Winter clothing

Boardz Fiend

Hi. I only began cycling in May so havent had to brave the cold yet. I'm just trying to figure out what jerseys/jackets might be a good buy for the months ahead. I do two or three x 60km leisure spins per week. Are there good insulating yet breathable jerseys or jackets that anyone can recommend? Or is it just as a effective to throw a thermal long sleeve vest on under a regular jersey?

longshanks

Galibier.com have some nice winter gear, summer gear too, and any time I've ordered from them I've gotten free socks.

DKmac

Buy a Castelli Gabba. Job done. Close Thread

dahat

longshanks wrote: »

Galibier.com have some nice winter gear, summer gear too, and any time I've ordered from them I've gotten free socks.

+1

They have a super Merino Wool base layer plus the Minstral jacket, stuff is dear but customer service is top class and quality is A1.

flatface

DKmac wrote: »

Buy a Castelli Gabba. Job done. Close Thread

Layers on layers. have lots of them and you will be toasty and can up and down a layer as your temp changes.

I have a Galibier Mistral 2 and now a Gabba 2 SS and I just love the gabba. If you are slender then the Gabba fit is really great, I find the Mistral a wider fit and arms and shoulders feel a bit flappy.

Having been through a load of price ranges over the years definitely buy good quality if you can as the difference is huge.

OleRodrigo

Gabba and Zondas. Spot the boardsie!

crosstownk

In winter I put on an Under Armour base layer, a normal jersey and a soft shell jacket - it's not a cycling jacket but it's warm and windproof - it's a branded jacket that I got for free in work with the company's logo on it but it does the job perfectly. I also use a pair of DHB leg warmers. I've a decent pair of DHB winter gloves and I use liners on really cold days. A skull cap under the helmet helps keep the chill at bay. BBB overshoes and DHB merino socks keep my feet warm(ish) but nothing can really keep my right foot totally warm due to a circulation issue. I use a light water proof Polaris jacket if it's raining.

The DHB stuff is good quality and great value for money. Well worth considering.

Boardz Fiend

Brilliant info here, many thanks all for the recommendations :-)

Eamonnator

flatface wrote: »

I have a Galibier Mistral 2 and now a Gabba 2 SS and I just love the gabba. If you are slender then the Gabba fit is really great,

I have a Gabba, that fits me perfectly. It's a long time, since anybody has suggested, I might be slender.
Thank you.

Brian?

I'm currently using a Gabba with a light base layer and shorts. This will last a while yet.

For the single digit days I'll switch to a Castelli Mortirolo jacket with base layers and thermal bib knickers.

Shoe covers and long finger gloves are essential to me. I'm still wearing shorts, but I've put on the shoe covers.

I spend a lot on winter gear. My Castelli thermals,gloves and jacket are going into winter 3 and are in fine shape. Buy well and buy once.

ProBikeKit.co.uk and Evans cycles are great value right now. The exchange rate helps.

dbagman

Just make sure it's hi-viz or at very least bright/noticable in colour. Don't give those pesky drivers any excuse by wearing black as the days grow ever darker.

Senecio

crosstownk wrote: »

A shkull cap under the helmet helps keep the chill at bay

+1

I have very short hair. A skull cap under the helmet makes winter rides so much more comfortable.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Gabba2 here also. Only bought it a few months ago but have worn it several times already. I really feel the cold (old age and all that) and so wear it with a light LS base layer. Two base layers will be worn when the weather turns colder. It really is a great bit of kit.

I was out yesterday morning and was in near full winter gear. Gabba with base layer. Fleece bib tights, heavier socks, shoe covers, long finger gloves and a light skull cap. I was very comfortable and warm.

lissard

Echo what a lot of comments about the Gabba. Great price of kit. For me the best bit of winter kit I have are the Castelli nanoflex arm and leg warmers. Waterproof, perfect fit and worth every penny.

mossym

on the gabba, it' a great bit of kit when temps are in the high single digits, however when it gets actually cold and down below 4c or so it starts to struggle, even with a couple of good base layers underneath.

course, your experience here will differ depending on tolerance to cold and how much natural insulation in terms of body fat you are carrying, but i've had two gabbas, the orginal one and the gabba 2 and found neither one warm enough for properly cold winter mornings. i have a dhb jacket that cost half the price of the gabba, isn't as comfortable to wear but is much better in cold weather

ford2600

Your need for clothing for every variance in our weather can be limited by adapting your body to handle the cold better.

We have behavioural means of dealing with cold (clothing, shelter etc) and physiological (vasoconstriction, brown fat thermogenesis (our in built radiator) and shivering).

If you stress the latter you can get better at handling cold and might not need 6 different jackets:)

If you are a genetic freak and SAS veteran anything seems to be possible
http://lewispugh.com/

There is a open sea swimming club near me who swim all year round without wet suits; most are north of 50 and quite a few pension age yet still do 50/60 min swims all year round. Fully immersed in 9C water for 50mins is a much greater challenge than 3 hr ride in our coldest weather.

Feeling cold isn't the same as being cold.

Of course just like hill repeats, stressing your body to handle cold won't be pleasant. Your getting ther when cold showers are pleasant...

ciaeim

Has anyone here tried Sean Kelly's onda winter gear. The algarve 2 jacket and bib shorts. Are they any good ?

flatface

ford2600 wrote: »

Your need for clothing for every variance in our weather can be limited by adapting your body to handle the cold better.

We have behavioural means of dealing with cold (clothing, shelter etc) and physiological (vasoconstriction, brown fat thermogenesis (our in built radiator) and shivering).

If you stress the latter you can get better at handling cold and might not need 6 different jackets:)

If you are a genetic freak and SAS veteran anything seems to be possible
http://lewispugh.com/

There is a open sea swimming club near me who swim all year round without wet suits; most are north of 50 and quite a few pension age yet still do 50/60 min swims all year round. Fully immersed in 9C water for 50mins is a much greater challenge than 3 hr ride in our coldest weather.

Feeling cold isn't the same as being cold.

Of course just like hill repeats, stressing your body to handle cold won't be pleasant. Your getting ther when cold showers are pleasant...

Although I admire your HTFU attitude, 6 jackets is a little of an exaggeration.

You really only need 2, one for this sort of weather around 10 degrees and one for colder winter. I find the spring/autumn one has been harder to get right as its usually either feels too light or heavy - hence the big gabba love, I feel it hits that sweet spot.

Winter I just lash on loads more layers and this year will be trying the galibier mistral with various layers.

Also I'm sure advising posters to not buy more kit is against the charter

terrydel

Really starting to see the benefit of gilets and arm warmers, rather than full jackets. Just reduces the sweat drenching massively imho.
I find the galibier stuff generally good, but I bought the Colombiere jacket I think it is, and find it rubbish. It just isn't breathable, so you sweat like a hoor, and this then becomes freezing cold when the air gets to it. Very disappointed with it.
I was in Girona last week and brought a Craft Orica GreenEdge heavy gilet, 2nd hand and belonging to one of their riders, for €45. Cant wait to try it. Unless its lashing down, a jacket isn't needed imho. Arm warmers with a gilet is perfect.

OleRodrigo

LS jersey, merino base layer, decent gilet, winter wool cap, decent leggings, neoprene overshoes, two pairs of merino socks and full length mudguards. Its always been this way so why change it ?

Keep the HTFU for finishing events and winning races rather than going through winter half dressed

ford2600

flatface wrote: »

Although I admire your HTFU attitude, 6 jackets is a little of an exaggeration.

You really only need 2, one for this sort of weather around 10 degrees and one for colder winter. I find the spring/autumn one has been harder to get right as its usually either feels too light or heavy - hence the big gabba love, I feel it hits that sweet spot.

Winter I just lash on loads more layers and this year will be trying the galibier mistral with various layers.

Also I'm sure advising posters to not buy more kit is against the charter

The smiley was a clue I wasn't all together serious about 6 jackets!

What you need for any winter spin will depend on rider, ride intensity, length, mountains or flat, stopping or not etc.

Over dressing will cause excessive sweating which will cause problems with cold once intensity drops.

It's nothing to do with HTFU but utilising our physiology along with good equipment to make cycling through winter as comfortable/enjoyable as possible. Market driven advice is rarely the best advice for consumer.

In my experience feeling a little cool for first few km usually works out best.

Or maybe there is just one solution 😀

crosstownk

ford2600 wrote: »

In my experience feeling a little cool for first few km usually works out best.

Agreed. If you're nice and toasty as you roll out of your driveway then the chances are you'll be a dripping ball of sweat within the hour - and a shivering mess on a cold decent.

Seanmk1

crosstownk wrote: »

Agreed. If you're nice and toasty as you roll out of your driveway then the chances are you'll be a dripping ball of sweat within the hour - and a shivering mess on a cold decent.

It's a naff, but running on the spot in the house before going out definitely works

C3PO

My Assos Airjack 851 made it's first appearance of the year this morning and I imagine I'll wear one for most spins from now until May. I have a number of them (bought either in sales or 2nd hand on here) and I find them brilliant for 8 months of the year! Highly recommened!

Sinbad_NI

Recently got a bioracer tempest top.
Claims to have water repelent as part of the weave rather than a DWR coating applied. Haven't had it long enough to fully test that claim but looks good under the tap so far.
Good down to - 5 I'd guess with a decent base layer. Also lovely and soft (hate hard shells personally).
Think they do a tempest protect if you want a level warmer than the standard tempest.

gaffmaster

I went through last winter with a Galibier Mistral jacket and a base layer underneath. A short sleeve base layer was fine most of the time, a long sleeve one was worn when it got really cold. The Mistral is a very warm, water proof jacket, which is best suited to the depths of winter.

I recently got a Castelli Gabba LS/SS convertible jacket which is perfect for this time of year with a light short sleeve base layer underneath.

I have a pair of decent winter bib-tights, seal skin waterproof socks and waterproof overshoes (belts and braces!). You can also wrap your socks in tin foil for extra warmth but I've yet to try this.

I've very little hair so the skull cap is essential for me. A buff around the neck, which can be pulled over the ears under the helmet on the coldest days.

Where I really feel the cold is in my hands. On a couple of rides last winter, I had to stop because I couldn't feel my fingers and braking was dangerous. They were wet days where there was flurries of snow up high. My next investment will be warm waterproof gloves. Perhaps seal skins, unless there's a better option out there?

crosstownk

gaffmaster wrote: »

You can also wrap your socks in tin foil for extra warmth but I've yet to try this.

I tried this once. I'm not sure if made any difference but when I got home and took of my shoes there were hundreds of tiny broken bits of tin foil inside the shoe and stuck to my socks. Way too messy. Maybe I used crap tin foil!

gaffmaster wrote: »

Where I really feel the cold is in my hands. On a couple of rides last winter, I had to stop because I couldn't feel my fingers and braking was dangerous. They were wet days where there was flurries of snow up high. My next investment will be warm waterproof gloves. Perhaps seal skins, unless there's a better option out there?

My hands suffer from the cold too. Since I started using liner gloves under my winter gloves I've noticed a massive improvement.

run_Forrest_run

crosstownk wrote: »

I tried this once. I'm not sure if made any difference but when I got home and took of my shoes there were hundreds of tiny broken bits of tin foil inside the shoe and stuck to my socks. Way too messy. Maybe I used crap tin foil!

exact same thing happened to me, I even thought it was a prank that some boardsie played on me such was the mess when I took my shoes off

Mercian Pro

Tried my Mistral jacket with a short-sleeved jersey this morning rather than the usual thermal base layer. Worked really well at first when it was about 6 or 7 degrees but I ended up unzipping on the way home when it must have been about 12 degrees. Might revert to the thermals, jersey and gillet for the next outing in similar conditions as they offer more options.
Wore a pair of Lomo neoprene gloves that I had bough for really wet rides but they worked well as mid-weight gloves in the dry.

Sinbad_NI

I got a pair of these Parentini P.5000 gloves last winter,really like them for the coldest mornings, warm but still lots of feel.
http://www.parentini.com/en/333/613/p-5000-thermal-windtex-gloves
They also do a warmer version with neoprene on the fingers, can't comment on them though
http://www.parentini.com/en/333/614/p-5100-thermal-windtex-gloves

Parentini also do the excellent Mossa jersey / jacket. Great if your out riding hard in maybe +5 to +15, not so good for easier runs if it's cold though. For those colder (or easier) days I believe the Mossa2 is what you need. Apparently one of the warmest jackets out there, fully waterproof softshell.

mossym

Sinbad_NI wrote: »

Great if your out riding hard in maybe -5 to +15, not so good for easier runs if it's cold though. .

no offense, but saying something is good over a 20 degree swing seems very unbelieveable that's the same as saying shorts and a jersey will do fine all year round from 0C to 20C.

there is no way something that is light enough to be okay at working hard at 15C is going to be enough at -5, and likewise if you are warm at -5 then you'll cook in it at 15C.

re-reading your post, was that supposed to be a ~? even than 5 and 15 are very different in terms of requirements