I think that 1 or 2 deg above freezing and wet is by far the most dangerous weather to be isolated in. Being minus 5 or even lower but dry seems not to be a problem. Great information Josh and good to see your really useful channel as it's helping me and 'everyday' riders loads
Great vid, feels like winter lasts so long in the UK so kit like this is hugely important. Amazed you're not wearing the Shimano boots though - overshoes are ok but those boots are another level! Transformed my perspective on winter riding for sure. Ask Rich he's succumbed to them now.😁
Good info there 👍 Always a hustle with clothing in cold shitty weather. Been out on an overnight bikepacking ride this weekend with different kinds of of weather. Sun and a cold northern wind turned in to snowstorm and gusty winds. As usual I ended up moist from sweating after a couple of sections of hikabike through deep snow. Merino as a first layer and a windproof outer is key to stay warm in conditions like that. And a cozy downbag to stay comfy during the night. It went down to -10°C during the night with a bleak sun peking through when I woke up this morning. Wore a pair of Lake winterboots to keep my feet warm. They are super comfy and SPD compatible so you can run clipless during winter and still have cozy warm toes 🙂
Great insight to what your cold winter set up is Josh, I've got those dhb Lab gloves and very impressive they are, hopefully start getting bit warmer soon.
Many thanks for the tips - those wet cold conditions are tough, especially for multiday rides. Nb have found large waterproof alpine overmitts, such as the outdoor research shells, can be worn over inner gloves. These help can keep your hands dryish and warm all day as long as tucked under the jacket but are still ok to ride in. Plastic bread bags over the socks can help block the water leaks that come in slowly from under the overshoes. A cap with a longer peak can help keep the rain out of your eyes and/or off your glasses.
yes I have a pair of the OS over mitts, they work in an emergency but I find they restrict hand movements a bit too much for cycling. Not sure I agree with the plastic bags around feet... we spend loads of money on breathable kit so putting a non breathable bag on your feet makes no sense to me. As long as your feet are warm its fine for them to be a bit damp. Not a fan of long peaks personally as they obscure your vision.
Even at freezing, I still build up heat and sweat - even with venting. Do you find yourself changing your base layer or do you leave it on until you stop for sleep?
The Jacket and Jersey are fairly packable given the level of waterproofness. They wouldn't fit in a rear jersey pocket easily, but if you have a frame bag or similar then no problem to roll them up and fit them in
Great tips for easy flat crusing but you would be a sweaty mess if you would try to do hill repeats at pace in that kit. 😂. The real challenge is to find kit for that. Cheers from USA.
Good point. From my military days, when in the hills working hard (not cycling, but the same principal) we found that x2 next to skin base layers were great. It created a sort of 'micro climate' trapping in heat for warmth but at the same time dumping excess heat' when we stopped you literally saw the steam rising from the fabric layers - of course bear in mind, cycling 'lizard layers' may not work because they seem to be too restrictive, so base layers with room for a bit of movement required. If conditions were uber freezing, a simple pertex windshield (not waterproof) would be next and that was plenty good enough for sub zero temps with the associated work rate. The very instant you stopped, warm kit overlayers were essential...Later in life, I dont really do this because I am simply not up to the same hard, maximal intensity efforts over a prolonged time duration. It might be worth considering as part of the layering system though... 👍🏻 I am a huge advocate of the humble gilet by the way... a great way of keeping a bit of extra heat at the core where needed and ability to dump heat fast via the open throat / armpit areas...
