If you’re a bicyclist, you’ll know that excellent feeling of accomplishment when you wear the right clothes for the conditions. As a year-round commuter in Massachusetts and now Washington, I adopted the threadbare but still true axiom that there was no bad weather, just wrong clothing choices.
Here are a few examples of the types of weather I’ve ridden in.
Conditions: Sleet storms when icicles formed on my helmet, sheets of ice coated my arms and bike, and only my monster studded tires kept me upright. (The picture above shows a real snowy day I attempted to ride to work, but it took 20 minutes to ride 1 mile, and I had a 13-mile commute. Part of winning a battle is knowing when to retreat.)
Clothing: Long-sleeve wool jersey, Gore-Tex jacket, two layers of gloves, fluffy ear warmers, bike shorts, long bike pants with nylon fronts and warm fuzzy insides, two pairs of wool socks, Gore-Tex hiking boots.
Conditions: 10°F, sunny, with a 10-mph headwind, when people in cars wore heavy layers and I couldn’t keep my glasses from fogging up every time I paused.
Clothing: Too many layers to count, and still my fingers and toes had an alarming white look to them when I finally got to work.
Conditions: Steady, relentless rain and 45°F, with wind so gusty and nasty that I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep my bike on the road.
Clothing: Gore-Tex jacket, thick non-waterproof pants, lightweight long-sleeve shirt and bike shorts; one pair of wool socks and booties.
Conditions: Flood water up to my axles, across roads so deep people in Explorers didn’t brave it.
Clothing: Bike shorts and jersey; summer-weight socks and clip-in shoes.
Conditions: Muggy 90°F temperatures that left my arms and legs slick with that nasty sweat-and-sunscreen that seems to have a La Brea tar pit-like fascination to tiny bugs.
Clothing: Bike shorts and jersey; summer-weight socks and clip-in shoes; sunblock.
Of course, I’ve also ridden in innumerable beautiful days ranging from 30°F to 80°F — days where I’ve wondered, “Why would anybody choose to drive on a day this gorgeous?” (The picture at right shows me on my first-ever two-day ride, the MS Cape Cod Getaway in 2008, one of those delightful days when the weather cooperates perfectly.)
All this to say that, in general, I have a pretty good idea of what clothes work well in what conditions. Yet this morning, I completely misjudged the weather. Instead of having a comfortable ride in the rain, I arrived at work more than damp, having eschewed jacket and dry foot covering for an optimistic vest and sandals. Why, why, why (I asked myself) did I not wear a jacket? Because (I answered myself) it is JULY, and I shouldn’t still need my jacket and long pants.
Have you ever worn exactly the wrong clothes? What was your excuse rationale for choosing the wrong thing?
One Comment
On the first of “Junuary”, I departed Ashford on my way to Paradise in 58deg and light rain with a shortsleeve wool jersey, a 3/4-sleeve base layer beneath, vest and shorts with knee warmers. It wouldn't have been so bad if I had kept all my clothes on but I took off the base and ran into light snow and dropping temps. After baring my body to tourists to put the base layer back on, I experienced THE coldest, most uncomfortable descent of my cycling life. I'd love to say I learned my lesson, but sometimes my optimism and excitement get in the way and I'm stuck warming my hands beneath the dryer in the restroom.