Fashionista!

Jess tells me that we (I’m pretty sure I’m “we”) should write more about the products we use when we’re riding bikes.

This morning I decided to do a bit of reconnaissance for a cyclocross race venue ride on my fat bike. The temperature was 43F, and it was raining. This is what I wore:

• Incredibly fashionable Pedal-branded wool socks.
• Bib knickers to keep my legs a little bit warm.
• A nice long-sleeve base layer.
• A cap for my head.
• Waterproof, breathable pants that my wife got me for my birthday. They’re light and provide very little warmth, but they’re waterproof.
• My favorite waterproof, breathable jacket. A nice feature of this jacket is that it has a hood that’ll cover a helmet, so water doesn’t go dripping down your back. This jacket is also just waterproof. It has no insulation properties at all. Think “windbreaker.”
• Waterproof, insulated gloves.
• Waterproof, insulated cycling-specific boots.

A note about waterproof, breathable stuff. If you’re really working out, your body will generate more moisture than these materials can handle. As a result, they often have lots of vents so you can control air flow beyond the limitations of the fabric.

Lastly, I wore a mountain bike helmet. Though the hood of my jacket covers a helmet, the visor of a MTB lid keeps the hood from dropping over my eyes.

It’s not the most flattering picture, but here’s what it looked like after about 2 hours of riding. I stayed super dry and had a terrific time. If I had it to do over again, my jacket would definitely be a brighter color, but everything else worked perfectly.