Sometimes it is a struggle to figure out what to wear for my ride. Lately I always keep pulling out three of my favorite cool weather cycling accessories; a vest, arm warmers and knee warmers.

For me this time of year it is still generally a safe bet that I start by putting on a short sleeve jersey, a base layer and bib shorts. Then I start having the internal debate of what else I want to wear. The beauty of the arm warmers and knee warmers is that if it warms up during my ride I can always take them off and easily stuff them in my pocket. The vest is perfect for keeping that morning chill off of you and can also be stowed if the sun warms me up enough. If the weather is going to warm up during the ride I will always dress with these items to offer flexibility.

I have a general rule that if it is below 55 degrees that I want my knees covered. This was a recommendation from my physical therapist and I never break this rule. When it drops into the 60’s I almost always end up with a vest and some arm warmers I may or may not wear the knee warmers.

For years I used to be a fan of a light jacket for cool weather. Recently I grew tired of all the extra wind age it creates and flapping noise it makes and have gone back to the flexibility of a vest and arm warmers. I searched for years for a properly fitting jacket that I like and was always unsuccessful. If you are a fan of a light jacket I encourage you to look for one with a double zipper so you can vent from the bottom of the jacket and not create a big sail when venting from the top.

Another benefit of the vest is that on a day that it is going to stay cool during the ride I will sometimes trade the short sleeve jersey and arm warmers for a long sleeve jersey and a vest. The vest keeps the chill off of me and then I can shed that if I get to hot. Many of my cycling friends will still be wearing arm warmers when I have donned the long sleeve jersey.

When days I know it is going to stay cool during the ride I’ll trade the knee warmers for my knickers, but if you don’t have knickers the knee warmers will continue to do the trick. I do love my knickers and I will ride wearing them well into the low 40’s.

Riding is always about layering, this time of year especially. If you want to learn a little more about dressing for cool weather, check out my other blog entry here.

Dressing for cool weather just comes down to personal preference. I encourage you to experiment to discover what works best for you, but you’ll never be upset that you own arm warmers, knee warmers and a vest. Many cyclists know the value of arm and knee warmers but have yet to discover the practicality of the cycling vest.

When you think of these you thing you automatically think of your pedals and shoes, shorts and saddle and gloves and grips. What some may overlook are the socks, the shoe insole and in some cases chamois crème for the longer rides.

For me I always have a hard time finding a proper fitting pair of shoes and I consider the proper shoe a really important component of the total fit and overall comfort of the bike. What can really destroy that in a heartbeat is a poor pair of socks. Something as simple as your socks can make or break a great day of riding!

Socks always drive me nuts if they move on my feet or the seams on the toes hit me in the wrong place or rub on the shoe the wrong way. So I am picky on the socks that I wear. I’ve found some socks that I like more than others and some that I don’t like at all.

A few months ago I started wearing Swiftwick socks. These are socks with compression in them with a 200 needle count of thread offering your feet amazing support especially in the arch. Swiftwick makes Olefin and Merion socks in varying lengths. Since I am allergic to wool I have been using the Olefin socks.

The first thing you notice when you put on these socks on are how snug they are to your feet, they fit like a second skin. One I like about this is the support that they offer your feet and the fact that they don’t move on your feet to bunch up or cause blisters. Socks with this high of a needle count are said to be so tightly knitted that they block any other debris from getting into your feet. This feature would make them ideal for mountain biking or trail running.

What really impressed me about these socks was when I was waiting for some new daily wear shoes to come in because I couldn’t get through a day without my feet hurting in my current shoes. No matter what I did my feet always hurt at the end of a day, usually hurting after about six hours of wearing them. So one day I put on a pair of Swiftwick socks that I usually had been using for riding and wore them to work. What a difference they made! The support in the socks allowed me to get through a ten hour day primarily on my feet with no pain. When I got home my feet didn’t hurt like they had been. I had loved the socks when I was using them for riding but after this day I was totally sold on the socks.

Some other things that have impressed me when I was wearing the socks are how dry my feet are after I wear them during long rides. The socks managed the moisture extremely well for such a long ride. For me the more important thing about the socks was they didn’t move around on my feet. I like to have a little room in the front of the shoes for my feet and what I have found with other socks is that I can often get the sock to be comfortable during the first portion of the ride but somewhere along the ride they seem to move around.

These socks are certainly my new favorite socks. I highly recommend them for everyday wear as well as cycling.

Swiftwick socks come in several different lengths for your comfort. In the Olefin socks they have the Zero Ole which sits just below the ankle. The One Ole which has a one inch cuff and is one of my personal favorites. There is the Four Ole which is a 4 inch ankle cuff to offer you support. Then there is the Seven Ole and the Twelve Ole which offers managed compression for your calf as well. They make all of these lengths in the Merino sock as well. I haven’t tried them yet but Swiftwick also makes armwarmers that I look forward to trying soon.

Stop by the store and check them out I am sure you will love them as much as I do.

Ernest Freeland

Crofton Bike Doctor

Her adapting to a road bike has been a learning experience for me, realizing that what I take for granted while I ride she needs help with. As we ride together more, I’ll share more of what I have learned trying to help her become a better rider.

One thing that we have learned is that she loves her Gore Power III Lady cycling shorts.

Fall has settled in it doesn’t mean that your cycling has to be cut back. Dressing for the cold is easy to do, it is all about layering. With a few of the right pieces riding in the cooler weather can be very refreshing.

 The best way to dress for the cold is layering. What is layering? Layering simply means wearing a combination of clothes (in layers) to help regulate your temperature and keep you warm and dry.  Clothing creates air space that absorbs/traps heat.  The layers of clothing act as insulation to help keep your body warm. The numbers of layers you wear for a given activity are matched to the weather, your activity level and your personal preference. There are three types of layers, the base layer, mid layer and the outer layer.  

The Base Layer is in contact with your skin and wicks moisture and perspiration to keep you warm. A tight fitting and wicking material is best to keep you warm and dry. Avoid cotton because it traps moisture so it stays wet and draws heat from you. Retained moisture has a cooling affect on you. Base layers come in various weights. Whether it is a 100 degrees out or 30 degrees out always start with a base layer.  

The Mid Layer provides insulation. It should be a bit looser than the base layer but for it to function properly it needs to maintain contact with the base layer. Mid layers also carry moisture away from the base layer to the outer layer. This is the layer that is trapping body heat. Depending on the temperature you can use multiple mid layers to achieve the desired warmth.  

The Outer Layer blocks wind and allows moisture to escape. Extras such as pit zips, ankle zippers and a variety of ventilation options are standard. This layers job is to protect the layers under it from rain and wind.  

Head, Hands and Feet. After your core is covered, you need to properly dress your extremities. Wear a hat, mittens, gloves, socks and shoes that match your activity and weather.

WHAT TO WEAR

COOL WEATHER LAYER GUIDE

GUIDE: Everyone reacts to the cold differently so don’t be afraid to experiment with different combinations to find out what works best. Remember if you are warm when you start out you are over dressed! You should be cool still about fifteen minutes into the ride as well. 

60-70 degrees: Mesh base layer, long-sleeve jersey, bib knickers or knee warmers, arm warmers.

50-60 degrees: Base layer, long-sleeve jersey, wind shell or vest, insulated bib tights, light head cover, light full-finger gloves, light shoe covers.

40-50 degrees: Insulated base layer, long-sleeve jersey, jacket, insulated bib tights, head cover, full-finger gloves, insulated shoe covers.

30-40 degrees: Insulated base layer, insulated long-sleeve jersey, jacket, insulated bib tights, balaclava, full-finger gloves, winter cycling boots or heavy insulated shoe covers.

Less than 30: degrees: Heavy/Wind front base layer, heavy insulated long-sleeve jersey, jacket, insulated bib tights, balaclava, split-finger gloves, winter cycling boots.

For the last year or so I have been riding with Pearl Izumi Gel-Vent Pro Gloves. These gloves are available in both a short finger version and a long finger version. I own both, the short finger version that I use for most of my road riding while I mountain bike with the long finger version in addition to using them for moderately cool road rides.

Two things really attracted me to theses gloves. The main thing was that the gloves have a vented gel palm padding which Pearli Izumi calls its “direct vent construction.” The gel has holes through it and is held in place by webbing over it. When your hand is clamped around the bar the vents are completely sealed from outside air. If your hands are a little hot just open your hands and let air up into the vents to cool them off. I really like the feature of this venting and above all it works as it is designed to do. I first saw this concept on a pair of Louis Garneau winter gloves that we carry which is called Ergo Air. While they both achieve the same thing in different ways the concept just makes a lot of sense. I really like the Garneau Ergo Air in a winter glove where sometimes it is easy to have your hands over heat as the ride progresses.

When looking at the gloves you can see the quality of the gel padding that Pearl Izumi uses. Many companies that call their gloves “gel gloves” don’t truly use gel padding. They use a form of silicone or some other version of “gel.” Descente uses true gel padding in their gloves which help explains the expense of their gloves compared to the competition. This fact came to light when I saw a few pairs of gloves that had been cut apart. Not only is the gel located in all the right places Pearli Izumi has used just the right amount. I haven’t had any discomfort in the area between the thumb and forefinger like I have in other gloves.

I tend to like less padding for my mountain biking and in the past have used gloves with no padding in the palm. With the Gel Vents I find them to have just about the right amount of padding. The long finger version has a little bit of padding across the top of the fingers to offer a little extra protection. The tips of the fingers are reinforced to further increase the durability.

The second feature that attracted me is that there is no closure device around the wrist. These gloves are just slide on and slide off. To ease the removal of the glove the short finger version has a pull-tab on one of the fingers to make it easier to grab for removal. These gloves are very comfortable since there is no binding around the wrist. What is very unique to the gloves is the anatomical shape of the opening around the wrist. The designers have place curves in all the right places so the glove doesn’t move or have fabric bunched up around your wrist.

These gloves have the other standard feature off terry cloth along the thumb. Pearli Izumi calls it a micro fleece backing which is soft compared to other gloves. The micro fleece as held up over time feeling just as soft as the day it was purchased. It hasn’t shown any wear like some of the other gloves I have owned tend to do in this area.

It is hard for me to find much to dislike about these gloves. The logo has worn off the palm of the gloves, which I would expect since it was silk screened on. The gel padding is red and has discolored or appears to be black in some areas over the padding. This color hasn’t managed to wash off but doesn’t seem to affect performance in anyway. The gloves have held up well over multiple washings. I have two pairs of the short finger version. One is always “in service” while the other is being washed.

They are made in both a mens and women’s each in a long finger and short finger version.

Pricing: Full finger: $44.99 Short Finger: $39.99

Color Availability: Black/Red – Mainly a black glove with a red Pearli Izumi logo stitched on the back with a silk screen one on the palm.

Sizing: Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large. – I have found that these gloves run true to sizing of other Pearli Izumi gloves as well as other manufacturers.

 It seems that I am not the only one who loves these gloves. I think almost every employee of the Crofton Bike Doctor owns one of the versions of these.

The exciting part of the ride today was I got to wear my new Louis Garneau shorts. The Air Gel Bib. I’ve been thinking about carrying more Garneau products in the store. I like to test and try out some of the products before I bring in the product. This bib short has a wealth of features; Lycra Power, Power Mesh, Crabyon air gel chamois and Alveo. It also has a music or communications pocket on the upper part of the bid. I was most intrigued to try out the air gel chamois. About a year ago the sales rep brought around his sales manager who was very instrumental in the design of the chamois using the Crabyon material. His passion for the product was hard to miss and immediately I wanted to try this out. It just took me a little longer then I thought it would. The Crabyon material that it is constructed from is out of the medical field, where it is commonly used in the treatment of burn victims.

The Craybyon is said to have moisture keeping properties which I believe as well as to inhibit bacterial growth, accelerates wound healing, permits slow and steady release of chamois lotion along with lifetime anti-bacterial properties. All of this information was taken from one of the tags.

While I was riding I found the shorts to be very comfortable and not overly hot either. Although it wasn’t a super hot day, so we will have to see how they feel as the summer heats up. Interestingly I didn’t have that clammy feeling when I took them off, which leads me to believe that the Power Mesh was doing it’s job. The Power Mesh is designed to be super breathable and add to your comfort. As the season progresses we will see how these shorts hold up to the abrasions and the washings.

A new trend in cycling shorts is to cut the lycra so it grips your muscles tighter or compresses them. It is said to increase the performance of the muscles by assisting blood flow to them. On long rides it is said to add ten to twenty percent better resistance to fatigue. Maybe this led to an easier day two on the bike then I thought I was in for but I can’t say for sure. I plan on testing out some other shorts that have the same properties of compression and I’ll let you know.

As I get more miles into these I’ll update my thoughts on these.

Have a great day and get out and ride!

I did get out for a ride today with my friend Dan. It was a nice easy spin. It’s in the upper fifties so I took the opportunity to try out my new Louis Garneau Cross-X Knickers that I just got. I am not a huge fan of knee or leg warmers but I love knickers. My friend Jon a PT always says to keep your knees covered at 55 or below it keeps them happy. I have found much truth to that statement.

These are a little different then my other knickers that I typically wear. They have a windfront section over the knee for added warmth. It works really well. By the end of the ride I was actually sweeting a little around the knees. I found the shoulder straps to be really comfortable staying right where they need to be. I also liked the wat the front of the bib was cut, it didn’t come up to hight to cause me to over heat, always a plus. Not sold on the chamois yet. I think it was more just needing to get use to the saddle again. So I’ll hold off on a final judgement for the time being. I do think I will save these for the colder days and use my Descente knickers for the warmer knicker days. I have a feeling that the Garneau knickers would be good well into the lower 40′s. I think they may be nearly perfect for cyclo cross riding and races although I haven’t tried to run in them.

I had on my new Pearl izumi Optilink Jacket as well. It is this nice lightweight fabric that works great stopping the wind. The bummer with the jacket is that the zipper is only a single zipper and can not be vented from the bottom. For layering and cooling purposes I like to be able to vent from the bottom keeping the top zipped to reduce windage and the bellowing affect.

Have a great day and get out and ride!