Categories: Accessories and GearEtiquetteLook ProThe Hardmen

Dress Like An Onion: The Art of Layering

Kelly crushes fools with properly layered kit.

The thing about the cold is that you can never tell how cold it is from looking out a kitchen window. You have to dress up, get out training and when you come back, you then know how cold it is.

– Sean Kelly

Apart from the obvious lesson in Rules #5 and #9, hidden within Sean’s sage advice lies a paradox: if we can never tell how cold it is until we’ve arrived home from our ride, then how are we to determine how much kit to wear?

The Kelly Paradox is the layering equivalent of the Goldilocks Principle, wherein we aim to be neither overdressed, causing us to overheat sweat excessively, nor underdressed, causing us to needlessly lose energy through shivering and to hate life at a conceptual level. By extension, it also implies that whatever choice you make, you will get it wrong.

The answer lies in the art of layering, wherein one deploys several layers of clothing that can be unzipped, shed, and added back as both the temperature and the engine room heat up and cool back down throughout a ride.

The first rule of kitting up is that we should expect to be chilly for the first ten or fifteen minutes, allowing for the body to warm up and start producing its own heat to counter the cool outside temperatures. But this may not account for changing temperatures throughout the ride, and therefor we will need to be prepared to alter the composition of the kit.

The second rule of kitting up is that unless it is mid-summer, you are likely to misjudge the weather, so you should be prepared to make adjustments en route. Please observe the following pointers when kitting up for your ride.

Always wear a base layer, which should be made of wicking material and is designed to keep the skin of your torso dry. In colder weather, heavier wool base layers may be used as an insulation layer against the skin.
Long Sleeve jerseys and full leggings are always encouraged at the café for pre-ride espressi unless it is genuinely warm and sunny, in which case one is encouraged to bask in the sun and admire you own guns, Boonen-style.
Arm warmers are preferable to long sleeve jerseys unless the weather is sufficiently cool or the temp sufficiently moderate to ensure the long sleeve jersey will not be shed throughout the ride. Arm warmers may be slipped down to the wrists for further cooling. Under no circumstances, however, are the sleeves of a long sleeve jersey to be pulled up towards the elbows to regulate temperature.
A gilet should be considered before a long sleeve jersey as it can be easily removed and stowed mid-ride. A gilet should be light and close-fitting like a jersey. When stowing, fold flat in thirds from top to bottom, then in half along the zipper. Slip this between your jersey and bibs rather than into a jersey pocket. This should be done for bonus Casually Deliberate points while riding hands-free.
It is acceptable for any and all layers to be unzipped and allowed to flap in the wind, emphasizing how hard you are crushing it. Additional Casually Deliberate points are also available for zipping back up while riding hands-free, particularly when doing so while cresting a climb with fools suffering on your wheel.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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frank says:

Nov 10 2015 at 7:30 am

@nobby

@RobSandy

@nobby

Apart from the fact that this may directly impinge on Rule #5…

Rule #5 does not mean you deliberately go out to get cold and uncomfortable. Rule #5 means that you don’t complain about it when it happens. And if it makes you go slower it means you are contravening Rule #10

Maybe I was thinking of Rule #9, which suggests that, despite what you wear, you should be riding regardless of the weather.

Yes, but again, you still want to get the clothing right. We are lunatics, not masochists.
frank says:

Nov 10 2015 at 7:33 am

@antihero

Here in Tennessee, the weather changes rapidly through the day – it’s not unusual for the temp to start below freezing and then climb into the mid-twenties Celsius by midday, so if you’re out on a long ride layer storage becomes an issue.

Having a Jersey with adequate storage is essential – nothing is worse that rolling along with a jumbled mess of warmers, gilet, and whatnot flailing about from the top of one’s jersey pockets.

Did any of you read the bullet about the gilet? It doesn't go in your pockets. Fold it flat and slip it between the jersey and bibs. It won't be bulky and doesn't take up space in the pockets.

@chuckp

Correct.
fenlander says:

Nov 10 2015 at 8:02 am

@chuckp

Arm warmers are preferable to long sleeve jerseys unless the weather is sufficiently cool or the temp sufficiently moderate to ensure the long sleeve jersey will not be shed throughout the ride. Arm warmers may be slipped down to the wrists for further cooling. Under no circumstances, however, are the sleeves of a long sleeve jersey to be pulled up towards the elbows to regulate temperature.

This.

Here's my take on it at the end of the 118 mile L'Etape London(the Badger only did the short,lightweight),was pretty chilly at the start and the weather fluctuated all day from sun to grey and drizzly and back again;not shown is the light full finger gloves and Sportful hot pack gillet safely stowed in the back pockets.(Sorry for the tail thing although it's not a proper satchell more a tool roll);
chuckp says:

Nov 10 2015 at 8:15 am

@fenlander

And we're both wearing Lazer Heliums! (Or at least I'm pretty sure yours is Helium). Mine is with my Lion of Flanders aeroshell cover, which is great for cool/cold weather riding.
fenlander says:

Nov 10 2015 at 8:32 am

@chuckp

Yep it's a Helium,great lid bought it at an advantagous price after bashing my LAS victory;didn't get the aero cover with mine though.
chuckp says:

Nov 10 2015 at 8:53 am

@fenlander

@chuckp

Yep it’s a Helium,great lid bought it at an advantagous price after bashing my LAS victory;didn’t get the aero cover with mine though.

You can find the aeroshell pretty cheap ($20 USD). I've seen it on UK websites and UK eBay. One of those "why didn't I think of that?" great ideas. It really makes a difference riding in cool/cold weather. I don't need a skullcap to keep my head warm unless it's really cold or I need to cover my ears (which means it's really cold). If you get one, make sure you get the right size. If your Lazer is sized small, medium, large, or x-large, then you get the aeroshell in the same size. But, apparently, Lazer also made the Helium with "mixed" sizing and it's not a direct correspondence to the aeroshell sizing (and it's very confusing). I had to confirm with a Lazer rep (in the UK even though I'm in the US) to make sure I got the right size (my Helium is "regular" sizing).
Ron says:

Nov 10 2015 at 9:39 am

@frank

@chuckp

If you’re going to get it wrong, better to be too warm and un-layer than not have enough and be cold. At least for me, when it’s cold I can never be too warm. I can, however, be too f**kin’ cold.

I agree so long as I’m not riding hard. I run a bit hot anyway, and sweat a lot, so if I’m overdressed, there is no way I’ll be able to drink against the water loss and I’ll be totally fucked. If you’re coldish, you can just ride harder, but if you’re too cold you’ll be just as fucked. You really do want to get it right.

I run VERY hot. I blame it on being 172 cms and not having as much surface area as you big fuckers. Lately too I've noticed whenever I drink spirits...I get super hot. I know it opens your pores, but of late if I'm drinking whiskey I feel like I could sit on the shores of Lake Superior in December in swimtrunks. It's weird. (then again, I usually am working on bikes and moving all over when I'm drinkin')

Also, let's not forget the cold/hot situation and where the hell you grew up. Now that I live in the southern U.S. I'm routinely annoyed with what people consider too cold to do anything out-of-doors. If you grew up in a place with an actual winter and four seasons, you just deal with shite weather. If you grew up in a sunny place, unless it is 25* and brilliant, you fucking complain.

AND...yes. It's key to point out riding hard versus recovery/cruising/commuting. Crushing souls, you can wear next to nothing in cold weather. If I'm riding the MUP with the VMH on the weekend, I'm wearing LS and full leg warmers.
Matt says:

Nov 10 2015 at 9:41 am

@Chipomarc

This guys don’t seem to be in agreement on the kit needed for the ride.

Yeah, but they're also riding with only half a fork.
Ron says:

Nov 10 2015 at 9:41 am

@frank

@Ron

Finally, out of all the things I love about the peace of mind cruising along in the middle of nowhere provides…the fact that zipping and unzipping is a constant part of that journey, and means the difference between Perfect Onion and Sweatin’ Onion. Sweatin’ Onions could dessicate to Funyun stage, and those things are weird.

Perfect Onion, Sweatin’ Onion, and Funyun, strong strong work. +1 badge to you, matey.

As far as I know, this is my first earning of such an honor. I shall mark it in my log book and take great pride. First I got a Guest Article, now this!

Fuckin' cool.
chuckp says:

Nov 10 2015 at 9:52 am

@Ron

Also, let’s not forget the cold/hot situation and where the hell you grew up. Now that I live in the southern U.S. I’m routinely annoyed with what people consider too cold to do anything out-of-doors. If you grew up in a place with an actual winter and four seasons, you just deal with shite weather. If you grew up in a sunny place, unless it is 25* and brilliant, you fucking complain.

Another factor is your ancestry/ethnic heritage. Those of you with Nordic genes are probably going to tolerate cold weather a lot better than those of with tropical/island (in my case, my parents were from the Philippines) genes.