“Is it going to be warm today?” asks my wife
“No idea, let me check … erm, well, cold this morning and then it seems to get warm later. But really, who knows?”
“It was supposed to be warm yesterday, but the wind was freezing.”
“I know.”
“So, what should I wear to ride?”
“Don’t ask me that, you know what I’ll say …”
“I should dress warm then?”
F*#k
The clothing lottery
This time of year in Europe is a real lottery in terms of how to dress for a ride.
It can be as cold as 0 degrees C in the mornings but then rise to mid-teens by early afternoon.
And then there’s the wind to contend with.
The cold north wind (called La Bise here in Geneva) blows across the Swiss plateau from the northeast to the southwest.
This wind can cause some seriously icy conditions when the wind really whips up.
Thankfully we haven’t had that this year, but it can catch you out on what looks like a nice warm day.
It is funny to see how people turn up dressed on group rides at this time of year.
You can see the full winter kit on one rider, and someone else in shorts and light gilet.
I think we all know those riders who run hot versus those who never seem to get warm.
Contrasting outfits
On outdoor rides in the last couple of weeks I’ve worn very contrasting outfits:
Full winter tights, thermal undershirt, long sleeved warm jersey, gilet, windproof jacket, warm hat under helmet, long fingered gloves, winter boots, snood.
And then on another day I’ve been in full summer kit with just some arm warmers.
These rides and outfits were only 3 days apart.
A cold start
When deciding what to wear, my typical rule of thumb (and I know a lot of us follow the same principles) is that I’ll be ok if I’m a bit cold on the first 15-20 minutes of a ride.
I know that once the body warms up I’ll be ok, because if I head out and I’m warm already, then I know I’ve overdressed.
One advantage of this philosophy is that by the time you’ve figured out if you’re warming up, after 15 minutes you’re too far away from home to do anything about it anyway!
But one item I always take out with me without fail in the spring (and autumn), is my windproof rain jacket.
I know that if I start to feel a little chilly, I can pop this on and it’ll warm me up by a few degrees.
And if that doesn’t work then I know I just have to pedal a bit harder to crank up my internal heater.
Summer is coming
But I can see the summer coming.
And that is exciting.
My ideal kit for a ride is arm warmers and a gilet on top of my summer kit.
The ride starts off crisp and maybe even a little chilly.
But I know that it is a clear morning that will start to warm up quickly, as do I as the pedals spin.
The cold temperatures are great as I hit the first climb, and the arm warmers get pulled down to the wrists, and then the gilet gets unzipped.
Getting sweaty
There’s then the sweat beading on my forehead, and the annoying drips that start to run down the inside of my glasses. I’ll usually secure them into my helmet as I climb.
Then the gilet usually comes off before the top of the first climb.
But then it’ll go back on again as I drop back down through the still slightly cold air.
But now the body is fully warmed up, and the sun is higher in the sky and when the next climb starts I’m raring to go and loving the feel of the sun on my bare arms and legs.
There are not many better feelings than riding in the warm air, knowing the amazing riding you have ahead of you, with the sun on your back.
It’s coming … seasons change.
What I’ve been listening to while writing
Future Island – Seasons (Waiting on You)
This absolute synth pop banger of a tune came out back in 2014. Definitely in my top 10 songs of the 2010’s.
