Guide: Cycling clothing for the winter | BMO Bike Mailorder

The right cycling clothing makes a real difference in the saddle during winter! While it's fine to ride in a fashion shirt and streetwear shorts in the summer, without real cycling functional clothing, it quickly becomes uncomfortable in the winter. Wet, clammy, or ice-cold. Brrrr! With our tips, you'll never freeze again when you're on the bike.

Whether you're commuting to work, doing road bike training, or don't want to miss your MTB ride even in January, it doesn't matter. The main thing is that you wear cycling clothing that is adapted to the winter, because this not only makes your ride more comfortable, but it also makes your life on two wheels safer.

Why is it particularly worthwhile to choose your cycling outfit wisely in winter?

In other sports, you don't have to think as thoroughly about how to keep warm in winter. Why?

➔ Quite simple – unlike other sports, there is plenty of headwind in cycling training that makes life difficult (or better: cold) for you.

Cycling clothing for winter – the best tips on video

What clothing items should you have for winter on the bike?

The best strategy is to stock up on different functional clothing items specifically for cyclists . Long sleeves, short sleeves, light thermal underwear, thicker pants, different materials – a bit of everything. This way you can mix what you need and put together a comfort outfit with many layers.

Our tip: If you want to take longer tours or training rounds, it is also advisable to have a bike bag in which you can pack some spare clothing, such as a windproof jacket for the cool-off or descents. A waterproof, medium-sized saddle bag with about 7 liters of capacity is perfect for this, and you can mount it on any bike.

This is how you optimally combine cycling clothing in winter

What layers should cyclists wear in winter? Here is a guide for layering Look.

A good base for your winter cycling outfit: the underwear

At the bottom, on particularly cold days, you wear a cycling thermal undershirt. On really cold days, garments with a proportion of wool are particularly pleasant and warming.
Arm warmers and leg warmers are a good additional layer of warmth that doesn't restrict you in the seat area and shoulders.
Warm socks are important. If you don't have waterproof winter cycling shoes , you can try waterproof socks.

Our tip: Many cyclists especially feel cold at the knees. If you feel the same way, you can wear warming knee warmers (not to be confused with knee protectors!).

❄️ Cycling Underwear for Winter ❄️

Cycling Undershirts | Cycling Underpants | Arm Warmers | Leg Warmers & Knee Warmers | Cycling Socks

Cyclist with warming undershirt under the bib for winter

Close-fitting thermal underwear with a cycling cut is a good base for winter cycling clothing. Image © Maap

The middle layer makes your winter cycling training comfortable

A cycling jersey with short or long sleeves provides comfort depending on the temperature and personal warmth needs. You might also need multiple jerseys and shirts layered.
Although fleece pullovers or jackets are not necessarily recommended for cycling (they are too wind-permeable), they are a very lightweight, warming, and quick-drying under layer under a windproof jacket in winter.
If your legs cool down despite the effort, you can wear long underwear. Like all cycling pants, they should be cut for the posture on the bike.
Functional fibers that dry quickly are particularly important here!
Regular sweatshirts are not recommended on the bike, as they are made of cotton, and if they get wet with sweat, they stay wet.

Our tip: The middle layer of your cycling clothing should be breathable and dry quickly.

❄️ A Cozy Warm Layer ❄️

Cycling Jerseys | Longsleeves | Pullovers & Hoodies

The outer layer is waterproof & windproof

Softshell with a brushed interior is soft, warming, and stretchy – making it perfect for winter pants suitable for cyclists.
For bad weather days, there are both MTB pants and road bike bibs with water-repellent surface. Then you don't need an additional overpants.

A waterproof and windproof overpants help in real winter slushy weather.
If you have a good windproof cycling softshell jacket , you can wear it with the appropriate base layers (almost) all year round, even in winter. But you do need a few layers underneath, otherwise it will get too cold. Softshell is conveniently mostly water-repellent.
If it rains or snows, a truly waterproof cycling jacket is necessary. If you get cold quickly, you can also wear a padded thermal jacket.
Over the jacket, you can wear a windproof cycling vest if you notice that you cool down quickly in the chest area. For night rides, a bright vest is highly recommended.
In really bad weather, you might need a rain suit that keeps you dry from top to bottom.
Make sure that the outerwear has reflective elements so that you are not overlooked in winter weather.

Our tip: Make sure that the top layer of your winter cycling clothing is windproof .

❄️ Insulating cycling clothing for winter ❄️

Cycling pants | Rain pants | Cycling jackets | Rain suits

Windproof or waterproof? Depends on the winter weather during your cycling tours! Image © Vaude

Is this winter cycling clothing available for men?

Finding the right cycling clothing for men is not difficult, there is a huge selection of men's winter clothing for all cycling disciplines! You can find road bike clothing, touring bike clothing, and mountain bike outfits in all possible sizes and fits, and personal style is of course taken into account. Many clothing pieces for men are simple and very functional. Especially in the MTB section, there is a lot of variety, and the clothing pieces are definitely suitable as streetwear and can be worn off the trail as well.

↪Men's Winter Cycling Clothing↩

Men's Cycling Pants | Men's Cycling Jackets | Men's Cycling Jerseys

Women's Winter Cycling Clothing

It may sound like a stereotype, but it is actually proven that women get cold faster than men. Therefore, especially in winter, the rule “like men +1” often results in a good cycling outfit for women. As a woman, you can wear the same clothing layers as men, but you should always plan for an additional layer.

The cut is always tailored to the figure in cycling clothing and therefore not the same for women as it is for men. Especially when it's cold, a good fit of the cycling clothing is important so that it fits well to the body and the wind cannot penetrate. Even when women wear multiple layers on top of each other, a sporty, figure-hugging outfit can be created.

↪Women's Winter Cycling Clothing↩

Women's Cycling Pants | Women's Cycling Jackets | Women's Cycling Jerseys

What Size Should Winter Cycling Clothing Be?

For winter cycling, it is recommended to wear several thin layers on top of each other.

Your winter cycling clothing should therefore partly fit well.
However, you should also have some slightly larger tops and pants to wear over the lower layers.
In general, many thin layers are better than a few thick ones – the well-known onion-Look principle. It has many advantages. On one hand, if you get warm after a while, you can remove individual layers. This helps prevent overheating. Additionally, the air between the layers warms up and creates an additional insulating layer.
For this reason, the lower layers of your winter outfit should fit snugly. The top layers can fit loosely over them, but should not be too large, as circulating air would bring in new cold air, cooling the body quickly.

Winter Cycling Clothing – FAQs

Waterproof, Windproof, Breathable – Which Features Do You Need?

It's cold. What is the right cycling clothing?

A: If your cycling clothing is breathable and dries quickly, that's a big advantage because it keeps the skin feeling dry and prevents it from cooling down. Therefore, in cold winter weather, you should wear functional clothing that transports moisture away from the body.

Does cycling clothing for winter need to be waterproof?

A: For your cycling clothing for wet winter weather, waterproofing is an absolute must! There's nothing worse than getting soaked to the skin in winter. Therefore, a waterproof membrane or coating is always a good idea if you're out in any weather.

On cold but dry days you should opt for more breathable clothing, as its advantages then outweigh the others.

Waterproof and breathable – is it possible to have both?

Breathable or waterproof – both are possible, but usually, one of the two properties predominates.

Windproof winter cycling clothing

Winter + wind chill is a nasty combination, so a windproof membrane is a nice feature for winter cycling clothing. If your cycling jacket only has a windproof membrane, it may not be completely waterproof, but at least water-repellent (for example, this is often the case with softshell).

How do you care for winter cycling clothing?

Baselayers like undershirts or jerseys and cycling pants generally withstand many washes. However, with waterproof outerwear, it's different; many washes can gradually reduce the coatings.

You can also waterproof winter cycling clothing yourself. Wash-in waterproofers work particularly well, as they are added to the washing machine and distribute optimally. After several washes, it is advisable to restore the waterproofing.

Care for cycling clothing, waterproofing

Does it really have to be cycling clothing?

A: Let's say you want to ride your MTB through the winter forest. A snowsuit wouldn't be bad, would it?! Yes, it would! Especially if you wear many layers on top of each other, and especially if these layers consist of thicker fabrics, you should definitely opt for special cycling clothing !

Only tops and pants that are truly designed for cyclists are adapted to the riding posture. Other clothes, even sportswear, would pinch in some places, wrinkle in others, and chafe.
Winter cycling clothing features not only a special cut but also a unique construction. For example, seams in the seat area are avoided so they don't disturb or chafe.
When you wear multiple layers on top of each other, this is very important because many seams in the wrong place can mean chafed skin!
Winter cycling jackets also have an interesting feature: they are particularly dense at the front and sleeves and particularly breathable at the back to effectively keep the wind at bay.
The materials are adapted to the needs of cyclists. They are elastic, quick-drying, easy to care for, and often odor-inhibiting.
Membranes and coatings are responsible for functionality, making the outer skin waterproof, windproof, or particularly insulating.

Conclusion: The longer and more intense your cycling rounds become in winter, the more worthwhile the investment in good cycling clothing.

Winter clothing for different cycling disciplines – our best tips

Which clothing is right for winter also depends on what you plan to do. You obviously need different gear for commuting to work than for intense road bike training.

Cycling clothing for winter in the city

If you enjoy taking small bike tours in winter, doing Christmas shopping, or commuting to work daily by bike, we have a few tips for you:

The warming baselayers will probably make you sweat quickly at work, they would simply be too much in enclosed spaces. Here, a thick jacket is probably the better choice. A winter cycling jacket is particularly comfortable on the bike. However, you can also wear it when you're not cycling.
Cycling jackets should have reflectors on the sleeves, if you're in heavy city traffic. They light up especially when you signal for a turn. This way, you won't be overlooked in city traffic.
If you commute to work, you obviously can't pay attention to the weather. Therefore, you should have rain pants on hand to protect you from rain and snow. If they are a bit wider, they will surely fit over your work clothes. Even warmer and seamlessly sealed is a onesie, a rain suit. If you buy it a bit larger, you can wear it over your clothes while traveling and take it off at the office.
Here's our pro tip for commuters : Cycling clothing is generally cut so that the lower back remains covered. In everyday clothing and especially in business clothing, this is not necessarily the case. In winter, a kidney belt, like those worn by scooter or motorcycle riders, can help. Such belly belts are simply worn over clothing and under the jacket to keep the stomach and kidney area warm.
If you are traveling with the e-bike in winter, you should dress particularly warmly. You ride faster on the e-bike. This means that the headwind is stronger. Since the motor helps you, you exert yourself less and sweat less. Warmer cycling clothing is particularly important here.

Cycling clothing for winter on the racing bike

black, tight winter jacket for cycling, men

Cycling clothing for racing cyclists is skin-tight, which you should keep in mind if you want to put together a layered outfit. It may well be that under the jacket, which fits perfectly in summer, there is not enough room for an undershirt, long sleeve, and jersey. Then you should invest in a slightly larger jacket for winter.
You can buy long bibs with and without straps for winter that have warm padding. However, bib tights are recommended because they prevent a cold gap from forming on the back.
When buying racing bike clothing for winter, make sure it has well-fitting cuffs. There are often silicone coatings that prevent the tight clothing from slipping. Moving jacket ends or sleeves are really annoying in summer. In winter, it gets horribly cold when gaps form.
Racing bike clothing often distinguishes between back and front in winter. Arms and chest area are windproof and warm, while the back allows for good breathability. If your back gets cold , you need a jacket that warms all around!
If the windchill bothers you on descents, you can try a trick from the professional racing cyclists of yesteryear : Maybe it's a legend, but supposedly racing cyclists tucked a thick layer of newspaper under their jersey when going downhill. It protected the chest from the headwind. Once at the bottom, the newspaper simply goes to recycling.
If you are doing your training rides on the country road, you should make sure that as much of your clothing lights up and reflects as possible. This way, drivers won't overlook you.

MTB clothing for winter

Winter jackets for mountain bikers work not only on the bike. Actually, you can wear them anytime. Image © Platzangst

Winter presents off-road bikers with particularly tough conditions. It not only gets cold, but also particularly dirty and slippery. Under mud and snow, many obstacles remain hidden until you roll over them. So, you will probably dismount more often than in summer. This means on one hand: Don't forget your protectors! On the other hand, it gets particularly wet!

MTB clothing for winter should be particularly easy to wash, that's crucial.
As the risk of falling increases, particularly robust and tear-resistant clothing is needed.
When buying clothes, you should also think about your protectors ! They must fit under the bike clothing or be worn over it without cutting off your arms and legs.
To give you enough freedom of movement, mountain bike clothing is usually much looser than road bike clothing. This makes it particularly easy to combine a few more layers.
Vests over a light jacket give the arms more freedom.
Mountain bike clothing is completely sealed, protecting the body from wind and moisture. The headwind should stay outside from the front, and the trail part your tires throw up shouldn't soak you from the back.
A overall or onesie, i.e., a suit that wraps you from head to toe, is particularly practical and warm.
Winter jackets for mountain bikers often have hoods. If this doesn't work with your helmet, or the neck brace gets in the way, you need a jacket without or with a removable hood.

The right accessories for winter

Actually, it's the small stuff that makes winter on the bike really pleasant. Because the small parts and accessories are really important for your well-being.

Our tip: Buy yourself a few multifunctional scarves. These smart tube scarves work as a headband, hat under the helmet, or as a nose warmer. In an emergency, you can even wrap them over the gloves. You can simply loop them around the handlebars or wrists for transport, so you always have a supply with you.

❄️ Accessories for the bicycle winter ❄️

Bicycle gloves | Helmet hats | Multifunctional Scarves | Overshoes

Everything you need to know if you want to cycle in winter - the blog series:

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