Need help with Winter layers
rumbataz
Posts: 796
It was quite chilly this evening when I went out for a short ride. It was also quite breezy but it wasn't raining. In terms of clothing I wore:
- Castelli skull cap under my helmet
- dhb base layer + soft-shell jacket
- bib tights
- dhb merino socks + my Asics gym trainers
- Specialized Element 1.5 gloves
- dhb Buff
So, with all that my head stayed warm, the buff helped keep most of my face nice and warm, my feet were fine as were my legs. My hands were also fine.
My main problem was that my arms were very cold as was my torso to a lesser extent.
Is it just a matter of adding one more layer like a jersey? Or am I doing all of this completely wrong? I imagine it's going to get somewhat colder over the coming few weeks so I want to understand layers better and stay warm.
- Castelli skull cap under my helmet
- dhb base layer + soft-shell jacket
- bib tights
- dhb merino socks + my Asics gym trainers
- Specialized Element 1.5 gloves
- dhb Buff
So, with all that my head stayed warm, the buff helped keep most of my face nice and warm, my feet were fine as were my legs. My hands were also fine.
My main problem was that my arms were very cold as was my torso to a lesser extent.
Is it just a matter of adding one more layer like a jersey? Or am I doing all of this completely wrong? I imagine it's going to get somewhat colder over the coming few weeks so I want to understand layers better and stay warm.
0
Comments
-
Fairly similar to you, however when it get down to low singles figures I'll wear a base layer, merino wool intermediate layer then the soft shell.
Always wear over shoes over my cycling shoes with the airholes in the soles taped up with electrical tape.
Skull cap under helmet when the temperature drops below 5 degrees, a cycling cap 6-12 degrees or so0 -
When you say short ride, how short are we talking? Sometimes you just need to warm up, what imo you don't want to do is come out of the house feeling hot (temperature wise) as this will normally mean you'll get too hot when you start pedaling.Trainer Road Blog: https://hitthesweetspot.home.blog/
Cycling blog: https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.com/
Blog: https://supermurphtt2015.wordpress.com/
TCTP: https://supermurph.wordpress.com/0 -
+1 for the above warm up time,
Secondly keep your core warm, if your hands/toes anything are going cold it is a sign your core isn't warm enough and is taking blood away from the extremities. Try and seal all the gaps too (ankles and wrists) with the outerwear and not just rely on your socks.
Layers are very personal and also dependable on the weather. What was cold, the ambient air temp? the wind? or the rain?.
It may be worth just grabbing some arm warmers (personal preference is castelli nanoflex for under a jacket or for those spring days)
My systems depend on the ride too, speed/effort etc but as an example
As a layering system, with the exception of skiing when body armour adds a layer. I will use a merino or Underarmour coldgear base, followed by my jacket or a light summer jersey and jacket. If it is windy or I feel arm warmers would be beneficial I'll take those *easy to carry, unlike a full LS jersey)
If it is really cold I will replace the light summer jersey with a LS winter one. Not very often do I need more than a single base layer but when I do I add a summer mesh.
In short, testing does the trick, some rides you will be too hot but you'll have learnt, some days will look bad then turn out to be ok and you'll be overdressed. But remember to keep your core warm0 -
I too ventured out last night for a moderately paced 15 mile loop. On my top I wore a LS base layer, a thermal jersey and a windstopper softshell. I wondered if I'd overdone it but at no point was my core too hot or cold. Unusually for me though my feet never really warmed up. Wooly Boolies and neoprene overshoes are usually good enough down to freezing; not sure what happened there as the temp was around 3c.
Still, glad I went out while it was cold but relatively calm and dry. Drove to work this morning in a blizzard of sorts
0 -
Thanks for all the responses - much appreciated! By short ride I mean about 15KM - but part of that is a long uphill climb and several sections where I can go quite fast. There's other sections where the road surface is terrible so I have to slow right down. So, it's a bit of a mix and parts of it get my heart-rate up quite high (160+ bpm).
At the end of the ride I feel I've had a nice little workout - around 450 calories burned.
My core layers usually are quite wet with sweat. My skull cap was quite damp yesterday. Hence, I imagine my body was quite warm.
But I've made a schoolboy error in terms of clothing that I thought I was wearing. Getting changed in a dimly-lit room before venturing out and rummaging around for cycling clothing layers, I thought I had put on my new dhb Aeron Full Protection Softshell jacket when, in fact, I put on a thin jersey with a full zip! Doh! Not wonder my arms and core were a little cold.0 -
This morning:
Head - skullcap, Air Attack helmet (not many vents), merino buff around my neck
Torso - Rapha s/s merino base layer, Sportful Fiandre NoRain jersey, Castelli Confronto jacket
Hands - Castelli Tempesta gloves
Legs - Castelli Velocissimo bib tights
Feet - merino 15cm socks, Shimano cheapie road shoes, Castelli Toe Thingies, Craft rain booties
Toasty. Had Biotex glove liners in my pocket just in case, didn't need 'em. If it went below zero, I'd be switching to a heavier neoprene overshoe, using unlined waist tights over Roubaix bibs and a long-sleeved base layer.0 -
It was quite chilly this evening when I went out for a short ride. It was also quite breezy but it wasn't raining. In terms of clothing I wore:
- Castelli skull cap under my helmet
- dhb base layer + soft-shell jacket
- bib tights
- dhb merino socks + my Asics gym trainers
- Specialized Element 1.5 gloves
- dhb Buff
So, with all that my head stayed warm, the buff helped keep most of my face nice and warm, my feet were fine as were my legs. My hands were also fine.
My main problem was that my arms were very cold as was my torso to a lesser extent.
Is it just a matter of adding one more layer like a jersey? Or am I doing all of this completely wrong? I imagine it's going to get somewhat colder over the coming few weeks so I want to understand layers better and stay warm.
Is your baselayer long sleeved? If not, there's your answer.0 -
His problem was that he'd put the wrong jersey on in the dark....
Rumba... did you ask the question before you'd taken the kit off ? Because I think I would have spotted my mistake by then at least ?0 -
get a wool or merino wool long sleeved base layer and if it drops into single digits minus figures wear a gilet underneath your top layer.Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
Thanks for all the responses - much appreciated! By short ride I mean about 15KM - but part of that is a long uphill climb and several sections where I can go quite fast. There's other sections where the road surface is terrible so I have to slow right down. So, it's a bit of a mix and parts of it get my heart-rate up quite high (160+ bpm).
At the end of the ride I feel I've had a nice little workout - around 450 calories burned.
My core layers usually are quite wet with sweat. My skull cap was quite damp yesterday. Hence, I imagine my body was quite warm.
But I've made a schoolboy error in terms of clothing that I thought I was wearing. Getting changed in a dimly-lit room before venturing out and rummaging around for cycling clothing layers, I thought I had put on my new dhb Aeron Full Protection Softshell jacket when, in fact, I put on a thin jersey with a full zip! Doh! Not wonder my arms and core were a little cold.
Bizarre.0 -
His problem was that he'd put the wrong jersey on in the dark....
Rumba... did you ask the question before you'd taken the kit off ? Because I think I would have spotted my mistake by then at least ?
Nope. It was after I had got back, changed and showered. The jersey looks almost exactly like the Aeron jacket - the Aeron jacket is a lot thicker though!
It was much better yesterday when I went with three layers (all full-sleeved): core/base, jersey and the dhb Aeron jacket this time - no cold torso or arms.0 -
I think I've just ordered that jersey - I already have the jacket - so I'll watch out for confusing the two.. ;-)0
-
My attire for a 50 mile ride yesterday, avg temp of 0 deg C.
Winter cap for my head, snood for my neck and face, DHB gloves.
Rapha long sleeved merino base layer under a Gabba 2 jacket.
Castelli Nanoflex bib shorts and leg warmers.
DHB merino socks and Northwave winter cycling shoes.
At the end of the ride I am warm, the only cold part is my toes. The start is cold until I'm warmed up and I try to keep stops to a bare minimum as I still sweat and do get cold quick once stopped.
Outside at those temps is still 100 times better than being stuck inside on the turbo.0
