. For milder winter days around five degrees, a thin functional hat that is as breathable as possible is sufficient (like this one Craft model). The alternative is the popular Buff, a multifunctional cloth (here the Merino version), which can be transformed from a tube scarf into a practical hat with a few clever movements.
If you get on your bike when the temperature is around or below freezing, you should protect your forehead and ears with a thicker hat, the inside of which is ideally made of fleece. Our tip: the Reflect360 Fleece Beanie by Proviz. Fabric threads were sewn in here on the outside, which reflect the light particularly well. This makes you very easy to see, especially for drivers: inside, even in the morning and at dusk. Due to its tight fit, the helmet also sits securely on the head.
If you forgot your gloves on a Sunday walk, you can simply put your cold hands in your jacket pocket. When it comes to cycling, it’s not that easy. Cold hands are not only uncomfortable on the bike, they also make it difficult to pull the brake levers in a targeted manner. In winter, gloves are therefore part of the basic equipment of every cyclist. And because the feeling of cold is also very subjective on the fingers, there is no panacea for warm hands. However, heated cycling gloves (eg from Sealskinz). They’re a little thicker by default. There is also a rechargeable battery in a small pocket on the wrist, which supplies energy to the heating surfaces integrated inside the glove. Most models have three heat settings that can be selected using buttons on the top of the glove.
For those who don’t need high-tech gloves, lightly lined models like the Decathlon Triban F900 be satisfied. They should keep your fingers warm even when the temperature is around zero degrees. Advantage of the slightly thinner variant: grip and feel on the handlebars and brake levers are usually much better. In addition, they protect the budget.
You can read a test of the Sealskinz cycling gloves soon on stern.de.
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