Preparing for a bike ride in cooler weather creates the age old dilemma of how much clothing does one put on? Too much and you over heat and lose strength and too little and you get cold and reduce your ability to perform at the optimum level. Getting the right balance of how much to wear also needs to take into account there is a warming up and cooling down phase of the ride. A lot of people starting out in cycling get put off with the whole Lycra scene of recreational cycling. The thought of having skin- tight clothing does not appeal to everyone. The benefits of being fitted out with the tight fitting gear far outweighs the risk of looking dorky. The tight gear is designed to help eliminate the risk of chaffing and to keep warmth in and dispel sweat and allow for the skin to breath. Clothing that does not allow for these things to happen will eventually (depending on the time on the bike and distance to be covered) cause a degree of discomfort and chaffing of the tender skin. Riding in the colder weather requires clothing that will reduce the amount of cold air that gets between the skin and clothing in order to keep in the warmth. Snug-fitting undershirts and thermals become a second skin and having an outer coating of a wind breaking material across the chest but more open across the back assists in keeping the warmth in but allows the body to breathe. Keeping the core of the body and the extremities such as feet and hands warm is crucial. The legs and arms can tolerate cooler conditions when the core and extremities are kept warm and allowed to breathe properly. This can be simply achieved by placing material that is wind tolerant, like a newspaper or a plastic shopping bag, across the chest and allowing the back to breathe freely. Many avid watchers of The Tour de France would remember at the top of the mountain stages where the peaks were snow capped, riders being handed folded newspaper for the fast decent, to keep their core body from getting cold. When they reached the flatter parts of the stages the newspaper would be discarded. There are many new materials these days that are very light in weight and high in wind breaking capacity. These come in the shape of vests, shoe covers and gloves and allow a freedom of movement to ride without compromise to comfort. Suffer from cold knees and arms? Removeable leg and arm warmers are a godsend. I find the best way to select what to wear is to look at what others are doing and be bold in asking many questions before drawing any conclusions. In all cycling ventures we would hope and pray that a memorable experience will keep you coming back with a thirst for more despite the colder conditions pressing in. See you on the road soon, God willing
