Best bit of kit

secretsam

What's the one bit of bike kit that you bought, not thinking you'd need it, and is now indispensable? I'd go with a gilet, mine's the most versatile thing I've ever used, but before I had it I thought they were pointless :shock: !

fenix

Gilets and armwarmers are both awesome.

LukeTC

Yeah I would have to agree with Armwarmers, at first I thought why? But on days where you commute in and it's chilly and then ride back in the blazing sun it's just such a good piece of kit.

kingstongraham

At the moment, merino beanie.

bendertherobot

Craft windstopper beanie

mrfpb

I've never bought anything "not thinking I'd need it"

I came off my bike last night and ruined my Vulpine trousers and badly grazed my legs. My wife was asking if I had any other injuries this morning. I said "look at my hands", she said "theres nothing wrong with them." "Yes" I said "I love my gloves!"

So my Protective winter gloves are my best bit of kit. Had a look at them this morning and they are slightly scuffed on the palms, but still essentially intact.

keef66

Castelli Difesa cap. Used to think that wearing a cap under a helmet was a bit odd, but bought one in a Wiggle sale with a load of other stuff. Now I rarely go out without it between October and April. It's thin but warm, windproof and water repellent, with a fold down flap for my ears. The peak keeps the rain off my specs and can shield my eyes from oncoming headlights. And I think it looks quite dashing...

fat daddy

sportful reflex jacket

weighs pretty much nothing and screws up into a ball that fits in a jersey pocket ... effectively does nothing other than remove the wind .. there is no thermal quality at all, allowing you to to just take the edge off at either 7am with arm warmers or 4pm over just a ss top .... or not at all

love it

mlgt

The neck buff has been pretty useful on colder days for me. Can roll up around the neck or further up to cover the face.

Been great on the colder morning rides.

keef66

That's my second-best bit of kit too. My winter buff which is polartec fleece one end and the usual polester stuff at the other; very versatile thing.

fat daddy

I don't get along with my buff it makes by glasses steam up

keef66

fat daddy wrote:

I don't get along with my buff it makes by glasses steam up

Just don't pull it right up over your nose. I've had ice forming on the polartec bit when I've been breathing through it. It works a bit like a heat exchanger.

Man Of Lard

Best: merino buff
Second best: my other merino buff

keef66

I'm picking up on the fact you might like your merino buffs?

I had a brief dallyance with a merino baselayer I found in TK Maxx. It's undeniably warm, even when wet, and doesn't smell of anything apart from slightly damp wool, but it's a bit itchy and I don't find it wicks too well. Maybe it's too coarse a grade of merino? These days I rely on synthetic base layers which do seem to wick extremely well.

mrfpb

I love (almost) all my merino kit. My first was an icebreaker top, but I've also got dhb longjohns, Endura baa baa socks, merino Buff, two Rapha Henley tops and assorted others. They don't whiff after a four hour ride, and keep their shape well.

The only merino items I don't rate ae the Rapha merino gloves with the leather palms. They just don't lkeep my hands warm at all. I've also just noticed a tear in them at the base of the thumb after my 2nd winters use.

pblakeney

Prescription lenses.
Being able to see clearly is a revelation.

kingstongraham

PBlakeney wrote:

Prescription lenses.
Being able to see clearly is a revelation.

And you bought them not thinking you'd need them??

Man Of Lard

keef66 wrote:

I'm picking up on the fact you might like your merino buffs?

I had a brief dallyance with a merino baselayer I found in TK Maxx. It's undeniably warm, even when wet, and doesn't smell of anything apart from slightly damp wool, but it's a bit itchy and I don't find it wicks too well. Maybe it's too coarse a grade of merino? These days I rely on synthetic base layers which do seem to wick extremely well.

Yup, they're ace. Slightly more versatile than the merino balaclava & merino beanie and I just bought a third one today (shop soiled Endura, £4 - seemed rude not to - it's in with the wool wash now)

As for merino baselayers - I have Aldi ones, MountainWarehouse ones & Decathlon ones - none of them are itchy in the slightest. If it's cold enough for the merino to be on, I'm probably not after much wicking performance - but it's never gone cold & clammy on me.

pblakeney

KingstonGraham wrote:

PBlakeney wrote:

Prescription lenses.
Being able to see clearly is a revelation.

And you bought them not thinking you'd need them??

Slight prescription. An improvement rather than absolutely necessary.

luv2ride

Sorry can't narrow down to just one item
1)Defeet woolie boolie socks.
2) buff
3) sportful beanie/ Castelli thermo headband
4) Oakley road prizm Jawbreaker glasses
Difficult to choose between those. Oh, and a Sportful no rain stretch jacket which tends to always come out with me, just in case, tiny pack size and properly waterproof (somehow managed to acquire two - one in black and one in white :oops: )

rick_chasey

It was the endura 3/4s that had lasted me 10 winters, but they died this winter.

I'm so impressed with my rapha pro jacket. It has really been everything I need a winter top to be.

secretsam

keef66 wrote:

That's my second-best bit of kit too. My winter buff which is polartec fleece one end and the usual polester stuff at the other; very versatile thing.

+1 for the winter buff. Super

vpnikolov

GripGrab Balaclava
Sportful arm and leg warmers

Those three... best stuff I ever bought and so versatile! I can use the balaclava only as a neckwarmer as well.

godders1

Belgian winter cycling cap from Prendas. Keeps my head warm but thanks to a slight gap on either side where the side of the peak meets the ear warming bit, it doesn't cause overheating.

Currently on sale too!

https://www.prendas.co.uk/products/casi ... winter-hat

roubaixmb

Rapha merino buff

bigmat

My roubaix 3/4 team shorts are pretty awesome, have had a lot of wear over the last few years. Prefer them to full tights on all but the coldest days. Need to get some new ones really, something nice and black that will go with everything...

davesnothere

Godders1 wrote:

Belgian winter cycling cap from Prendas. Keeps my head warm but thanks to a slight gap on either side where the side of the peak meets the ear warming bit, it doesn't cause overheating.

Currently on sale too!

https://www.prendas.co.uk/products/casi ... winter-hat

Might give one of those a try for a tenner, thanks

I've got sealskinz skull cap thing, head is always warm but it gets very sweaty. Sadly i don't have any hair to wick away sweat

smoggysteve

North face merino wool base layer. Warm even when wet

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Best I can think of that I've got is my Aldi merino beanie.

Top of my window shopping list of what might be the best is some studded tyres.