Cold Weather Cycling Apparel

Cycling in a Winter Wonderland - Stay Warm with Aero Tech Designs Apparel!

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. Get the latest advice on layering and see an overview of a variety of product selections that support layered dressing for cold weather cycling.

Two of our favorites? Toe covers and Reflective Cycle Tights

Types of Insulation

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 insulating fill. Jackets 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.