Gearing Up: What to Wear

It was chilly out there this morning, a reminder that, while spring is here, it's not summer yet.

Selecting riding clothing can be tricky. You want to be warm enough, but not too hot. You need to protect yourself from the weather, but be comfortable.

Step 1: Base Layer

The most important attribute of your base layer is that it should not hold sweat. In cool weather, retained sweat will make you cold. In hot weather, retained sweat may give you a rash. 

In short, your base layer should not be cotton. Athletes refer to "killer cotton" for the above reasons.

Having said that, I wear cotton underwear, and have never experienced a problem.

Step 2: Outer Layer (Warm Weather)

When it's warm out, the main rule is to be comfortable. A lot of guys like to go shirtless, but on a sunny day it's easy to lose track of time and end up with a bad sunburn. Unless your ride is limited, wear a shirt. Even if you go shirtless, take one with you in case you want to stop at the store to refill your water.

Shorts and short sleeves are ideal unless you're very sensitive to the sun. If you're not likely to burn in the time you'll be out, direct sun exposure is beneficial because it produces vitamin D, converting some of the cholesterol in your capillaries. You'll get more vitamin D from sun exposure than you will from supplement pills, which may not contain any vitamins at all.

If you wear long pants, wear something with elastic cuffs, or use a rubber band to bind the ankles, especially on the right. You don't want your pants catching in your chain.

Step 3: Outer Layer (Cool Weather)

It can be tricky to pick the right clothes in spring and fall, when one half of your commute can be below freezing, and the other half can feel like summer. 

I've found the best combination to be a lightly-lined coat, a warm liner or front-zip sweatshirt, and a pair of neoprene cycling pants. I've got a thin beanie that fits under my helmet, and a pair of light earmuffs that connect behind my neck, as well as a pair of light lined gloves.

You'll definitely want a backpack, panniers, or some other type of carrier for this weather so you can stow your cool-weather gear in the afternoon. You can see my rear storage in the picture at right.

Having a front zipper on your outer layer is important in this weather so you can adapt as it warms up.

Step 4: Cold weather

It's April, and most of us don't want to think about winter anymore, but here's a brief overview of how to stay warm when it's cold.

When it's more than a couple of degrees below freezing, I trade my cycling tights for lined ski pants. These suit me down to about -25°C. If it gets much below that, or if it's very windy, I add a pair of longjohns, which keep me warm into the minus thirties.

On top, I wear a long-sleeved polyester T-shirt (no cotton!) under a winter coat with a fleece liner.

When it's very cold, I skip the helmet and wear a full balaclava under a heavy knit toque, with a pair of ski goggles to shield my eyes. That's an addition from this past winter, and it's a lifesaver. Previously, I'd squint against the wind and blink constantly to keep my eyelashes from freezing together. On my hands, I wear heavy ski mitts.

Step 5: Your Feet

I've neglected to mention foot coverings so far, mainly because I wear the same thing year-round. I work in an industrial environment, so I have to wear safety boots. I buy safety hikers so they're wearable elsewhere, and I find they're good in any weather. Even though they're insulated, my feet don't get too hot in summer, and my commute is short enough that my feet don't freeze in winter. If you're commuting a long distance in very cold weather, insulated rubber boots are worth the investment.

More important than your shoes are your socks. Once again, avoid killer cotton or you'll have blisters before you've gone 10 km. For socks, nothing is better than wool. My favourite socks by far are Wigwam Trail Mix Fusion socks that I get from Mountain Equipment Co-Op. They've got a polypropylene liner built in, and they're comfortable from -30°C to +30°C. And they last. 

Now that you're geared up, next time I'll start talking about your bike. I'm still taking it easy on the tail end of this cold, so today's stats reflect my minimum commute distance:

Ride to work this morning: 5.87 km

April month to date: 257.85 km

2016 year to date: 874.75 km

Total on this bike: 8988.34 km