How to dress for cycling in winter

I ride my bike all year round. In winter, it's mostly for commuting or shorter rides. Based on my own experience, I'd like to share a few insights. One of the key goals when dressing for winter is to stay dry. You can wrap yourself up, but it won't help much—once you start sweating, you'll get cold much faster. Water is, after all, an excellent conductor of heat.

Before heading out, it's good to ask yourself a few questions. How long will I ride? Is it windy outside? Is the sun shining? Will I ride at a relaxed pace or include some high-intensity intervals? Will I ride mostly in the forest or in open terrain? Answering these questions can help you choose the right clothing. There’s a big difference between temperatures just below freezing with no wind and sunshine, and four degrees above zero with wind and drizzle.

Let’s start with the base. As a base (under) layer, Merino wool clothing works great. This material is known for its warmth—specifically its ability to retain heat and keep away moisture. In our selection, you’ll find mainly base layer shirts, pants, socks, and hats made by brands like Mons Royale, Silvini, and Maloja.

The mid-layer should be chosen based on the current weather conditions and activity level. In general, it should provide insulation (retain body heat) and wick away moisture to the outer layers. It essentially supports both the base and outer layers. You can use a short or long-sleeved jersey, for example. In wet conditions, an outer layer with a membrane is very useful—it keeps moisture from penetrating to inner layers or your body. Typical example is Endura’s MT500 line.

For dry and cold weather, clothing made from Primaloft material works perfectly. It’s a synthetic fabric with insulation properties similar to down, but with the added benefit of water-repellent microfibers. This gives it excellent thermal insulation. That said, I recommend always having a windbreaker or vest in your backpack or pocket as a last resort. It has saved me more than once, and I’ve always been glad to have it—not just in winter. A neck warmer is also a great helper. I never ride without these accessories anymore.

For insulating your legs, there are special winter cycling tights. These are made from materials with sufficient insulation. Around freezing temperatures, you usually don’t need an extra layer. But at lower (or “feels like” lower) temps, it’s good to add another layer. That could be a pair of functional base layer pants. Some cyclists (myself included) add extra insulation using knee warmers, high socks, or even summer cycling shorts over tights to keep their thighs warm.

It may not seem like it, but winter cycling wear isn’t rocket science. You just need to learn a few rules that come from experience. What works well for me is remembering the outside temperature when I dressed and later evaluating whether I should’ve worn more or fewer layers. Once you get the hang of this, you’ll glance at the thermometer and instinctively reach for the right clothes—because you know what worked best last time. So enjoy your winter rides, because there’s no such thing as bad weather, only... well, you know the rest.

Vašek, Deputy Branch Manager of Koloshop Prague