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Bundle up! |
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Written by Zach Magoon
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Tuesday, 30 January 2007 |
I had to bundle up today. It was 3.1 degrees this morning when I left. I may have spent more time finding the right clothing and dressing then the time it took to ride in. I know I've gone over winter clothes but this combination really works. I might've been a little over-dressed but at least I wasn't cold. Here's a rundown of what I had to put on:
Base layer: Bikeman team issue long sleeve skinsuit. I don't want any seams between me and the cold air and this thing does the trick. Plus I bought the thing for cross season and and really only use it for races so it doesn't get the ass time it deserves.
Thermal layer: I absolutely love my Patagonia expedition weight thermal underwear. I wear these ice climbing and mountaineering and on the coldest days for biking. For the top I go with a skin tight Ragged Mountain hooded ninja fleece. Again, it's a climbing-specific garment, complete with thumb loops and an integrated fitted hood that fits perfectly under a helmet. I doubled up on socks--a thin liner and a pair of Smartwool ski socks.
Outer layer: Had to go with the Cloudveil softshell Serendipity jacket. Again a great ice climbing jacket that works well for biking. And for bottoms I went with the Bellwether Windfront tight --these things haven't let me down. I'm pretty impressed with my new Salsa N'agua Waterproof Breathable Glove--kick ass! My hands usually get cold in just about any weather, but these things kept me oh so toasty. The long cuff fits nicely even over a watch and secures well with a velcro closure. Buy these gloves, but they run small. I always wear a medium but found even the large to be snug. And I zipped up some Pearl Izumi ambifit show covers that blocked the wind well enough. My feet are hopeless I think, they're always cold. Cold right now.
I have the studs on the bike as well too. I use the Innova Studded 26x1.9 Black Steel 104 Studs . They're still a little wide for my taste but hook up nicely on ice for commuting on the road in the winter. I hit some local walking trails on part of my commute which now are solid ice or hard packed snow and these things work great.
One last thing--a number of my co-workers keep asking me "did you ride today?" "Yep, I ride every day," is usually my response. But I've come up with a rather crass response that has shut a few of them up--I just ask them if they drove today and their answer is always, "yes." "You drive, I ride" The question shouldn't bother me because they're just trying to make conversation. But sometimes it feels like they're trying to poke holes in my master plan and it just plain hurts. Keep ridin and stay warm.
Zm |
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