What to wear today?

When watching my fellow professional pedalers at this years Giro riding the Stelvio pass up and down in freezing conditions, all of them had to ask the same question before the stage like today - what to wear today?

Realizing that I just made the wrong choice of cycling kit in terms of putting on too much or on the other hand not enough layers can be the most frustrating feelings I get.

Repeating ‘’you should know better by now’’ in my head during already uncomfortable ride only adds to the whole agony what supposed to be a fine couple of hours on my bike.

But it can happen. And it does happen, whether you are cycling enthusiast who rides once a week or a seasoned cycling pro with a decade of riding under your belt.

Well, here are couple of my tips and tricks how to avoid the annoying feeling of being under or over dressed on your bike ride.

Take your time. Reserve some thirty minutes to get everything ready for your ride including picking the right cycling clothes. Haste decisions are mostly the wrong ones. This applies even more when making the right selection of cycling kit you are going to wear for next couple of hours.

If you are not 100% percent sure what to wear or just might think the weather conditions somehow changed since yesterday.

Check the outside temperature, but not only on the thermometer. Go outside and feel if the wind got chilly today or its actually kinda warmer than it really looks like.

When leaving for your ride, you should feel slightly cold, but not uncomfortably. Remember the byproduct of your body during any physical activity is heat. To much body heat due to many layers means you sweat more. Excess sweating means your body is loosing too much fluid and energy for no good reason.

Be prepared. Take that extra thin rain/wind jacket or vest with you even when its around 20°C and the sky color is azzurro. You might want to hit the mountains and I guarantee you its not going to be a fun descent when the only layer between your chest and fresh mountain wind is just the lightweight cycling jersey you wearing.

Not enough space in your back pockets? Create an extra space to carry all your extra clothes by cutting your old cycling bidon in half and stuffing it with all you might need.

Here is a little guide how to do it:

You may lose a space for half a liter of fluid, but you will be able to fill that up anywhere whereas you might struggle to buy a proper rain jacket kilometers away from home when the perfect storm hit you.

Have fun out there and Ride!

Martin