Wet n Wild cycling in Canberra winter

I love my Pearl Izumi winter gloves.

All I can add is don’t skimp on winter cycling clothing. Quality costs, but ultimately will work better for longer. Ground Effect stuff is brilliant. Stick to cycling name brands. It may cost you more but, as per the above, well worth it.

Looking to replace my winter cycling gloves. Happy to pay up to say $80 or more for them. I ride instead of drive to work and they’re ‘paid off’ in 2 weeks, I get healthier and I can do my bit for the environment

IMO regular all-season cycling in Canberra is most comfortable if you have a range of layers in many different weights and lengths.

Even before the current dry spell, cold was always a bigger consideration than rain. The difference between clothing required for -5 and 3 degrees is massive! So, if you are cycling to work at 8am in July and coming home at 5pm the temperature will be pretty different.

To a jersey and knicks add/subtract as required…

– Leg/knee warmers (from memory it’s recommended to have your knees covered if temp is below 14deg)
– Arm warmers
– Polypropylene long-sleeve thermals
– Light weight polar fleece
– Activent vest and/or jacket
– Thermal skull cap and/or windstopper ear band
– Super-dooper warm and wind-proof gloves
– Shoe/boot covers

Don’t buy a long-sleeved shell jacket unless it has armpit zips because you will cook.

Groundeffect’s windstopper socks are worth every cent!

An interesting take and discussion on cycling clothing here – http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/2008/08/cycle-chic-guide-to-bike-commuting-2.html

Jeez some of you guys sound soft – If I went into that much preparation and cost, it would double my expenditure and time getting ready for riding then getting ready for work at the work end.

Mind you though – I only ride 16km in the mornings when its that cold, maybe some of you guys ride in excess of that just for your to work commute.

But then I worked in commercial kitchens for almost a decade so I embrace the cold, evenwhen its in the form of frost on my goatee.

I laugh when i see people arrive at work who have ridden 5km in and are fully kitted out with the whole kit’n’kaboodle. Very amusing.

a car, with a heater? 😉

Still in fingerless gloves and short knicks, but I have switched to long sleeve thicker jerseys.

Best rain gear ever was a cycling poncho, haven’t seen them locally for years.
Totally waterproof and not at all clammy.

Warm socks, and a spare pair for the trip home.

Rode through a couple of winters in sandals, the secret was layers of socks, Ground Effect windstopper Lucifers on the outside. Sandals don’t get soaked like shoes, just change the socks.

Qbn Gal said :

Having a quiet chuckle over PURSUTE’s comment about rain! Are we expecting any?

Yep! Finally. looks like something GOOD is headed this way, maybe starting Sunday (it keeps shifting around), could be earlier, might be later. But we are at this stage looking at the first really good rain in ages.

I’ve got an excellent Netti brand jacket that is yellow and black with a reflective piping that is great for wearing in the cold (or rain). It is the standard plastic (?) outside with a mesh inner liner to help stop sweating. Has velcro tab things on the arms to help stop the wind getting up there and a combination of a zipup front with velcro as well. I can wear just a t-shirt underneath when down to about zero, it is only when it gets to the minus deg temps that I need to supplement with a sloppy joe.

I have a couple of pairs (different brands) of cycling specific tights. One is the Daddy Long Legs version by Ground Effect. they have a ‘patch on the front of the legs that makes them warmer against the cold wind. However I reckon the quality of the rest of the lycra is not a good (not as thick or warm) as my other pair of Cannondale tights that I bought from Londsdale St Cyclery about 5 years ago. Neither of these tights have a chamois (padded crotch area) so you are supposed to wear ‘normal’ padded lycra bike shorts underneath. You can get long tights with a chamois.

I wear a thermal long sleeve polypropolene ‘base layer’ top under my top. You can get these at ‘adventure/wilderness/camping’ stores such as Paddy Pallin or workwear shops such as Workin Gear, cost is about $30-40. Short sleeve versions and long johns are available too. Some people swear by wool but the equivalent wool product is two or sometimes three times more expensive, I haven’t worn any so I can’t comment on their quality but I doubt if they are twice as warm as PP clothing.

I have a good set of shoe covers made by Louis Garneau, not cheap, about $70 but worth every cent in winter. They are zip up and you wear them over your (cycling) shoes and they are made of what looks like to be wetsuit material. Ridden in minus 6deg with thin office type socks and not felt the cold. I bought these from Ride Shop in Braddon. Some of the other brands I’ve looked at in other shops look a bit cheap and I don’t think they would be as good.

For gloves I wear layers depending on how cold it is. This morning I just wore a pair of Netti long finger gloves that were actually only just good enough. For colder mornings I just use ski gloves (look for specials at outdoor clothing shop at Brand Depot – if you pay more than $15 you are being ripped off!). For real cold mornings (minus 6deg) I wear polypropolene glove liners (available from motorbike shops for about $15) then the Netti gloves and then the ski gloves.

For my head I have a Netti skull cap that is made of fleecy lined lycra (should be available from most bike shops) that I don’t wear until it gets to about zero degrees and then I have a polyprop balaclava for the real cold mornings. Obviously a helmet is worn over these. The balaclava comes in handy for those bank robberies on cool mornings too…just kidding! I also have a neckwarmer (not sure what it is made of, polyprop too maybe?) that I bought from a ski shop and goes around the neck and on the chin (will go over the mouth too but hard to breath and it gets all damp from breath).

Clothing (and bike parts and accessories in general) can be purchased a lot cheaper from overseas shops online (UK is best, USA is too dear for freight/post) but it’s hard to workout sizing as it varies from brand to brand and you will need to pay the postage/freight if you want to send stuff back so you may be better off to pay more and get to try the clothing on at a local shop.

As the first poster said, you’ll want blockage (rain and wind), not thermal warmth. I’m a skiier, and for rain blockage with sweat venting, it’s got to be Goretex. And for superior sweat ventage, pay the extra and get Goretex XCR.

Get a thin shell, and look after it! Wash in stuff for Goretex NOT detergeant which’ll wreck it. Washing’s essential, but correct washing is even more-so.

Tracky daks, skivvy

The problem with the cycling brands is price!

My commute is a bit long for the pushie now, but last year (Bonython to Woden) I used:

night-vis bomber jacket from Seears = $39
gloves with silicon pads from Aldi = $6
ear/headband from sportsmans warehouse = $5
“performax” leggings (el cheapo “skins”) from sportsmans = about $40
tshirt/shorts/runners = already had them.

http://www.torpedo7.com.au/division/bike/menu/03/title/Clothing

I’m also a ‘cyclist’ so what I wear commuting is what I’ll were when I’m out riding recreationally. You’re number one enemy is wind closely followed by sweat.

Base layer: I’ve got Grount Effect and Cannondale (from Lonsdale St Cyclery) synthetic/merino wool singlets. These are the most useful bits of “extra” gear I have. Perfect just under a technical-t-shirt/jersey on those inbetween days or cooler mornings and again priceless in the depths of winter when it’s minus out. Before, I’ve used polypro thermals, although they stink much faster than wool.

Mid-layer: I normally just use a normal summer jersey for autumn, but if it’s real cold a super-thin fleece jumper or more preferably one of my more traditional long sleeve merino wool jerseys. The advantages of merino wool is that it’s still breathable, it’s really warm, it doesn’t itch and you can sweat for months and not have to wash it. My wool jerseys come from So1o and Portland Cyclewear. Thin fleece layer from Kathmandu/Paddy Pallin.

Outer-layer: I’ve got 2. As mentioned a ‘cycling-cut’ wind & waterproof layer that’s thin, breathable. You get what you pay for here. I’ve had a couple of cheap ones that tore and weren’t very breathable so be wary before you buy.

Vest & Arm warmesr: I use a specific for cycling wind-proof vest with arm warmers thoughout the whole autumn-winter-spring season. The windproof vest keeps my core comfortably warm whilst allowing enough airflow so that I don’t sweat too much. The arm warmers can easily be pulled down/off whilst riding as you or the weather warms up. In winter I’ll also wear the base layers.

Legs/Feet: I don’t feel the cold on my legs, so it’s normally just knee-warmers for me. I do however recommend leggings- which I wear on super cold days. Wet feet/cold aren’t fun. Cheapest option: 2 pairs of socks>plastic bags>shoes. If you use ‘cycling shoes’ then booties and/or toe warmers are a good option. Alternatively you can buy wind/waterproof socks as well.

Gloves: For the spring/autumn I use my long fingered MTB gloves and a silk liner underneath. Winter it’s again about windproof. I also have Specialized Radiant gloves which are really more like ski gloves- I used them when I was in EU.

Rain: Full Fenders/mud guards are a great addition- even if it’s not raining. If someone’s decided to water their garden or spilled who-knows-what or the remnants of rain on the road- they will not only keep your butt/back dry but also your feet.

Glasses: You can use hardware store safety glasses or buy into a pair of cycling sunnies with changeable lenses, but keeping that cold wind out of the eyes is a big help.

Head: There are thin cycling beanies designed to fit under your helmet- I don’t like them because they’re too warm for me. Earmuffs (karate-kid-esque band of fabric) work best IME… I use non-windproof ones, however you can spend the extra $$ for windproof if you want. I also use traditional cycling caps- whilst not good for the ears, they’re good for keeping a bit of extra warmth.

Finally, if it’s raining or really cold- Shower caps that I’ve taken from Hotels.
You can buy specific helmet covers, but a Shower cap works just as well. They block out wind and rain and fit easily over my helmet.

Check out roadbikereview.com and head to the commuting board for more tips (use search function first).

General rule: you should feel a little cold when starting out, overdressing leads to sweat and that sweat means you’ll be cold later on.

All of this stuff costs quite a bit of money, but my tip would be to substitute other things with what you have now. I started using my bushwalking gore-tex first and polypro thermals that I already owned. You may have to live through a few cold rides to start with to figure out what you need… no need to rush out and buy everything at once 🙂

Good luck with the winter commuting and hope that you keep it up. Oh and for future reference, the best time to buy summer gear is now and winter gear… end of last winter.

I bought this jacket last year, and I’m toasty warm down to about -5. The main points I looked for were:

– Hi vis (at least hi-vis strips)
– Windproof
– Waterproof

The rest of the site is superb too.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=11874

This has already been mentioned several times above, but
Gloves, gloves, gloves.
Make sure you get one that covers the entire hand and not leave the finger tips bare, ’cause Canberra’s winter air can be painful when you’re traveling fast!

This isn’t specific to any season but has anyone mentioned mud guards for the wet?
Saves you from the I-just-soiled-my-pants look.

johnny_the_knife said :

I use gear I purchased from Ground Effect in New Zealand (www.groundeffect.co.nz) for Winter riding.

I’ve got some of the wind foil stuff from Ground Effect and that’s been fine down to -4 or 5 – and that’s without wearing thermals underneath.
Leggings are enough for the legs and a headband/ear warmer are enough for the head. I’ve never gone for the balaclava look – it might scare a few dog walkers.

“Having a quiet chuckle over PURSUTE’s comment about rain! Are we expecting any?”

Just a bit of wishfull thinking. Considering how wet I got camped at the Mont 24 on Friday night, not entirely missplaced.

thermal leggings + shorts, while not fashionable, are a much better alternative to long trousers for riding i find. and they dry quickly if it’s wet.

as for the top i just have a high vis windproof/showerproof (not really rainproof though) jacket, and usually end up wearing a thermal longsleeve top and thin fleece under it, even on the coldest mornings.

as soon as you ride about 500m-1k your legs will be plenty warm, and if you push it a bit the rest of you will be too.

I made some water proof shorts years ago. They keep my shorts dry on the rare occasions it rains (not bike shorts!), don’t take up much space in a bag, and legs can handle the cold.

That said, I’m pretty soft these days and haven’t ridden the pushie in the rain for a while.

Big fan of a thermal top with a vest over it for the top half.

I found out this morning that jumpers are a necessity.
I generally dont get cold but today was the first time this year.

Gloves are a necessity, my feet get cold but not uber cold – and I may invest in booties and a thermal top, but thats about it. I rode 16km, but dont really get *that* cold, just the start of the trip – and my hands.

First time I rode in to work was last year and arrived with frost on every forward facing surface – so anything less is not that bad.

I use gear I purchased from Ground Effect in New Zealand (www.groundeffect.co.nz) for Winter riding. You’ll want a good jacket to keep the wind out, leggings to keep your legs from getting cold and good gloves and socks. Ground Effect make a glove and sock material called Wind Foil which I have used down to -7 without any problems.

You’ll also want something to keep your ears from freezing off, and some clear glasses to keep the cold wind out of your eyes when riding in the dark and cold.

Arm warmers are good this time of year because you can just push them down to oyur wrists if you get a bit warm.

If you’d prefer to purchase locally from a physical shop, 2XU at DFO are a good bet.

Having a quiet chuckle over PURSUTE’s comment about rain! Are we expecting any?

I find cycle vests are great, over a long sleeve jersey. Keeps the worst of it off you while your body warms up without cooking you.

Cycling Specific clothing is fabulous for . . . . cycling. The cut is longer in the back to prevent riding up when hunched over, while still permitting ease of movement around your waist. Fabrics are designed to wick moisture that you generate away from your skin, and prevent water getting in.

For control of warmth first off, you can’t beat arm armers, they allow you to rollthem down or up as you need. Check the bike shops around Lonsdale Street, and on-line Ground Effect (http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/) is a NZ company which ships from Australia and will have the gear with you the next day from my experience. Great stuff, highly recommended and likely to be seen on cyclists all around the ACT.

I’ll be cheeky and suggest you buy a car with a heater… Problem solved.

Other than that, make goretex your friend.

Get yourself a set of leggings, a windproof vest and I wear lightweight snowboarding gloves. Check out Torpedo7 for some bargains.

wet suit booties for your shoes – keeps the frost off your toes.

Apart from that I wear gloves, trackies, hoodie and high vis

My winter wear is all by Netti. Windproof vest, longsleeve fleece lined top, long pants with windproof panels on the front. I do nothing for the ears, they just get cold but my boys have fine polarfleece headbands from kathmandu. Windproof gloves are a must. You will learn what layers you need. I get really hot really quickly so find I go more for stopping the wind that thick layers. The windproof stuff is really lightweight as well.

Agree with the first two, I find when I’m cycling I’m generating plenty of heat.

It’s keeping the wind and wet off that’s important.

Haven’t needed any extra layers just yet, but it won’t be long before my ears are supporting icicles.

Yes, something thin but effective against rain and wind – it should also pack away in a small space for those sunny autumn afternoons. Cycling specific jackets will also be tailored to suit and won’t get in the way or flap around too much.

My recomendation is something thin that will just block out the rain and the wind. That way you can taylor the layers you wear under it to the weather.

There are heaps of these sort of jackets available from outdoor/cycle/camping shops.

I also swear by a good set of long winter nicks as my legs are too scrawny to warm up on cold Canberra days.