Season Essentials

This cold weather has me thinking about what clothing is truly important. Whats the stuff that I’ve come to find makes the difference between an awful ride and bearable one. Whats the difference between comfortable and uncomfortable? Beyond winter, whats the most essential piece of clothing for each season, what could I not go without? It’s tough to narrow it down to just one, but here goes.

Winter – Neck Gaiter

The neck gaiter isn’t going to keep you warm without the proper clothing, but when you’re dressed properly, the gaiter makes a cold ride go from miserable to bearable or even better.  The neck gaiter is basically like a scarf but much tidier and made for athletics. Since so much of your blood passes through your neck you lose a lot of heat through it. In the same way that a hat does so much good, so does the gaiter. An added benefit is that is helps warm the air as it gets to your lung which will help you stay warm but also make you more efficient in the bitter cold. If you don’t have a gaiter, get one. There is a reason you see so many pros riding with them.

Spring – Rain Cape

Spring time is rain time and since on a bike you’re moving quickly, the moisture will pull away heat very fast. A rain cape keeps you dry and keeps the wind off you allowing you be much more comfortable. But it has a better purpose beyond that. When riding long days in the rain all that moisture can reak havoc on your skin and it is very easy to get an infection for a rash from the dirty water covering you. The rain cape helps keep some of that moisture away and helps keep a wet ride from turning into a mud bath for your skin.

Summer – Full finger Gloves

Just as gloves are important in the winter to keep your hands, I think they are just as important in the summer to keep your hands in the bars. Now the sign of a good rider is that they have a light touch in the bars. This helps keep road feedback from throwing you around. But sometimes when the pressure is on you need to grab the bars and wrench them to keep the bike in control or clear an obstacle. A good pair of summer gloves will help keep the sweat away and keep you attached to the bar. The flip side of this is good grips which is why I’m all about my ESI grips. ESI grips are like the loops and a good pair of gloves are the hooks. My hands stick like Velcro.

Fall – Wind Vest

A wind vest really belongs on all these seasons except maybe (big maybe) summer. A wind vest is able to keep so much heat in and can fold up into a small size that will fit into your pocket. This seems silly, but it really allows you to handle a variety of temperatures and conditions on a single ride with one piece of clothing. Versatility is a much when it comes to outdoor sports and the wind vest fight way above it’s weight.