Geared up for winter from head to toe – MTB gear for the cold season

Do you also love riding your bike through forests with colorful leaves, breathing crisp fresh air, catching the scent of mushrooms, moss and chestnuts? Or cycling through snow-covered landscapes on dazzlingly bright winter days? Or do you simply use your bike in everyday life—commuting to work, university or shopping—whether the sun is shining or it’s raining? However, whenever and wherever you ride your bike, you need special gear for the winter months.

This apparel defies wind and weather

The body should stay warm and dry. Dry not only from external moisture, but also from sweat from within. Overheating must be prevented, so the clothing has to be breathable. Perfect cycling apparel balances your body climate! These are the main materials used to make winter outerwear:

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  Softshell is the most important fabric in winter cycling apparel. This multi-layer, elastic material with a cozy fine-fleece inner, windproof membrane and water-repellent surface is used in cycling jackets, long cycling pants and accessories like gloves and overshoes—preferably in areas exposed to the airstream.

• Winter lycra is the breathable counterpart to softshell. Winter lycra is an elastic, air-permeable, moisture-wicking fabric with a warming fine-fleece inner. It is often used in zones sheltered from the airstream, e.g. under the arms, on the back or the backs of the legs. Working together with softshell, excess body heat and sweat can be transported away quickly and efficiently.

• Insulations with fine polyester fibers (e.g. Primaloft) deliver strong warmth while still allowing a hint of airstream through the nylon shell. For maximum warmth, insulation is also used as additional lining in gloves and overshoes.

A well-thought-out mix of these materials offers the best results for regulating your body climate.

Apparel for MTB, touring and commuters tends to be cut a bit more relaxed to accommodate the base layers. The fit is still adapted to the riding position. Especially for winter apparel, the back is cut longer to protect against spray. Jacket sleeves, pant legs and the seat area are usually pre-shaped and length-adjusted so your body is maximally covered and protected while riding. Because the more robust MTB material is not quite as elastic, winter bike apparel often includes stretch inserts to optimize freedom of movement.

The following garments are essential for a winter bike outing and shouldn’t be missing from your wardrobe:

1. MTB winter jackets often have a helmet-compatible hood, or at least a high stand-up collar. The outer fabric is more robust, since it may need to withstand a crash or contact with branches. Large back pockets offer plenty of space; zippers prevent losing contents. The back pockets should remain accessible even when wearing a backpack. In the backpack area, breathable fabric is often used to prevent overheating. Under MTB winter jackets, depending on the weather, it’s advisable to wear functional base layers and/or a long-sleeve jersey.

2. Long bike pants are unpadded, warm and weatherproof overtrousers. If you’re out for longer rides, you can wear padded liner shorts, short or even long padded cycling shorts underneath, depending on the temperature. The robust pants are mainly made from windproof and water-repellent softshell, with inserts of breathable winter lycra and stretch for more freedom of movement.

3. Winter gloves made of softshell or neoprene protect your hands from cold wind and moisture. The palm should be tactile, shock-absorbing and grippy so you maintain full control of the handlebar. Gloves with additional insulation protect even in sub-zero temperatures.

4. Weatherproof and warming overshoes are super practical, as they can be pulled over regular cycling shoes. Hook-and-loop closures at the entry and sole provide hold. If you ride regularly in winter, you should invest in warm MTB winter shoes. These are truly warm, wind- and waterproof, and more durable than overshoes. Winter shoes exist both for MTB with stiff soles and for tourers/commuters with more flexible soles for comfortable bike ’n’ walk.

5. Helmet caps, neck warmers and masks made of warm winter polyester complete your winter cycling kit.

By the way: if you ride with a bike backpack in bad weather, make sure it has a rain cover. With well-known backpack brands like Deuter or Vaude, these covers are included.

Bring light to the darkness

The long hours of darkness and many gloomy days are another challenge for winter cycling. To see and be seen, you need proper bike lights and highly visible, reflective apparel.

• Lights on the bike are a must-have. Powerful LED lamps can be mounted as front or rear lights easily on the handlebar or seatpost. Power is supplied by rechargeable batteries. For off-road routes, look for high light output with strong lux ratings—moon and stars may be the only other light on your path. On German roads, StVZO-approved lights are required.

• For off-road riding, LED headlamps or LED helmet lights are also recommended so you can illuminate the trail precisely and be seen from the front. An additional red LED helmet light on the back of the head increases your visibility from afar in traffic.

• Small additional safety lights further increase your visibility in traffic. They can be clipped easily to bike backpacks and jackets.

• With reflective elements and bright, colorful or neon clothing you stand out more in traffic. It’s fine to shine and sparkle all around—if it serves your safety.

Our conclusion:

In summary: with the right apparel, you can continue your bike tours in the cold season just as you do in the warm season. Fit and materials are crucial so you neither freeze nor overheat. In addition, pay extra attention to lighting so you can spot every possible obstacle on your route and always be seen yourself.

P.S.: If you have any further questions, feel free to leave us a comment or simply email us your request. We’ll be happy to advise you!

What we’re also looking forward to – late-summer, autumnal Italy

Since the Giro usually takes place in May, we can now experience a completely different side of Bella Italia in autumn. Hopefully Sicily will still offer late-summer weather around 20°C at the start, but further north, when the route heads into the Dolomites, the weather can close in. Snow-covered peaks are not out of the question. So the riders face not only a demanding course, but also the odd bout of capricious weather.