With the right gear, winter biking can be the best workout you’ll get all year. The fact that trails and back roads are completely empty once a little snow starts to fall doesn’t hurt either. Read on for our favorite gear for riding in cold temperatures.
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Giro Sutton Helmet $80
From urban rides to your favorite bar, to extended cold weather forays, the Sutton is one of our favorite comfort fit helmets for year round use. It’s equipped with a MIPS liner for added impact protection and the vents are reinforced so you can lock it to your bike when you duck into Starbucks for a mid-ride espresso.
POC Outerwear $170+
Whether we’re out on our fat bikes in the snow or grinding out road or gravel miles in extreme cold, our favorite bike specific outerwear is made by POC. For early morning training rides we absolutely love the AVIP Thermal Tights ($180). They are wind resistant on the front, and stretchy on the back to help dump excess heat. Remember to size up so that they’ll fit comfortably over your favorite bib shorts, as they don’t have their own chamois. For your upper body, check out the Fondo Splash Jacket ($170). The cut is perfect for long rides, with a drop hem in the back and sleeves cut to accommodate gloves. The four way stretch and water repellent properties round this out as a flawless cycling top layer.
Tifosi Optics Podium $80
We’ve lost count of how many pairs of quality sunglasses we’ve lost, scratched, crushed, or been destroyed by dogs over the years. We spotted these Tifosi sunglasses on a group ride on the Wasatch Crest trail earlier this summer, and they’ve solved a lot of problems. At $80, they are more replaceable than some of the more expensive brands, but the optics are top notch. Lenses and small parts on the arms are all field replaceable – we’ve scratched a couple pairs on gnarly wrecks and are back in business for the next ride with minimal effort. The frames are incredibly resilient as well – they’ll probably outlast you for a season’s worth of crashes.
Club Ride Blaze Vest $90
For really cold rides, sometimes we need a little more insulation than just our shell and jersey. Club Ride’s Blaze vest fills the need for active insulation while you’re pedaling. The front panels feature a synthetic full that traps body heat and blocks wind. The back panel is a stretchy, brushed polyester. It helps regulate body temperature when you’re working hard and has perfectly sized dump pockets for your essential snacks and gear (yes, you can even fit a Chipotle burrito in there, but we recommend saving that for after). As a nice bonus, it’s stylish enough that you won’t look out of place rocking it at the bar after you knock out your ride for the day.
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