It's starting to cool off now, and that means starting to think a little bit more about what to wear when riding the bike. Cycling in Toronto isn't an all year activity for everyone, but it's very easy to have your bike commuting include 8 or 9 months per year. The challenge in this weather is keeping warm at the beginning of the ride, but not getting too hot and sweaty later on.
As long as it's not raining, October weather can be very comfortable, even ideal. With the right layers of clothing, the cool air can pass through when moving, keeping you cool, while providing enough insulation at the start and while stopped.
Here's my outfit for a day like today:
- light pants
- normal sport socks
- cycling shoes
- wool t-shirt
- old wool sweater
- helmet
- gloves
Today, was the first day I wore gloves. Bare hands would have been bearable, but I like to err on the side of warmth.
The wool t-shirt is the only thing I wore that I would consider special clothing. I'm sure other undershirts would be fine today, but I find the layers of wool to work out very well in terms of air flow at the right times. You can sometimes find wool t-shirts on sale, or find something similar at army surplus stores.
If in doubt, wear an extra layer and remove it half way through. It's worth a little bit of effort so you can enjoy this fresh, cool air.
Thanks to Pörrö for the photo, taken in Finland.
Comments
Aidan
softshell!
Wed, 10/24/2007 - 15:22I have a 30km commute, and the p.m. is much warmer than the a.m. What do you do? Layers , merino wool and softshells. With the right wardrobe, you can cycle all year; just also think of studded tires and lighting. Everything below I got at MEC.
I have a softshell jacket with a hood that fits under the helmet, softshell gloves of various thicknesses, softshell cycling booties and neoprene toe-covers. I have merino underwear and shirts, a helmet cover, various tights and long underwear. I have a windproof vest, and even have a couple of balaclavas and clear and shaded ski-goggles.
Softshells breathe, Gore doesn't, unless you are comatose or dead. The wardrobe is a bit of an investment, but cheaper than a car, and less frustrating than the TTC.
Anonymous (not verified)
Questions ...
Wed, 10/24/2007 - 16:11I commute wearing cycling-specific clothes (spandex shorts/tights, cycling shirts, etc), then shower when I get to work. My commute is reasonably short (maybe 10Km), but I tend to ride at a pretty decent pace.
My question -- do you guys change when you get to work. Or does wool breath well enough that you can wear what you ride in?
I've heard that wool has amazing breathing ability and doesn't hold odors ... but can you get through the day in the same clothes?
vic
stinky sheep
Wed, 10/24/2007 - 16:27I don't wear wool when cycling, so I can't really comment on its properties. I should really try it sometime though.
I sweat like crazy when I ride, in pretty much any weather. I always change a short while after I get to work (need to cool off first a bit). Even if my clothes didn't get stinky, I would still change for the sake of comfort.
In the fall and winter I have to be careful to make sure I hang my clothes up well to dry during the day so I don't have to wear wet clammy clothes on the way home.
darren
changing at work
Wed, 10/24/2007 - 16:28I always do a quick clean up in a bathroom (no shower) and change into new clothes. I follow this routine. I think if you sweat much, it's better to change. This all depends a lot on the cyclist!
I've heard that about wool too, but I'd say that wool just has its own odour when it's wet. Not a good one. In this kind of weather though, wool is breathable enough that I may sweat, but I stay dry.
-dj
Jun (not verified)
re: wool "I've heard that
Thu, 10/25/2007 - 12:21re: wool
"I've heard that wool has amazing breathing ability and doesn't hold odors ... but can you get through the day in the same clothes?"
It all depends on how tolerant your co-workers are.
I generally change out of my wool shirt or jersey at work, but the odour problem is limited enough that I can usually go a week before I have to wash it; much better than plastic jerseys. YMMV.
MEC wool stuff generally holds up well to machine wash and then lay flat to dry. Get the shirts; no need to spend extra on bike specific jerseys since putting things in the pockets will stretch them out anyway. I get the most use out of lightweight wool T-shirts, and wool socks, year round.
vic
My wardrobe
Wed, 10/24/2007 - 17:10To add to this....here's what I wore to work this morning:
This was quite comfortable. When I head out after work, I'll probably have the pants hiked up to cool my legs more, and maybe even skip the jacket.
I hope all this talk of fancy cycling clothing doesn't scare people off from commuting though. When it really comes down to it, you should just wear whatever you have and are comfortable with. Cotton t-shirts aren't necessarily as evil as some cyclists make them out to me.
Aidan
anti-perspirant/ anti-hair
Wed, 10/24/2007 - 17:59Darren, I read the routine you linked to, and agree with almost all of it. However, it is anti-perspirant that works for me, not deoderant: block the sweat the bacteria feeds on, not try to mask it with petro-chemical scents. Not sure which one is going to kill me quicker though: anti-p or deod. Many people, like me, are sensitive to petro-chemical scents.
Another trick is to shave or clip the hair under there (under anywhere...). Less hair is cooler, cooler is less sweaty, less sweaty is sweeter.
darren
deodorant
Wed, 10/24/2007 - 22:31Aidan, thanks for the shaving tip, but I don't think I'll be doing that any time soon. It would be, lets say, too time consuming for me. And I can't imagine the stubble.
Anyways, I get what you're saying about the antiperspirant, but I still don't like the idea. Before I started cycling often, I just used whatever big name deodorant. Then I found it really irritated my skin when I was sweating so often. So I now pay the big bucks for the organic deodorant. No irritation, and I hope no petrochemicals.
-dj
Svend (not verified)
Underdress
Wed, 10/24/2007 - 18:49I'd love the luxury of a shower at work, I know a few people who basically use their gym membership just for this.
For my ride, I underdress - wear as little as I can bear so I sweat less. On a warmer day I'll go shirtless but today I wore a regular cotton t-shirt and baggy shorts. The brisk weather feels good.
When it gets colder, I'll go with more layers of cotton or wool, I don't bother with hi tech bike fashion gear.
Ride a slower pace than you normally would, save the streetcar racing for the trip home.
Dr. Steph
Tech-wear free
Thu, 10/25/2007 - 13:07I love biking this time of year because I don't have to change when I get to work (unlike the summer). I only go 5km and have changed the way I think of my ride. I don't need to be fast and I enjoy the trip at my own pace.
Today I wore: clogs, wool socks, cotton pants, cotton/cashmere cardigan with a tshirt underneath and a softshell on top. I wore gloves and would have liked a short scarf for the beginning. I was just right.
All I needed to do was remuss my hair and I was good to go.
As for wool, it does wick moisture from the body as long as it's not overly processed. They used to be used as diaper soakers and the lanolin would pull the moisture from the diaper and keep the baby from being cold. They also helped kill the smell. So I'm sure it'll work for sweat.
Bamboo fibers are also good--they have anti-bacterial properties and the fiber is very eco-friendly.
However as long as it's dry I'm going to enjoy biking to work with only my lunch.
AnnieD
Just the thread I needed
Fri, 10/26/2007 - 10:11Thanks, this was exactly the information I needed. I'm off to shop for woollies now. I take it none of the wool-wearers have problems with itchiness?
darren
itch-free
Fri, 10/26/2007 - 16:05Annie, for the wool that sits against your skin, it's best to get "merino wool". It's soft. I don't find it itchy at all.
-dj
cyclistpaul
7 Degrees and Comfortable
Sun, 10/28/2007 - 17:54My last two commutes, last night from 0115 to 0308, thanks to an hour of OT, and this AM, 0930 - 1130, were darn cold, mostly from the 24 kph NW wind, rather than the actual temperature. I rode to work yesterday morning with just my cycling shorts and a short sleeve jersey, summer gloves, and regular socks in MTB shoes. Going home early this morning, I added a light jacket and tights. This AM, I tried out the idea of taking an emergency foil blanket, and cutting out the shape of your insole and putting it, shiny side up, under your insole. Seemed to work. Going home, my feet were getting to the point of frozen; coming to work, they cooled off then started to warm up; I guess it takes a while for the foot to warm up the thickness of the insole, so the foil can do its job. I brought my Hotronics Footwarmers, just in case this didn't work. And I wore my Goretex jacket back to work, as I was too cool up top with the light jacket, even though I was pushing pretty hard against the wind on the fixie.
Coming to work tomorrow should be the big test - 1C forecast. That'll be Hotronics and warmer gloves territory. At least, with all the forecasts for rain, I have completely missed it the last couple of days. There is nothing worse than rain when it is a few degrees above 0C, during a 2 hour commute. If you get wet, you get hyposthermic. Give me -2C with all the puddles frozen, and no rain; it is less damp, and actually feels warmer (to me).
All is not lost, they are calling for warmer temperatures right up to the end of December, and heck, winter doesn't start until January anyway around here. Ride in the deep freeze for two months, then we get more daylight, and it gets only warmer (and back into rain just above 0C)
On the kilometres side of things, I'm up to 5300 km for the year, and 59840 km in CKAP. I can smell that 60 000; I should hit it Monday or Tuesday. I just can't do longer commutes back to back around 12 hour shifts; I did a few errands on Friday both coming and going, and did 102 km; and found myself exhausted this morning when I woke up.
Take care, and be safe,
Paul Dicks, cyclistpaul
Aidan
cold and batteries
Tue, 11/13/2007 - 22:21Here is a good place to address getting seen in the darkness of winter. Standard batteries die in the cold. Lithium are expensive, but work quite well, and NiMH rechargeables work nearly as well. If you have a headlamp with a battery pack on a cord, so that you keep the batteries warm in your clothing, that works best of all with any batteries, but the cord can be annoying.