We have a wide selection of cold weather cycling clothing for women. These cycling clothes are technically designed to keep you on the saddle longer. Are you are trying to keep warm in the Cold Weather while trying to ride or commute by bike? Here are some ideas on how to stay warm and comfortable in all weather conditions. We suggest you create a layering effect. The first layer next the skin should be a wicking polyester not a cotton. The next layer is a puffy fleece like thermal layer that traps warm air next to the surface. The top layer should be a wind breaking or weather proof jacket that will break wind and retain the heat. Other benefits is ventilation to remove excess heat quickly. Women's Cold Weather Cycling Apparel - Jackets, Tights, Gloves etc Dressing in layers is key to winter cycling. See our picto-graphic on all the different winter layering cycling apparel designed for winter cycling warmth. Our blog has an article on how to dress for cold weather cycling written by a pro cyclist.
Women's Cold Weather Essentials
Do you bike in the cold weather? Brrr... We like to keep our fingers and toes toasty warm for our winter time biking. Now, you too can cycle in comfort with our windbreakers and cycling jackets. We have biking tights that are windproof, shoe covers and gloves. All these items are designed specifically for bicycle riding comfortably. Get Comfortable cycling in the cold weather.
Winter brings new challenges -- keeping hands and feet warm while not overheating elsewhere. One secret is wearing layers of clothing, like a breathable wind shell over a wicking fabric base.
1. Keep your fingers warm with a Winter Full Finger Glove and / or liner gloves for extra insulation
2. Insulate your toes with Toe warmers or wear shoe covers.
3. Use a Base Layer next to skin to vent and insulate with thermal fleece.
4. Use a variety of winter cycling jackets for wind blocking, rain protection and reflectivity for visibility
5. In very cold weather add leg and knee warmers give an extra layer of warmth.
Down
Considered nature's best insulator, these little feathers from ducks and geese provide the most warmth for the least weight and bulk, as long as they don't get wet. The main benefits of down are the fact that it is ultralight, ultrawarm and ultrapackable. On the other hand, it won't insulate when damp and dries slowly. Some jackets may include a polymer-treated down to help with water resistance and keep its light weight, but it can be pricey and performance is still less than synthetics.
Synthetic
All synthetics use some form of compressible water-repellent fibers. Note that "puffiness" is not indicative of synthetic jacket warmth-superfine fibers in the insulation can create slim-yet-warm jackets. The main benefits of synthetic insulation are that it performs when damp, dries fast, and is usually more moderately priced than down. However, it's a little heavier, less packable than down, and a little less durable.
Down/Synthetic Insulation
This approach offers a mix of the performance benefits of each type of insulation. Some designs blend the down and synthetic fills together and use that blend throughout the jacket. Some designs put down in some areas, like the core, and synthetics in other areas, like the arms or sides.
Wool/Synthetic Insulation
A few brands combine wool with a synthetic material to create sheets of insulation. Apparel that use this blend benefit from wool's ability to insulate when damp and its resistance to odor, making it perfect for strenuous workouts.
Polyester/Fleece
Cycling apparel used for cold weather can also be made from a brushed polyester fleece fabric. The polyester is important because it is hydrophobic. As you cycle, the perspiration (or rain) is wicked away from the body. The warmest tights are wind resistant and thermal to insulate and retain heat. This is done through the use of a multi layer fabric. The polyester face fabric serves as a windbreak, while the fleece thermal layer serves to trap heat in the engineered, hollow-core fibers.
Neoprene
A synthetic rubber, often used for waterproof or weather-resistant clothing such as wetsuits. Neoprene has a closed cell construction, meaning it is filled with closed air bubbles. These serve as insulators, just as Styrofoam does. Because the cells are closed, the neoprene itself is waterproof. Great for keeping extremities dry and warm in cold wet weather.
SAFETY TIP:
A special winter hazard is black ice. My worst fall was in a place where the road looked clear except the blacktop was just a little "too black". Another problem is visibility. You are often riding in the dark. In the early morning or late afternoon you may be invisible to a motorist dazzled by low sun.
