Getting dressed for the first cold ride of the year? It’s tricky! Dressing for riding in fall weather can be a huge challenge, especially if you’re a newer cyclist. Enter creating a clothing matrix, so you never have to wonder. Here, we’re looking at our “matrix” for what to wear and when to wear it. This is super helpful because it helps establish routines and answers to the ‘what do I wear today?’ question so instead of putzing about kneewarmers or bare legs, you know what you’re going to wear.
In general, our rules for clothing while riding are pretty simple:
- Under 5C: Err on the side of too many layers, you can always unzip
- 5-15C: Start thinking about layers that you can remove and stash during a ride
- 15-25C: This will feel warm but check things like wind chill
- 25+C: Focus on staying cool but also sun exposure
But here’s the deal. This is a super individual matrix! And while it is a good place to start for most riders, especially since I’m a big fan of wearing layers so you can remove/add as needed, you should make your own matrix as you start to understand what’s comfortable for you. And maybe in addition to splitting it by weather/temperature, you add in effort level or ride duration, since a short, hard interval session may require less layers than a 5+ hour endurance ride or a recovery spin.
So take a look at this, use it as a template, but make your own adjustments! We tried to keep this super simple, and as I mentioned, we’re firm believers in layers for everyone, but especially for newer riders who may not have ultra-specific pieces for riding in chillier/wetter weather.
