Cover High Before You Cover Low
With the transitions of seasons occurring all over the world as Summer shifts to Fall in the Northern Hemisphere and Winter to Spring in the Southern, we are faced with the seasonal challenge of how to kit up properly for volatile and variable weather conditions.
One of the most common mistakes made, apart from overdressing, is riders offending our collective sensibilities by inexplicably wearing leg coverings with short sleeve jerseys; an aesthetic faux-pas of monumental proportions. We’ve already discussed the merits of layering when kitting up in your Flandrian Best, and this specifically addresses the oft-abused Point IIV as discussed therein:
Maintain order; if it’s cold enough for knee warmers, it’s cold enough for arm warmers. First come arm warmers, then knee warmers.
While wearing shirt-sleeves and pantaloons is acceptable for civilian attire, doing so with your Cycling kit marks the rider like a greasy Cat 5 tattoo on the calf. The lower half of our bodies is working much harder than our upper bodies, which sit nearly motionless as our guns piston away at the pedals leaving a path of destroyed dreams and broken souls in our wake. The legs need air to breathe, room to roam freely; the caged bird doesn’t sing and covering up the guns unnecessarily with lycra is like caging a wild bird of prey.
There is a certain pleasure to be found in kitting up perfectly for the day’s ride. We deliberate over the temperature, the wind, the likelihood of rain. We lay out our options like a Valet for his nobleman, we may even take a step outside and reconsider our choices. Returning from the ride many hours later, we allow a wry smile to creep across our faces in the knowledge that we nailed our kit today.
- Expect to be cold when you first step outside. Once the engine is running, it will be pumping out heat; when you’re properly dressed for riding, you will be cold whenever you are standing still. If you’re comfortable standing still, you will overheat once the game is afoot and the engine room is calling for more coals to be heaped on the fire.
- Remember your layers, and always consider arm warmers and a gilet before a long sleeve jersey and knee warmers before tights. These give you the possibility of micro-adjusting your temperature as the day warms or cools, or if the rains suddenly arrive. Only move to long sleeve jerseys when there is no possibility of overheating.
- Long-fingered gloves are only allowed when paired up with arm warmers or a long sleeve jersey.
- Belgian booties are always acceptable in Spring and Fall, and always look the business.
- Wearing full leg warmers and a long sleeve jersey while enjoying a Pre-Ride espresso and talking shit is ultra-Pro. Deploy this at-will throughout the season, so long as you remove these layers prior to throwing leg over top tube.
Aptly timed. On Monday night I attended an outdoor track session, and there was a definite chill in the air. I layered up with a cap, arm and knee warmers, and had a gillet in the back pocket for the slower ride home.
Put the same layers on for last night and the weather was much warmer. I was too warm all night. I felt a fool.
Here in Oz, starting the uncovering from the bottom up. Booties to booties off, legwarmers to knee warmers to no leg cover, no beanie and gilet long gloves to ‘normal gloves’ then at last – no arm warmers! Roll on Summer! Just got to work off the moon-tan.
Agree – If you’re shivering before the ride, you’re dressed enough.
Mind you have seen some hard-asses riders in shorts kit in 5’C winter mornings! Me thinks how do you do that?!
Nice one, Frank – and very aptly timed indeed. Just this morning, I was talking to a fellow cyclist about how surprisingly long the lower legs can be kept bare, even while the torso is perfectly comfy in three layers of textile. My last ride so far this fall was in shorts, but with base layer, short-sleeve jersey and long-sleeve jersey above.
Winter – or at least, more wintry conditions – will be coming soon to Scandinavia, I suppose – but I’m hoping it’ll be a month or so before the legs need to be covered. (Usually around the 10 degrees C-mark, at a guess…)
I have to admit that I wear knee warmers pretty much the whole year round in the UK, only escewing them when riding on the continent. The reason? Well, I have very, very ugly knees and I feel thet the crime of wearing warmers year round outweights the (arguably heinous) crime of forcing my aesthetically challenging patellas on my fellow riders.
It’s okay for SpiderMonkey to bare his minging joints because a) he gets paid to and b) he’s good. I have neither attribute so covered they will remain.
Sorry
I will say in my defence that my warmers ALWAYS match the rest of my kit, and often have a nod toward the colour scheme on my bike too.
I’ve never understood knee warmers. I find that I go from shorts directly to knickers. Commit to a bottom length. If it’s knicker weather, it’s well past time for long sleeves.
Am I the only one that love, love, loves riding on a cold, rainy day with shorts, arm warmers, and casquette? It calls to mind great old race photos and inspires greater V when your rear wheel slips going up the steeper ramps.
It didn’t get below the mid-30s all summer here, suddenly I left the house on Sunday morning, having not checked the weather, and it was in the upper teens. Yikes. I nearly went back for arm warmers but decided it was a good day to do some toughening for the winter ahead.
While I’m loving the weather, the goddamn southerners I’m stuck with complain that the mornings are “cold.” Jeez, these people have a comfort range of around 5 degrees. Any higher, too hot, any lower, too cold. It’s insane. I’m happy from around 4-35.
Also, Frank…it’s Lycra. This way those pleasant Koch Brothers will not come after you…
@LawnCzar
Uhhh, if I head out early as and ride for many hours, knickers are going to be far too warm by mid-day with a high sun. Warmers allow me to pull them off when it warms up. I actually haven’t even worn my knickers since I moved from upstate NY to the south a few years ago. Just bibs + Kneekers.
this link furthers the benefits attained from being exposed to extreme temperature experiences _ in this instance, cold temperature helps you tune your body weight with the correct type of fat generation
@Ron
Oh, I get that — I’ve just found that I’m comfortable enough in shorts to sort of power through until it warms up.
Now, the challenge for me on those days is glove selection. Knees and legs? Fine. Fingers? Potentially falling off, esp. on long descents.
@Ron
Right, you’ve mentioned the ‘K’ word so now I need to rant. I’ve got some DeFeet Kneekers, and have yet to figure out how they are supposed to fit. When I first put them on I ensured a good overlap between the bottom of my bibs and the top of the warmers. I inevitably find them journeying south quite rapidly during the ride leaving me in violation of Rule #82 and ashamed.
I have found that to keep them where they should be I have to pull them virtually up to the height of my groin, leaving them quite tight around my Mighty Guns. I have also discovered that despite being long enough to to reach from mid thigh, over knee, to mid calf, if I pull them down to mid calf it speeds the engappening process, whereas if I nestle them at the top of my calf, just below the knee, they are more likely to stay put, This is baffling to me. And also annoying as I enjoy the warming of calf as well as knee.
Perhaps the combination of calf and thigh is just too much for mortal fabrics to bear, and they shrink away in terror of the power within.
I’d like to address the congregation: Belgian Booties, do you deploy them sans leg warmers? Or do you adhere to the top-down principle without exception? Clearly they are often utilized with exposed Guns during TTs; I’m referring to general cold riding.
@RobSandy
try Santini and some body glue
@sthilzy
Ages ago I used to be a bicycle messenger here in the prairies of the Great White North. As I would be running in and out of doors practically all day, my choice of apparel may not be suitable for long rides outside. I typically made decisions based on the anticipated high. Bare legs to -5C, full length warmers to -15C, full length warmers with outer shell to -25C, and full length warmers, fleece pants, knee high wool socks and shell for anything below -25C, and calling in sick if the high was going to be below -35C. We just weren’t paid enough to work in that weather.
Upper half had anywhere from 2-4 layers which could be shed throughout the day to manage core temps.
I must question the use of “V” here. There is nothing V about a Cat 5 tattoo. One must not automatically change all 5s to Vs here; context makes all the difference.
Thank Merckx for this article. Last year I got into quite a few post-ride spats at the cafe about my dress during the winter rides, so I’ll keep this one at the ready to reference. I always show up in short bibs (with or without the knee warmers), short sleeve jersey, and arm warmers. Sure, I’m shivering when I lock the front door, but I remember that Rule V applies to all aspects of life and I chalk it up to character building. But as you mentioned, after I’ve cast my leg over the top tube and get the guns firing I warm up quite nicely. All that matters to me is that I’m comfortable as I dish out copious amounts of V, and that I beat the clowns I call my friends back to the cafe at the end of the ride. It makes it a little harder for them to say anything when I’m already sitting down, drink in hand, with nothing more than a smug grin to greet them.
Oh, and should you find that you are truly under-dressed on any given day, I have one piece of advice…pedal faster.
@Nate
Have you ever done a Cat V race? Fucking zero organization and a madhouse free-for-all from the word Go. In many ways, much harder than the higher (lower?) level cats.
Cat V means you are a rookie and inexperienced racer, not that you are a giant sissy.
@Matt
Even when it isn’t cold enough for them, you always need to keep your white ladies clean, so…
I was mourning the end of summer this morning – but reading this article has reminded me of how much I actually enjoy riding in the colder months; thanks!
@frank
That’s no excuse for condoing the inexperienced getting black gunk all over their calves. We must guide the uninitiated, not ennoble their ignorance.
This is one area where living at the bottom of a hill is better than at the top. Living on the top as I do, when I set out on winter rides I’m straight into big wind chill deficit before I warm up. So a light layer of a windproof jacket and/or arm warmers are pretty key.
@TheVid
That final line there has officially short-circuited the few remaining synapses in my faltering brain, I’m afraid. Cycling in minus thirty-five Celsius? Seriously?? Holy crap…
On the other hand… Have any of you fine Velominati paid a visit to the excellent website of the Winnipeg Cyclechick? She posted an article at some point called “Dressed to Chill”, if memory serves me, that may have been along similar lines. Ye gods. And here I was, thinking I was a badass for riding in temperatures above – but close to – freezing point. I stand corrected…
Where, exactly, are those prairies of the Great White North you refer to, if I may ask? Are we talking Canada here – or Siberia?
Poetic, philosophical and pertinent piece. Just this past weekend I rode the Door County century here in WI (For the geographically-challenged, Door Co. is basically the finger that sticks out to the upper right of the state). I started at 7am and the temps were maybe, maybe mid 40s. I knew from the forecast it was going to hit low/mid 70s by noon. The plan was shorts, base layer, s/s jersey and arm warmers. The last part ended when I realized I had one arm warmer and one knee warmer in my bag. Other riders were dressed as if it was November.
I froze for the first 15 or so miles. It wasn’t fun, but my chills turned to pleasure as I saw other riders strip layer after layer off and stuffed into pockets, making them look like domestiques for a whole team without a car. Me? Looking sleek and pro and perfectly attired, I clocked my fastest century ever (thanks to getting in with some Wheel & Sprocket guys).
Sure, starting out dressed less than ideal might not be the ideal, but you have to think about the whole ride, not just the start.
As for the lead pic, that’s Hinault in the 1980 Liege-Bastogne-Liege – the race where he won by almost 10 minutes in some of the worst conditions ever. He lost feeling in several fingers and it still afflicts him to this day. Other pics show him wearing a cape and a red wooly balaclava. He layered up right. But then Hinault did just about everything right.
@Teocalli
This. Ages ago, on a cycling holiday in France/Italy, I camped in the Alps at a pretty high altitude, and kitted up for the next days’ ride in fine, sunny, no-wind conditions. Hopped onto the bike and started screaming downhill – and within minutes, I was literally and vocally screaming as well. Had to stop after 5 minutes of sheer agony, to don all the woolly stuff I could find in the panniers – and I still made heavy use of the brakes for the next half hour or so, in an attempt to limit the wind-chill. Memorable ride, that.
@wiscot
Hey, likely my peeps! Good group of folks there, although I again was playing corp spouse at a conference rather than riding as I should have been. Were you rockin’ the V-Kit? I can ask friends if they rode with you.
Congrats on the PR, and I’m still looking to be able to meet in person and ride together sometime.
@frank and all: And I too have been thinking about the seasons changing and looking forward to switching to thermal bibs, then adding knee warmers along with arm warmers and eventually LS jerseys. Great lead pic reminds us that tougher conditions just make us better riders.
I must be way older than most of you fellows. When I started in the 1980’s, it was a nice coat of Vaseline on the knees when it was below 45F (knee warmers had not been discovered yet). For the arms, we cut a hole in the toes of old long white tube socks and used them on our arms (because that’s what Sean Kelly did). Looking PRO was soo much less expensive then.
@fignons barber
Excellent stuff! My ‘career’ (or feeble excuse for same) started around 1976 – so I hear you loud and clear, brother.
@teleguy57
They were great guys. Jeff was one of them – regular Drop the Doc group rider. I was wearing B&W Carnacs, black shorts and a red, white & black jersey. Proper etiquete was observed: I asked if I might join them, then upon getting an affirmative, making sure I got a couple of good pulls in right away. Probably rode 60+ miles with them.
@RobSandy
I hear ya when in come to the “Kneekers”. Bought a pair for last winter and had the same challenge finding the right fit. I settled on the the thigh/knee/upper calf fit, leaving the lower shin to suffer.
This year I may just settle for a pair of Castelli Nanoflex Knickers and be done with it.
They are called knee warmers, not calf warmers. Get full length leg warmers if your calves are getting cold.
@Teocalli
follow the pro’s, magazine down the jersey, ditch at first rubbish bin, I have a 2.30min descent at the start of my rides, bloody freezing in the winter.
Had my first ride in just a long sleeve jersey this week, first race of spring tomorrow… ‘cold strong southerlies with showers developing, high of 11c’.
@sthilzy
I did that once this season. Parents were visiting so being the good child I am I gave them my bed. The night was warm enough so base layer was the only warm kit relocated to the lounge for the moring bunch ride. On waking I discovered single figures on the temp gauge but with my bed room door locked I had no choice but to brave it. The door was locked for a reason, no chance I was unlocking it to get more kit!! I’d rather die of hypothermia than discover the reason. It was bloody cold but I managed ok – thankfully it was a hard/fast bunch.
Best part was the looks and comments I got were nothing short of awesome. I think I’ll do it again next year. Totally worth the hard man status I got me. Oh, I might add I was riding a Merckx too which undoubtedly helped.
@nobby
Note to self…work “minging” into all sentences from here on out. Also, note to self, find out what it means.
@DeKerr
Thank fuck its not just me.
Preparing to leave the house for a pre work ride right now. Its 6am, appears dry, pretty dark, and temp gauge says 11c.
Thinking short sleeved jersey, arm warmers, cap and leave the guns bare.
@ErikdR
Yep, I read that article on winter kit from her. You do not look pro then anymore btw. She’s not very active these days anymore. Maybe too busy managing her minions!
@Gianni
Gianni, ‘Minging’ means ‘Aweful’ or ‘Terrible’
@nobby
Round our way, getting ‘minging’ is also another term for getting horribly drunk. I.e., as soon as the registrar has said ‘you may kiss’, the chap next to me turns round and says ‘Right, lets get minging!’.
Obvious from the preceding comments that what is cold for some is summer for others, all relative I guess. A cooler morning should make one reach for the embrocation before making the Pavlovian leap directly to long pants or knee warmers. Belgian booties year round ? Not so sure.
@Nate
Fair enough, I let the numerology get the better of me there. Adjusted.
During the turn over months, I LOVE a jersey with big pockets. Just picked up a new Mavic jersey and though it is meant for warm weather riding, damn, the pockets are awesome. Bigger than those on my V jersey, which are adequate, and much bigger than on my much-liked Torm jersey, which are not quite adequate. Also, while everyone needs to get on the bigger pocket bandwagon, can all jerseys come with at least one zippered pocket? I love being able to zip up my house keys and ride without worry they might fall out, from a bump or when shoving warmers in/out.
I like my pockets wide and deep enough for a bottle of Post Ride Recovery Ale (a big boy, not a 355 mL) and/or a bottle of rye. Never know when you’ll just happen to have your route send you right past the bottle shop…
@Ron
This – is there a pocket size Rule? I’ve always been OCD about having big pockets on all my apparel but, on the other hand, one doesn’t want to attract male camels by shoving unnecessary shite into a droopy gilet. Where does one draw the line?
@Ron
THIS. Nice one Ron, you seem like my kind of guy!
@piwakawaka
I live on the top too, which is great when getting back from the work commute or a ride, but not so great when taking off in the morning. So I frequently end up with the softshell in the pocket for the rest of the day/commute. Seems I need to subscribe to a magazine since I only read online nowadays.
@ErikdR
Here it is: http://winnipegcyclechick.com/dressed-to-chill/
@TheVid
A couple of years ago here in MN everything was closed due to cold. What was I to do but go out for a ride – called my buddy that I went out for a spin in the morning at -28C…..his reply was “I was our for a spin and it was -30C.”
@KogaLover
Haha! Yep… that’s the one I meant – cheers. I agree that you certainly couldn’t look pro in such an outfit – but properly badass nonetheless. Note that at the start of the post, she quotes the weather forecast: Minus 28 C – corresponding to Minus 39 when you add wind chill. Ouch… Those Canadians must have antifreeze running through their veins?
@KogaLover
And my favorite quote from the ‘Dressed to Chill’-post would have to be:
“(My husband’s) garbage mitts are warm as hell and I like that they go really high so my wrists are covered. I can’t see my watch though. No matter – it’s motherfucking freezing o’ clock” Unquote. Classic.
I love the changing of the seasons, everybody seems confused about what to wear.
You see guys in short sleeves and bibs next to cyclists with hats, gloves, longs sleeves (with who-knows-what under it) and knickers. A funny sight!
I’m still going in summer attire, and last week I got cold, only to discover that it was only 6°C. So I dug up my warmer base layers, long sleeve jerseys and long finger gloves… Ready to tackle autumn…
In winter time (and autumn and spring and basically all year round), my biggest problems are my toes…
@ErikdR
Classic… I just reread the article myself and LOL at exactly the same quote. Was only wondering whether the badger picture was related or referring to THE Badger himself (just to bring the story back full-circle).
@Ron
The Torm Jersey is a thing of beauty….and the zippered pocket is definitely a big plus. The guys from Torm run a small big shop and are as close to cycling as any garment company out there.
@KogaLover
To quote from the amazing nature documentary entitled: “The crazy nasty-ass Honey Badger”:
“The Honey Badger has been referred to by the Guinness book of records as the most fearless animal in the entire animal kingdom. It really doesn’t give a shit…” Etc… You can find the video on YouTube – it is silly beyond belief, but quite funny if you happen to be in the mood for some weird stuff.
However, as you know, our WInnipeg lady does not shy away from some nice double entendre: when she writes “Please excuse the gratuitous badger shot” under the photograph, this refers to the fact that ‘badger’, at least in the British isles (and, apparently, in Canada too), is urban slang for the female genitalia. (The great Billy Connolly also has referred to this at some point…)