Winter Riding - you, your bike, the weather and the road conditions
Clubnight 26th January 2026
Andrew Rice
You - Clothing for Winter Riding
There is no such thing as bad weather; just inappropriate clothing!
There is no single answer to what to wear in winter as it depends on the individual and the clothing they have available to them. But you are looking to balance the following equation;
Suitably clothing = Comfortably dry ≠ Too hot
for the conditions Comfortably warm Too cold
(Suitably visible) Too wet
The answer is generally layers; especially outer layers to put on or take off that can be carried on you or the bike
The main bits of the body to keep warm (and dry?) - Presuming you are wearing Club winter kit (thermal bibs/tights/long sleeve jacket)
- And if raining a waterproof
Clothing
Layering
Having several thinner layers that can be taken off/put on and stowed about your bike or person offers the most flexibility to match prevailing (and changing) conditions
Head (and neck) – hat, balaclava, buff, ear-warmers, club snood
Arms – arm warmers (under long sleeve jersey)
Hands – liner gloves(silk), thermal gloves, waterproof gloves, lobster claw gloves
Feet – thermal socks, waterproof socks, knee length socks, overshoes, larger shoes, winter boots, plastic bags, even heated socks
Torso – gilet (lightweight, heavyweight, water-resistant…)
The main bits of the body to keep warm (and dry?)
Whatever you wear, you must always be in full control of the bike, i.e. seeing where you are going, hearing what is going on, being able to brake and change gear.
Your bike; MUDGUARDS
When the weather requires it, mudguards �are mandatory for VCC Club runs.
Our roads are not exactly clean! Tractors and farm animals, horses and other road users mean that for health and safety reasons, mudguards (and rear mudguards should be fitted with an additional mud-flap) must be fitted when the conditions require them.
The minimum requirement is for a rear mudguard where the tail extends to or preferably below a level with the axle.
Generally, an extension flap is necessary to achieve this
When is that? Always when there is rain, rain is forecast or there has been rain in the previous 24 hours.
Even if it is not raining wet roads, puddles and floods will be present on our local roads.
When the weather requires it, mudguards �are mandatory for VCC Club runs.
Five reasons to fit Mudguards.
Main two types of suitable mudguards.
1)
2)
The Weather
Not much you can do about the weather other than be prepared for it - see clothing earlier.
The weather forecast helps but isn’t always reliable as local micro-climates can have an impact on your ride.
High winds, very heavy rain, ice - sheet and black are all to be avoided on a bike!
The Conditions
The conditions on the road are very much influenced by the prevalent and preceding weather.
Lying water is a hazard! It can hide monster potholes, vehicles avoiding it can be on your side of the road, large spray from vehicles is both unpleasant and can knock you off your line.
Black ice - near impossible to spot until you are sliding along it! You can only be aware of the risk.
Potholes - they are everywhere in winter and some of them can be cavernous.
Round here, wet weather will wash flints into the road which will cut your tyres.
This time of year farmers start flailing their hedges throwing thorns into the road.
Other Considerations for Winter Riding
Other Considerations for Winter Riding
Questions?