As shoulder season—AKA fall—is upon us, you may be thinking about upgrading your fall cycling gear or fall running wardrobe, especially if you picked up cycling or running in the last few months and are stressing on how to continue doing either sport as the weather gets cooler. The good news: Your summer wardrobe, especially for cycling, can be a decent base for your fall wardrobe. And for runners, it’s easy to layer on tights and long sleeved semi-athletic shirts as the temps drop and getting sweaty becomes less of an issue. Still, there are a few additions to your wardrobe (no matter how far along in either sport you are) that can make training in cooler weather significantly more comfortable:
Leg Warmers
Peter loves Pearl Izumi’s leg warmers: leg warmers are an easy way to turn shorts into tights (not for running, that same principle doesn’t apply, sadly)… While it may be tempting to opt for the more mid-season-sounding knee warmer option, skip them especially if you’re on a budget. You’ll only use them for a small temperature window before you switch over to legwarmers, and unless you’re seriously proud of your strong sock game and feel the need to show your off, you’d be smarter to just buy two pairs of legwarmers and skip knee warmers entirely.
That said, if you struggle with legwarmers, between chafing or falling down, it’s worth investing in a pair of full tights. Molly has been obsessed with Velocio’s Luxe Bib Tights for shoulder season since they’re full-length but unlined, which makes them great for chilly but not sub-zero days:
http://ConsummateAthlete.com/bicycling-velocio-luxe-bib-tights-review/
Gloves with Built-in Mittens
These are very flexible for those unexpected windy, wet or blizzards that blow in, and these Craft hybrid gloves have held up for a couple of rough seasons already. Again, just a really solid item to have in your arsenal, and these are great because they work for riding AND running.
Neck Warmer
Another riding and running favorite, you just can’t beat a buff. Most people now have a great selection of face coverings thanks to COVID but neck warmers and covering your face is the secret to staying warm as winds go up and temperatures go down, and buffs are great for being able to pull up or down depending on the situation.
(For a more fashion-y option, Molly loves a good silk scarf tucked into a cycling vest. Rapha has some awesome ones, but you can go outside of cycling for these as well!)
Vest
The ultimate in shoulder-season clothing, a vest is a cycling AND running gamechanger, and it’s one of the few pieces of clothing that translates well between the two sports. Velocio’s basic wind vest is a great investment (and not too pricey at $110) and will translate well between seasons. Even in the winter, it makes a thermal jersey into an almost-winter coat!
Shop it here:
Fenders
Nothing makes riding in cold and wet worse that rolling out the door and getting soaked by your tires instantly … a good set of easily attached fenders makes you much more resilient and able to keep following your training plan without resorting to indoor riding.
Shoe Dryer
Seriously, this is a godsend for wet, rainy days when you have another ride right after. Still obsessed after years of use—and we’ve been hard on this thing and it’s still kicking!
Check out the DryGuy Force Dry here:
READ MORE: DryGuy Force Dry for Boots, Cycling Shoes and Soaked Sneakers: Review
A Good Raincoat
If you don’t have one already, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, a good raincoat is 110% worth the splurge. Look for one that will fit comfortably riding and running if you do both sports, and one that has armhole vents as well as zippered pockets. An optional hood is ideal (and even better if it zips off!) I’m a fan of the 7Mesh Revelation Jacket. I’d also suggest getting a cheaper raincoat that’s more packable that you can stuff into a pocket if it looks like rain or it might get chilly on a ride (or to start your ride/run, then strip off when it warms up.) I love this Castelli one (I suggest sizing up so you can get an extra layer under it, especially if you’re just starting build out a cycling wardrobe)!
Merino Wool Socks
They cut down on smell and while no, they won’t keep your feet totally dry, they absorb moisture and keep your feet warmer A LOT better than the cheap alternatives. Molly and her sister (who deals with foot sweat as pastry chef in a hot kitchen and also runs!) both really have been impressed with Swiftwick’s options lately!
