Training during winter - warm clothing

[wilbo]

Was initially going to wait until spring to do a direct access but would rather do it sooner than later, however winters now seem to last until about April!

I am guessing that whilst training schools will give waterproofs, they won't provide winter clothing? If that is so, what should I be looking to buy as a minimum to stay warm on training days?

[bamt]

Ask your school what they provide; our local one provided textile jackets, overtrousers, helmet and (basic) gloves. Assuming something similar, then you just need to layer up underneath; jeans, t-shirt, fleece or jumper, possibly thermal layer underneath if it is very cold or you feel the cold.

You'll probably have to provide your own footwear, so sturdy boots and thick socks (as long as they fit and don't squeeze your feet - reduced blood circulation will make you feel colder). You may well want to consider getting some winter gloves of your own.

[Brendan110_0]

Wear a pair of rubber gloves under winter motorcycle gloves.......thank me later when your fingers don't snap off. Also buy a snood and/or balaclava version too (depends on venting of helmet).
Make sure you get yourself a pinlock visor or you'll be be visor up an inch with freezing wind in your face.

Did all my training during winter, it's hard to concentrate when you get cold so don't be afraid to tell your instructor to stop for a brew to warm up. Good luck
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sreeB fo gniK

[M.C]

Depends on the person somewhat. My hands always get cold the quickest, but you see some people riding without gloves in winter

On a naked bike I'd say you need a pair of long johns on underneath, and any gaps you have in your clothing will be where you feel the cold, so as above depending on the helmet you might want a snood.

I hope schools are using heated grips at this time of year, I was heading into work at 6.30am, when it was 1 degree and there were 2 guys with an instructor (I guess on the way to their test). I felt sorry for them

[NJD]

What gear do you already have?

[Val]

[asta1]

I am doing my training at the moment. Can't say I have really noticed the cold a whole lot tbh. I have a decent quality set of textiles (2nd hand from ebay) with an integrated thermal lining, a set of decent '3 season' gloves and some proper boots. Underneath I have been quite happy in just a normal cotton shirt, although I have now gone for 2 pairs of socks. A balaclava is useful, but to prevent the visor misting as opposed to for warmth really. Longest session I have done is about 3 hours covering anything from slow stuff in traffic, to short sections of dual carriageway and I was only just beginning to get chilly fingers towards the end. The most important thing for me is that the gear is waterproof. Wearing soggy clothes is always miserable and makes you feel colder than you actually are.
My school will provide all kit if you need it, including gloves, boots, helmets, waterproof overtrousers etc, but I think my own stuff is probably better so I haven't taken them up on it.

[Llama-Farmer]

Lots of thin layers rather than fewer thick ones.

Wool instead of cotton... because if it gets wet or you sweat, cotton goes cold, wool stays warm when wet.

Keep your core warm and you'll keep your extremities from getting cold... so lots of layers on your trunk and you won't get frozen hands and feet.
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[Aceslock]

If Your doing Mod 1 training, you won't need much thermal gear as you will get warm pretty quickly going around the cones........ you can pick up a pair of thermal waterproof gloves on ebay for a tenner.

I done my training last winter when it was a lot colder than it is now (a lot drier also) i picked up a set of Tuzo textile jacket & trousers from Busters for £80, although your school should provide you with a textile jacket....
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[CB650F]

I was out a ride yesterday, and wore my usual winter gear. Really as stated above, I will wear a thermal base layer, followed by regular tee shirt, then a wool sweater, followed by my Gortex lined jacket. For below, again, good base layer tight fitting, then my Gortex lined trousers.
I generally wear a pair of liner gloves, followed by my two finger water proof gloves.
Best buy of my biking career. They are similar to the Mitts above, but have a split to separate into two fingers.

Also have a neck snoode and a thin liner balaclava. It was cold yesterday up in Scotland and I was toasting hot with this stuff on. Only down side was my Arai helmet that I picked up a few months ago, is rather airy shall I say.
So I maybe looking for a replacement at some point, and use the Arai in the summer months.
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CB650F
Lotus Exige S240

[skatefreak]

Not to many layers though!
One winter I had 50 odd miles to go and it was below and bitter cold.
Layered up, 4-5 layers below, could barely bend my knees to get on the pegs.

Turns out, compressing all those layers around me didn't help at all and I've never been so cold in my life!

Coming down from NSL to 30 felt like someone turned a heater on!

If the layers are compressed they loose their insulating properties... Obvious in retrospect really.

-Jvr

[wilbo]

Thanks for all the responses, very useful and I can see this forum is going to be a great place for advice.

[talkToTheHat]

You can spend a fortune on technical baselayers. I have a few nice bits, but for the most part cheap thermal longjohns and thermal longsleeves work almost as well for very little cash. Milsurp long green thermals for the truly tight. I raided sports direct during a sale and escaped with a pile of campari thermals that work well for very little monies. Wools stay warmer when damp and smell less than synthetics. Hipster workshirts and thin jumpers work well. A hoodie works at a pinch. Hood gets filthynand wet if it rains. Textile or lesther riding 2 piece as you like it and a waterproof gimpsuit or 2piece.

Today was about as cold as it gets and i was out in hg/ixs textiles with their linings, long thermals, a cotton longsleeve shirt and a neck tube. About 2 and a half hours ride. Could have used a windproof necktube, as sat up the wind off my screen hits me right in the neck. Ok if i tuck in, but looking for something thin and windproof. Or i need to find what i did with the stormflap from my jacket but i hate that thing as the velcro eats my hair.
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Bandit. does. everything.

[kawakid]

I wear a neck hood a balaclava and then a muffler, this works best for me and leaves nothing exposed.

Muffs and heated grips really really really help, it was 0c in Halifax tonight and my hands were very warm.

Shxt time to learn tbh though.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[Wonko The Sane]

I commute all year round and this is my kit list at the moment:

Hiking baselayer - nice and thin, but warm, when I'm in work I'm wearing this and a t shirt and everyone else is in jumpers and reaching for the thermostat

T-shirt

jumper (not bulky but warm and not a hoodie)

Textile bike jacket with removable thermal lining.

on me bottom half;

usual undies & socks

300denier thermal tights from Asda (£6 instead of £30 for blokes thermal leggings)

textile bike trousers with thermal lining in

All season warm gloves with heated glove liners (40 min commute on motorways)


basically, lots of thinner layers are better than one bulky layer, it's likely the instructor will have you in and out of somewhere warm or just out of the weather, mine just took us from coffee shop to coffee shop so we were only riding 20 mins at a time if that.
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[KnightsFall]

Today was near enough as cold as I have ridden in. I was reasonably comfortable with a thin long sleeved top, a sweater and a cheapish jacket with thermal liner. Bottom half was covered by cheep long johns from Tesco, jeans, budget non-thermal waterproof overtrousers and some reasonably warm boots. I also had a neck warmer. I was wearing Alpinestars Arctic (yeah, right ) gloves which were not really quite up to the task but the bike had heated grips which took the edge off.

Keeping my hands warm without impairing dexterity is the main difficulty I find but the rest is doable with mainly basic gear and a few layers of normal clothing. Also depends how long you need to ride for though. After an hour or so I was very grateful for a stop and a hot drink.