Went out last Saturday morning for a couple of hours steady z2 and felt moderately chilly once I’d broken a sweat, and for the duration.

It wasn’t that cold and I thought I’d layered up reasonably well; merino baselayer (I think it’s a mid-weight) a Gore Phantom windstopper jacket and a Montane Photon shell (for visibility).

Went out on a similar ride the following day but added another layer of merino figuring it might help wick moisture away form the first layer and therefore my torso, and add another layer of insulation…yada yada.

I expected to be toasty, but wasn’t, so I’m not looking forward to this Saturday morning with windchill temps of -4 predicted!

At the end of the rides my 1st baselayer is covered in sweat and there is damp, condensation presumably, on the windstopper and lots of moisture droplets on the inside of the Montane shell.

Is the Montane trapping the moisture? Something else?

Ta,
R

Drop the merino and use something synthetic.

keep your feet and hands warm too – I find once they get even moderatly cold the rest of me soon follows.

windstopper jacket and a shell sounds a bit boil-in-the-bag to me

warm feet & hands and a windproof gilet over a couple of thin layers is my preference unless it’s raining, but then I’m in the pansy south

Windstopper is all you need imo down to about 7c, synthetic base layer after that, keep hands and feet warm, ride faster.

last saturday morning I just used a long sleeve thermal baselayer with a t shirt over it, it keep me nice and warm.

Helly Hansen Ice Base layers are excellent.

Mixture of synthetic and merino that wicks well and is really warm.

I was out last night – it was pretty chilly – 3-4 degrees. This base layer and an Endura Stealth and I was nice and warm.

yeah, a shell on top of a windstopper probably means there’s nowhere for the sweat to go so your baselayer is getting sodden, making you cold

base layer -> mid-layer (if needed) ->windstopper

and seconded on keeping hands and feet warm

Drop the merino and use something synthetic.

This +1 Merino is totally overrated, it stays wet and IMO makes you colder than a much cheaper synthetic equivalent.

you’re a woman? possibly married to me?

I think you’re wearing far too much.

A merino base layer and a (Aldi) windstopper do me down to -10. And i’m skinny and feel the cold when not exercising so I always carry my Pace Event jacket to put on as soon as we stop.

Anything above 8 degrees ish and its merino base and long sleeve jersey plus gilet. Shorts and knee warmers.

Over 12 degrees is short sleeve base, long sleeve top, shorts.

I do sweat a fair bit so if I get too hot and sweaty I get cold very quick on the descents – easier to control temp with less clothing and keep warm with more effort!

For reference, I’ve been road riding on a synth base layer and a altura windproof phantom-a-like this week, plenty warm enough.

Wind proof could be the key – once the base is damp the oncoming wind can chill your chest.

short sleeve baselayer

+

arm warmers if cold

+

alp x l/s jersey

+

altura gilet over the top if cold

=

nice and toasty as long as you keep moving….do you stop alot when riding? i find that if i stop to gaze/look at scenery etc i soon get chilly (especially at night), but as long as im moving that combo works a treat down to about 0-2degrees…

when theres water/mist/rain in the air ill bung on a pocket rocket jacket over the top to take the edge off..

when its proper grim and mega minus’ ill just wear a baselayer with armwarmers and my decent gore AS jacket…

leg wise, since probably mid september ive been wearing my mw80 goretex boots, with my fs260 waterproof leg warmers, a pair of mt500 spray shorts and a pair of defeet woolie bollie socks…..at no point (rain or other wise) have i had a cold lower part of the body!

As long as my hands, feet and ears (WTF I know) are warm the rest of me tends to follow. On dry night rides I’m still riding in a short sleeved single layer, but with winter shoes, winter gloves and a buff round my head.

Possibly a buff under your helmet? Keep the cold wind off yer bonce will help as well.

The Montane is doing nothing to keep you warm as the windstopper is already stopping the wind.

Don’t underestimate how much heat you lose through your neck and head. There is a lot of blood near the surface of your neck. I wear a buff till zero degree and then have a thicker fleece neck tube thing meant for sailing.

If you’re still cold, then focus on moving the windstopper away from your skin with a thicker base layer or fleece. As mentioned above, a synthetic will make you super warm when used under a windproof layer.

I work in Stockholm and ride all through the year. I wear a Gore Windstopper with a merino vest until 0DegC and then I start using long sleeved merino under it. I wear boxers and 3/4 cotton/moleskin trousers between 0-10DegC and when it drops below I’m wearing full length Roubaix leggings under my 3/4.

Riding harder also helps, but if you want to stay at a particular intensity not very useful!
Good luck!

I’m fitting the ice tyres and changing my Rohloff oil tonight! -3 this morning!

i suffer terribly from being cold now, probably due to my heart meds.
but, what seems to work now is a icebreaker 200 long sleeve vest worn under a goretex touring jacket. and when it is a bit warmer, i swap the gore for a pertex windproof.

I’ve found my Phantom way too warm so far this Autumn.

I wore it yesterday and after 5 minutes I was roasting and had to take it off and put my Montane thin pertex thing on instead. That was with a merino Icebreaker 200 base layer and a jersey on underneath.

Definitely sounds like too much kit.

Loose the Montane and maybe just a regular jersey under the jacket.

A nice thick jersey and a gilet should be fine for everything down to about 5 degrees, maybe with a vest or other under shirt.

Ok, thanks for the advice folks. Next time out I’ll try a synthetic baselayer with windstopper and ditch the waterproof shell…unless its raining, of course.

Feet, hands, head & legs were OK…it was just my sweaty torso that was feeling the chill.

To the crys of ‘more effort’ and ‘ride faster’…it was a z2 session, I was going as fast as my HRM would allow 😛

Or ditch the Phantom- you’re basically wearing two shells, which is a bit barmy IMO- even if it was -20 that wouldn’t make much sense!

I’m a big fan of merino, but under my Windstopper shell (no insulation, just the shell) it just doesn’t seem to work very well and I often get a bit clammy and chilly.
Under my Pertex Montane jacket it’s brilliant though

unless its raining, of course.

phantom works pretty well in the wet actually – try it.

I never understand these comments about clothes being good as long as you keep moving.

What if you have an accident and you are injured/unable to ride and you go into shock, etc.

That’s when you want to rely on your clothing – not have something that will make you feel even worse because it making you so cold.

Lifa base layers for me – reliable performance and very tolerant of temperature extremes.

That’s why I carry either a foil blanket (summer) or Primaloft jacket (winter) with me.

That’s why I carry either a foil blanket (summer) or Primaloft jacket (winter) with me.

what if you have just broken your arm/collarbone/whatever and can’t actually get the jacket on or your rucksack off your back…

Whilst you are fit and riding the bike then being a bit cold or wet is fine as you are in good shape to manage it – so it is not so critical what you are wearing.

But when you are injured it becomes more important.