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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wiscot says:

Nov 10 2015 at 1:07 pm

@Matt

@RobSandy

Fortunately, the antics of this young man look like they're going to negate any possibilities of fatherhood.

As for the layering, I run cool. (A pal sweats buckets in the same weather) I rarely, if ever take gear off that I've started with. I prefer to start a bit on the chilly side and warm up. Case in point, the Door County (WI) century this September. Starts at 7am. It was mid 40s. I was going to go base layer, short-sleeved jersey, arm warmers, shorts. Found out, to my horror, I'd packed one arm warmer and one knee warmer. Man, was it cold the first 16-20 kms. I thought my headset was wonky but it was my arms that were shaking so much. (It didn't help that most of the first 10-15 kms are in shade) Then it started to warm up and the folks who had started out wearing, tights, overshoes, jackets and vests were stripping off like they were being paid. By mid ride it was in the 60s and I was just right. My ride's end it was low 70s. I finished looking fantastic without the appearance of a cycling Quasimodo.

BTW in the lead pic, Kelly is wearing knee warmers. The pic was taken on St. Mary's Hill in Dublin during the Tour of Ireland. It was lashing down. In other pics of the same ride, the definition on Kelly's legs is a sight to behold.
Haldy says:

Nov 10 2015 at 1:16 pm

@TheVid

@Haldy

@frank

@teleguy57

I wear LS myself quite a bit as well; the point is to only do that when you’re certain you won’t need to take the sleeves off. A great example was the Whidbey Cogal where we started in cool weather and finished in bare arms and legs. An LS jersey would have been a pain in the ass. (Although we had a team car, and @Haldy rode the whole day in long sleeves, full leggings, and overshoes WTF.

You just don’t like my shoe covers because one is pink and one is blue. Not to mention the fact that you were an ungrateful bastard and didn’t wear the orange shoe covers I made the special effort to get hold of in time for the cogal, and you still have my scissors! I would also point out that I had to split off early to ride back down the Island and catch a ferry..thereby not having the support of said team car for the final 30 miles, and I was quite grateful for the layers the last 10 miles or so, it was cloudy and cold at the southern end of the island when I was back down there. Having done the solo run from my house to the top of Stevens Pass the week before..I was used to having to carry everything I started out with.

Every time I looked over at you fully covered up on the cogal, it was enough to keep me warm. I would have overheated and shrivelled up under all that gear on that ride. I actually liked the one pink/one blue combination. Made me think of the old Lampre kit.

I had a short sleeve base layer on under my LS jersey, and I did peel off my gloves...so..I wasn't running all that hot. Maybe on a couple of climbs I opened up the vest and jersey a bit, but never overheated during the ride.
kixsand says:

Nov 10 2015 at 1:59 pm

I went out and bought a couple of ridiculously expensive bits of kit.

1. Assos Early Winter S7 Base Layer.

2. Assos Long Sleeve S7 Intermediate Jersey with wind proof front panels.

There's some sort of saying in cycling about it taking 5 years to "...get your legs". Well, I think it takes just about as long for one to figure out that it's not lunacy to spend upwards of $300 on a jersey that you'll only wear in spring and fall. And we're not talking about simply biting the bullet and pulling the trigger but actually celebrating your genius in discovering the value of these wonderful layers that can keep you comfortable and fast as the temperatures fall.
Mikael Liddy says:

Nov 10 2015 at 2:34 pm

@chuckp

@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.

yup, the downside comes if you take those Nordic genes & relocate them to a place like Oz...weeks of 40 degree heat during summer are not so much fun.
Joe Cline says:

Nov 10 2015 at 3:36 pm

"Keep them knees toasty above all." Eddy Bosberg. "If your peds are cold, put a casquette on." le maman. " Gloves are for sissies." Mssr. Hardman.
Barracuda says:

Nov 10 2015 at 4:21 pm

@frank

@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.

@frank, you expect people to read this stuff ? Im here for the pictures.
brett says:

Nov 10 2015 at 5:34 pm

@TheVid

@RobSandy

I don’t get the trend towards ever widening handlebars. Way back in the 90s when MTB was all I ever did, the bars I had were just right for the single track through the forests of BC. Just the thought of riding through those same trails with the current ‘plus’ sized bars gives me the heebie jeebies.

Well, we thought that back in the 90s. We'd buy a 680mm bar, cut it down and then add bar ends... not sure how the fuck we ever rode like that.

Wide bars are the only way to go, 730mm is a minimum these days. I run 775s. More control, and never a problem with trees... if you're hitting trees at that width, you'd have to be going pretty bloody slow anyway to even get through them.
wilburrox says:

Nov 10 2015 at 5:39 pm

@Ron

@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.

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.

My first "winter" down here in the deep south was one of no jackets and you gotta be kidding me when folks complained and schools were shut for even slightest hint of freezing weather. It didn't take long for me to acclimatize however and now... I complain along with everyone else unless blue skies and sunshine! Hot weather? Sit down and take a breather. Maybe have a sweet tea. Cold? Find shelter or die. Cold is no fun.

The beautiful thing about living in the deep south US is that at Christmas, kids can ride their new bikes outside! And not in the kitchen like up north. Cheers.
EBruner says:

Nov 10 2015 at 7:14 pm

It is all about wool, and proper layer for me. I ride down to the mid teens, and layered right, it works. Leg warmers are great until 30 for me, then I wear Rapha deep winter tights over pro team bibs. Again, wool.
minion says:

Nov 11 2015 at 12:29 am

I did buy 2 $300-ish Giordana Windstopper jackets, to deal with Winters in Canberra. One of the nice things about wearing regular knicks in such a f*#king cold winter, is if you wear regular knicks with leg warmers is getting a freezing cold arse and the scottish suntan in the area between jacket and warmers - absolutely ridiculous. And so now I've bought winter bib shorts. You read that right.