It can be very hard for some people to convince themselves to get out on the bike in the cooler weather. With a little planning and consideration for the elements, the shorter days don’t have to be a barrier to achieving the fantastic benefits of cycling. Some ideas to help out include the following taken from: http://www.icebike.org/ If these people can do it in snow and ice then we surely can brave a little wind chill.
Layering is a outdoor clothing strategy that is probably already familiar to you, using layers of clothing that can be added and subtracted as the temperature and your activity change.
The problem with Layering in Winter Cycling is that it just doesn’t work very well. Many cyclists on the report that they just don’t use the layering method at all. Some are loath to stop and change layers because it is often the under layers that must be changed, seldom the top layer. If you are getting too warm, you will still want your wind proof layer (the top layer), so what you have to do is remove that, then remove one of the under layers, find some place to stash it, then get back on the bike and get moving before you get too cold.
I’m not about to suggest you enrol in a meteorology class, but there is a great deal to be said for just paying attention to what works for you. If one ride is too cold, learn to think of what you wore as something that need the assistance of another layer. This almost implies that you will make a few mistakes along the way, and over dress or under dress a few times till you get it all figured out. Clothing you might consider when the temperature gets below 10 degrees: Thermal undergarment, additional pair of knicks, polyprop ear warmer (doesn’t have to cover your whole head), booties for your feet, wind stopper gloves, wind proof vest, arm and leg warmers.
One of the great boons to winter cycling, especially below freezing temperature, is the advent of wicking fabric (polypropylene). Sold under various trade names (Thermals, Capilene, Thermax, etc) these are usually a blend of polyester and perhaps up to 10 percent lycra thrown in for fit. With these fabrics it is not unusual to go out for a fast ride on a very cold day and have your outer layer be wet (not from rain) but the layer next to your skin be quite dry. The polyester fabric wicks the moisture to outer layers where it condenses. The important thing is that you are warm and dry.
The general advice is to avoid cotton next to the skin. Avoid over dressing. Start out a little cold.
