Deciding what to wear is half of the problem when riding in winter. Will it rain? Will I get too cold? Will I get too hot?
Winter mornings can be so unpredictable with rain, cold, windy and in some parts of the country even snow/sleet. It is never fun to be the rider spending the whole group ride freezing or to have to listen to your mate complaining about how hot he is after 10 minutes. Understanding your kit and what conditions it was developed for is bound to make choosing an outfit that much easier on a dark and chilly winter morning.
The Element Thermal Cycling jersey
This is jerseys is a winter cycling cupboard essential and we think every cyclist should have at least two of these. The jersey was specifically designed for South African conditions and makes for a fantastic cold weather partner. Complete with Tech-Fleece the Element is perfect for cold and dry conditions. The fleece features Quik-Wic properties that allows the garment to wick sweat away from your body preventing you and your kit from becoming soaked in sweaty when the ride intensity picks up.
We recommend choosing this jersey on a dry, chilly morning or gloomy day. It’s best paired up with a baselayer to add warmth, but can also be worn on it’s own as a jersey or over a short sleeve jersey if the weather looks like it will change later on.
The Strike Cycling Jacket
The Strike is our favourite lightweight jacket option that packs up small and easily when conditions change mid-ride. This jacket is windproof and is available in a jacket and a gilet option in three different colours across men’s and ladies.
A windbreaker is arguably one of the best pieces of winter clothing you can own as a cyclist in South Africa. It is great for cutting out the chill without all the warmth and bulk of a fleece jacket. Our Strike jacket uses 4-way stretch woven fabric to ensure a more comfortable fit and to prevent it from billowing like a plastic bag when the wind picks up. The jacket and gilet both feature a Durable Water repellency (DWR) coating to keep you dry in a drizzle.
We recommend wearing this jacket as an outer layer when there is a cold wind blowing to protect your chest. The perfect lightweight jacket to wear on a long ride when the temperatures will increase into the ride. In extreme cold conditions, pair this jacket over an Element Thermal jersey for added warmth.
The Stormfleece Cycling Jacket
Our ultimate cycling jacket. This high spec-ed warm and water-resistant jacket is what we recommend for those deep winter rides. The Stormfleece jacket has been constructed using Stormfleece Pro-fabric, this lightweight fabric has a densely woven durable outer and a soft Sherpa knit inner. We’ve tested and created this jacket to be comfortable when in the riding position, avoiding any bulging and flapping. It has been coated with DWR for water resistance and features a two-way zip for functionality. Our go-to jacket when the weather is looking bad outside.
View Men's here
All in all, the most important thing is to always understand what the weather is going to do on your ride and make sure that you plan accordingly. We’ve learnt that checking the weather at different points of your planned route is a great way to make sure that you’re always ready to embrace the elements.
Explore our full cycling jacket range here.