Dear all,

I want to prepare a clothing pack as a gift to my partner, as we recently bought a bike that we want to ride it in the winter, but I have no idea what type of clothing is needed. On that ground, I would kindly ask for your advice / experience / insight / feedback on the following:

- what kind of clothing are you using for winter rides?
(other than usual pieces of clothing and/or material, multiple layer outfit, rain jacket / poncho maybe?)
- what is the best brand you recommend? (mid-price range maybe)
- what shall I take into consideration besides the general outfit?
e.g. gloves, hat..
- are there any outlets that I can visit? When is the best time to shop for such items to benefit on prices?

Please do not share general replies such as. "google it" "ask the sales assistant" "go to the closest shop" et al for the obvious reasons.

Feel free to add anything else that you would find useful - it would be more than welcomed.
Thank you in advance.

Hi,

What kind of winter rides are you talking about? If you can go slow enough not to sweat then you need nothing special. Multilayer, rain clothes in the bag in case you need them.

If exercise is the goal then the main differences between my summer and winter clothes are that I take long from everything, plus gloves and hat.
..and plan your trips in a way that you don't stop too much, or as soon as you stop you can go to a warm place and change.

Also, my waist is usually cold and as such I like to have something around, like a waist belt, but some find these disturbing.

Outlets I don't know, but if you're willing to jump over the border there are many bicycle shops with usually cheaper prices, or, if you're sure about the sizes web shops are the best in terms of price.

Cheers.

Also concerning the general answers, I still think visiting big shops selling multiple brands is not a bad idea, people are usually very helpful and can give you great inputs there.

Hi,

Biking in the winter can be tough. I find it a bit easier to keep warm on the MTB in the woods than on roadbike out in the open.

A suggestion:
- Feet: Neopren cover for your shoes (cold feet is not nice). You can even change to isolated soles.
- Legs: If you have short bibs (I recommend bibs/cycling pants with "straps" over your shoulders as they will protect your lower back and belly). Then you can simple wear winter running tights over them. E.g. winter-tights from Salomon. A shell-pant (water-proof) can save anything but rarely needed if you keep pedaling.
- Upper body: As suggested, use multiple layers. Thin sweat layer as first layer. Then midlayer and windbreaker or shell layer (e.g. water proof). If you keep the wind out, you can keep warm when your body is performning (dont stop pedaling ). Most times you can do with just the thin sweat layer and wind-proof.
- Fingers: Use gloves e.g. 3-finger gloves or normal fleece gloves with a wind/rain-proof shell glove over.
- Head: Use thin fleece hat if it will fit under your helmet or just an ear-band protection. Should be wind-proof on ears and able to cover the whole ear.
- Eyes: Light yellow or clear sport "sunglasses" (cover the eyes, wide).

Does your partner know what kind of clothing is needed? If so, I'd really leave it to him/her to choose it - especially as you say - you have no idea.

Perhaps a gift voucher for a store that is recommended here may go down better.

Otherwise, Wiggle.co.uk is where we get some stuff. And they ship here.

there is an ODLO outlet in Hunenberg - http://www.odlo.com/shop/ch/de-ch/odlo-huenenberg

Thanks! It seems very convenient - it has been added on the to do list

Thank you for the detailed reply! I have been tackling this issue piece by piece and I have the gloves by now by the time winter comes I will gather the rest of the items you suggest

Hi, have a look on evans cycles website. You'll soon see what your looking for. Basics first and then add as you get more of an idea of what its like. A brand i swear by is Gore bikewear, long lasting and not just for the bike. Lastly your most important purchase if not done yet is padded pants. Believe me worth every penny!!