Fall and Winter Riding

Summer seems to be pretty much gone. If you blinked, you missed it. It's OK though, we live where we can ride all year. Yes, it's true, it does get pretty cold here and the rain is really something to behold occasionally but if you like riding, you can do it. We put up a post similar to this every year and more and more people start to realize that it's not that bad...seriously, it isn't. You don't have to go out in a torrential  downpour but a little spotty rain is easy, in fact, fun.

Be prepared. You'll need to have a few things to be ready and sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error to find out what works best for you. Here are a few guidelines for equipping yourself for the cold.

Clothing Essentials
-Cold weather weight base layer
-Winter weight socks, wool is great
-Cycling cap or under-helmet insulated cap for cycling
-Long finger gloves with insulation (I use non insulated mostly)
-Arm, leg and knee warmers of course
-Shoe covers - must, must have

Here are some stand out winter clothes from Assos

The new Intermediate S7

The ClimaSchutz Rain Shell

The BlitzFeder super light packable rain/wind vest. This piece is a must have for the Bay Area

The FalkZahn insulated vest

Assos base layers, also must have.

My favorite, the J.Habu jacket. This is the absolute best jacket I've ever worn period! If you don't have one, it's a crime.

Clothing Options:
-Vest - everyone should have a good vest in the Bay Area
-Rain Shell - Not your hiking type. A cycling rain shell needs to breath, pack well, and fit like cycling clothes. -The majority of Goretex Jackets are ill fitting for cycling and you'll overheat in about a minute. Get a true, high quality cycling rain shell.
-Insulated knickers and tights - These are perfect for cold temperatures and although not waterproof, are almost always sufficient for rain too.

The bike:
-Winter tires such as the Continental GP4Season tires are amazing. Great durability and puncture resistance but also have a good grip in the wet and come in 23c, 25c and 28c versions. Also among the all time favorites are the Vittoria Pave's.
-Consider a rear fender, you friends behind you and your back side will benefit even if it's not "Euro"
-Keep up on cleaning, lubing and watch your brake pad wear. Things WILL require more maintenance in the wet.
-Bar tape with a little more grip when it's wet, you don't want to loose your grip on the bars.
-Be sure to drain water from your frame if it collects. Look for a detailed how to on the subject soon.

Your body:
-Eat and drink, most people tend not to drink enough because it's cold. The truth is, you'll burn more calories per hour in the cold and hydration is crucial. So eat and drink!
-Give yourself a little more time to warm up. I often warm up on a trainer for a few minutes before heading out. When it's cold out, your muscles and joints won't want to cooperate as quickly as on a warm day. Keep in mind that as our bodies become too cold, circulation to our limbs and extremities is reduced. Keep that blood going!
-Embrocation can take the edge off the cold as well as aid in stimulating blood flow. Embrocation also helps simply because it's a self massage aid. That alone is helpful in warming up. The warming embrocations we sell also have a warming ingredient that actually can get the skin pretty warm. We're happy to explain more on the subject.

Embrocation's products

We encourage you to come by and talk over your options for winter equipment and riding options. As mentioned above, not all of us ride the same way and not all of us run at the same temperature. Everyone is different and we make it our business to recommend what works for you. Feel free to post questions here on the blog as well. They don't always get answered right away but we keep pretty good track.

Stay tuned for a post on indoor riding soon. We will be setting up trainers for you to demo and we can also help you maximize your indoor time.