Our go-to winter riding apparel

As someone else has put, rapha windstopper jersey is amazing in winter. You freeze when you stop, but when moving it is perfect down to about 5 degrees.

I have Endura Jetstream which is similar I think – almost windproof front and arm panels, really breathable warm jersey material on the back. They are a great compromise on colder days and keep you drier from sweat than a fully windproof jersey. Baselayers make the warmth I find.

https://www.cyclist.co.uk/reviews/endura-fs260-pro-jetstream-jersey-ii-review

MrSparkleFull Member
Still need to find some decent gloves that stop the old Raynauds setting in.
Tell me about it. Even worse when you get put on blood thinners for life.

If you feel the cold (I do) and struggle to keep your hands warm then https://www.hotpog.co.uk/ classic Pogies are the only thing that has worked when the temps drop below about 3 deg C.
Some people dont got on with them when riding really tech stuff but they allow me to wear thin gloves even when it’s sub zero.  Dont forget to take warm gloves for any stops though!

Cold feet too, last year wasn’t too cold when I got out and the Addidas GTX boots worked ok with woolie boolies or waterproof socks.  not sure how I’ll faire in really cold conditions.

Other things – long trousers over bib longs really help keep the cold at bay.
Buffs – head, kneck, face.
Spare gloves.
Ride solo or with people that ride at a similar speed to you – keeping going is far better than frequent stops to regroup.

As someone who lives near the south coast, is often in the woods, and runs pretty hot, my winter riding apparel is much the same as the rest of the year! Socks get a bit longer/thicker, second base layer gets added, buff to keep my neck warm, warmer gloves (Briskers!) I’ve got some of those insulated Five-Tens but it’s usually not cold enough for them. If it’s really cold or chucking it down then the MT500 waterproof comes out but not often. And I stop turning up for group rides in sleeveless T-shirts or vests!

Brynje thermo t-shirt. Humiliating to be seen in, but it works a charm.

citizenlee
Free Member

Still need to find some decent gloves that stop the old Raynauds setting in.

I have low circulation- been diabetic for 40 years- so it’s not exactly like raynauds in terms of mechanics but probably quite similiar in terms of effect…

Anway, first answer is pogies, they are phenomenal, but do have downsides. I’ve never been happy with them for more full on riding, they tend to shift and bump around and irritate and just generally feel like trouble. But I have them on the fatbike for any less extreme riding and I love ’em. Like, literally any gloves I’ve worn are about keeping me functional, the very best keep me more or less comfortable but cold, but the pogies + thin normal gloves keep me <warm>

I keep messing with them to try and find a #enduropogie approach but I’m not convinced it’s possible.

So for that reason, Glacier Gloves Perfect Curves. These are drysuit neoprene, made for windowcleaners. They’re precurved, and that’s the end of the good new. They’re sqidgy- you’re way less connected to the bike, it’s like wearing foam grips on your fingers, they don’t just squidge, they sort of shear- so it’s like having a flexstem for hands, you are not as connected. I can barely feel the brake levers. Also they are utterly unbreathable so you just can’t wear them if it’s not cold enough, they fill completely with sweat like a water bomb. And on that note, no matter what you do, they’re hard to dry out and they end up smelling like something’s died in them. Oh and if you get them muddy they can be pretty slippy on grips.

But they are the warmest gloves i’ve ever worn. Warmer than the winter motorbike gloves I used to wear, warmer by far than any of the bike specific efforts that bike tests keep saying are “incredibly warm”, that are probably fine for normal people but useless for us. Literally nothing except heated gloves or pogies has ever come close for me. And so all those downsides? Sod em, trivial, below your notice when it’s properly cold and you want to get out in the snow and do proper rides up mountains for hours. These keep my hands warm, they keep me riding properly, they mean my fingers work and I’m in control and safe for as long as I want . I love ’em. They’re also 100%, perfectly waterproof so you can do stuff like dunk your hands in ice-melt river to clean them, or make snowballs.

They’re only for if you need them, for anything else they’re utterly terrible, but when you do they’re the best bike kit in the world. Every cold fingered person should try pogies and they should try these and they should probably think about heated gloves too but to this day I’ve not found a heated glove I want to ride a pushbike in (oh but my gerbings on the motorbike, joy…)

Very old Regatta waterproof jacket that cost about £50 from Go Outdoors years ago, ok the taped seams are coming apart and it’s not as breathable as a £200+ goretex but I don’t care if it gets trashed if I take a tumble.

Scott insulated jacket with prima loft is also on most days below 5 C.

Yeah I picked up a gilet and a hoodie in the Austrian sales end of last ski season. It’s so good!

Lululemon big chief shorts – the best thing they ever did

Rapha Roubaix Bib 3/4’s to wear on the road or under shorts off road.

Base layer underneath?

I’m with Northwind. I do have Reynauds and I use Glacier gloves. I’ve got others which are better for riding in in every respect other than warmth but as soon as I have to contend with wet as well as cold my hands just stop bending, the Glacier Gloves are the only ones which keep me warm when it’s cold and raining.

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Same problem with my feet. Northwave Celcius have been good, I’ve got two pairs. I’ve just bought a pair of 45Nrth Ragnarok Tall boots for the Puffer, although not tried them yet. That’s seven pairs of winter boots now, the Shimano ones aren’t as good. The key thing me at stuff like the Puffer is regular changes to dry ones. Obviously not possible on long point to point rides but when there’s an option to pit every lap new boots every three or four hours is a godsend.

I love my briskers in winter, it’s all I wear even down to below freezing. I find that if my hands are cold after the first climb I just shove them in my coat pockets until they warm up, then they’re warm for the rest of the ride.

andrewh

 I’ve just bought a pair of 45Nrth Ragnarok Tall boots

I really wanted to get some of those but there weren’t many option for actually buying them.

Charlie the Bike Monger said they would be able to order them in but I had no idea on sizing or fit. It was an expensive gamble.

How do they fit compared to other stuff? Don’t suppose your collection of boots includes any Lakes does it? That would be a good comparison.

Paramo smock, best water/windproof jacket, so good I have two!

@boco – which one are you using – Fuera? I’m fed up of getting cold from sweating under membrane fabrics so up for giving the Paramo system a try. Really like the Bentu windproof I bought recently but it’s probably a bit flappy for on the bike..