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.

Next Freedom »

Previous « Rule #12: The Fine Print

View Comments

Teocalli says:

Nov 9 2015 at 10:29 am

Now you've opened a bag of worms. He ain't wearing knee warmers..........
Matt says:

Nov 9 2015 at 10:52 am

It's finally cooled down enough here to deploy arm warmers; got to bust em out for the first time on Saturday morning. I always look forward to the opportunity to layer up for rides, although I'm sure I wouldn't be as enthusiastic if we had a truly cold winter.
chuckp says:

Nov 9 2015 at 11:20 am

Yesterday's ride: partly sunny/cloudy, low 50s, 10+mph wind. Me: base layer with long sleeve jersey, gilet (aka wind vest), knee warmers, and booties. I know the last is kinda wimpy but my feet get cold really easily/fast, so once the temp dips into the 50s I usually wear booties. Also, light full-finger gloves. My feet were still a little cold, but everything else was "just right." And love my aeroshell cover on my Lazer Helium helmet. Blocks the vents to keep cold air out, but the rearmost vents are still open to vent out. Don't need to wear anything under it in cool weather (without it, I would've worn a skullcap). In colder weather (for me, the 40s), I'll wear a skullcap especially if I need to cover my ears.
Gianni says:

Nov 9 2015 at 1:16 pm

Additional Casually Deliberate points are also available for zipping back up while riding hands-free

Unless you ride into a pothole while arms are half way in or out of a gilet. Sensi Cipo did that and really ruined himself. He broke his fall with that face of his (anything but the face!) and missed part of the season. Ouch.
Hans says:

Nov 9 2015 at 1:38 pm

My worst moments (on the bike...) were when realising that I will not warm up after 15 minutes, 'man-up', to be hit by the hongerklop after only 1.5 hours in the saddle. Not much casual deliberateness remaining when staggering into a filling station, clutching a bank-card with shaking hands and hitting the mars, snickers and the chocomel...

ps. be careful to ride hands-free before reaching the top of the mountain (hill)....

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/sportive-crash-rider-causes-social-media-sensation-123863
Sparty says:

Nov 9 2015 at 2:25 pm

"it also implies that whatever choice you make, you will get it wrong."

I recently wrote about being poorly kitted for ride a few weeks ago. I blame a dodgy weather report for that epic fail. This weekend, I am to blame. I have a few sets of leg and arm warmers and more than a few gilets. I chose the thinner sets for Saturday's training ride and that was a poor decision. The winds picked up, the sun stayed hidden and 40 minutes into the ride the shivers were still there. I wasn't the only foolish bloke. We decided that pushing the pace might help, it helped some, but at the expense of letting the Man with the Hammer creep within milimeters.

Adding insult to injury, before I left the house I had my shoe covers and Gabba jacket in my hands, but tossed them back in the closet. 137kms and I never felt very comfortable. With a closet full of kit for all weather conditions I am still getting it wrong. I am going to act upon the onion advice from this point forward. But I will likely still mess it up.
chuckp says:

Nov 9 2015 at 2:40 pm

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.
teleguy57 says:

Nov 9 2015 at 2:42 pm

@chuckp

And love my aeroshell cover on my Lazer Helium helmet. Blocks the vents to keep cold air out, but the rearmost vents are still open to vent out.

+1; mine is a Genesis, but love the shell.

I agree mostly w/@Frank, but I'm a bigger fan of LS jerseys vs SS and warmers. I have and use both, but if it's 55F or lower I'll grab the LS every time (the exception is with my Gabba SS and Sportful NoRain warmers). Just don't see the benefit of fiddling. I do vary base layers depending on what I think will happen with temps/wind during the ride. For colder temps my Showers Pass Softshell Trainer with a w/b treatment is my go-to piece -- love the cut and the performance.

Same on the bottom. I have two pair of Sportful NoRain bibs (same model 2 years apart have dramatically different cuts, but that's a rant for another time) and matching knee warmers. I do like the thicker fabric and water repellency, but will more often reach for my Endura or Castelli bib knicks.

My gilet is in my pocket a whole lot more than on my body... starting colder and planning to warm up on the ride usually works -- but when it's 30-40 minutes in and you're not quite there.... how much fun is that?!
Barracuda says:

Nov 9 2015 at 2:59 pm

Its that time of year down here in sunny/overcast/hot/cold/raining/dry South Australia.

Guaranteed to get it wrong and to take the forecasters advice is to set oneself up for a fail.

So, the only answer is :-

Rapha PT base layer, Rapha PT Bibs, PT Jersey, Tight Gilet ( loose, well, would be points deducted straight away ) Light dab of embro on knees and calves, cap under helmet and away we go.
Ccos says:

Nov 9 2015 at 4:41 pm

Based on his calf definition seen there, Kelly has what...4% body fat? His guns were always awe inspiring.

It's gotta be plenty cold for me to cover mine (the calves), but they pale in comparison.