Protect Your Assets: Staying Comfortable - Cycling Magazine

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Saturday 1 July 2017

Protect Your Assets: Staying Comfortable

Protect Your Assets: Staying Comfortable


NOW THAT WE HAVE COVERED THE BASICS OF CYCLING GEAR, it’s time to up the ante and discuss another realm of equipment. We’ll get into the extra stuff you might need to keep you protected from the elements, road conditions, and even a spill or a swarm of insects.
Cold is a terrible force and heat can be just as bad. Cyclists need barriers from the outside and layers from the inside to help keep temperatures manageable, so the industry has designed products you can add or take away while riding as weather conditions change. Remember those jersey pockets we talked so much about? One of their main functions is to stow away the various clothing and accessories you may need as a spring day turns from beautiful to nasty and back again, so you can be prepared no matter what the world throws at you.
Most of the following items are not things every cyclist buys off the bat, but they may be acquired over time as the needs arise. If you know you’re only able to ride cold early mornings, a windbreaker might be one of your first purchases. A commuter might need lights, or a cycle-tourist may want chamois cream for those long days in the saddle. Which of these items you want to invest in will depend on your riding style, your budget, and your priorities.

Layering: Building from the Inside Out 

Whether the conditions are hot or chilly, or even if it’s the perfect summer day, there are a few things you can count on to keep you both warm, cool, and abrasion-free.

Base Layers
Cyclists cannot underestimate the power of the base layer. How can a fancy undershirt make that big of a difference? Let’s start with the cold. Two thin layers are lighter and better insulated than a thicker one because the space between them traps some of the warmth your body creates. It’s hard to believe, but a base layer will do more to keep your extremities warm than a thick pair of gloves or socks. Adding protection to your extremities will help, of course. But keeping your torso warm keeps the majority of the blood in your body warmer, which in turn keeps your extremities from getting too cold in the first place.
This is where the magic is—around the core, where most of all your temperature is regulated. Starting from your heart, blood expands out to your extremities. Think of it like the furnace or AC in your house. There’s the main unit (your heart, lungs, and innards), vents that push cold or warm air out (your arteries), and vents that reclaim the old air to be cycled again (your veins). So even if you have a room that’s built off a wing of the house (like your hands or feet), it comes down to regulating the central system for good temperature control throughout your proverbial house.
“But I’m sweating!” some say. “I must be warm enough!” Sweat worked up on a climb doesn’t always mean your core temp is warm enough to keep you toasty on the downhill. A fine-tuned body should sweat when your heart rate rises. This doesn’t mean you can stay warm enough to keep your extremities from turning to icicles, so protect that precious resource with some insulation. The best material for the winter base layer is merino wool because of its fabulous wicking and insulating properties.
There are also “cooling” base layers for hot days. Seems a little counterintuitive, but the explanation is based on the science surrounding your body’s natural mechanism. Sweat’s main job is to cool your body by using your own core heat to help evaporate water on your skin. The more you sweat, the more warmth your body releases to evaporate the moisture away. So in normal or humid climates, cooling base layers can be helpful because they keep your core temp from overheating by moving some of the water off your skin for you. These base layers are usually made from synthetics or bamboo.
Take note: In drier climates you want to avoid the cooling base layer. It can remove the sweat from your skin too quickly before it has a chance to draw any heat out, leaving your core temperature too high.

Chamois Cream
Sounds a little curious, huh? Your chamois is made to wick sweat, but on hot days it can only wick so much. Combine that with the fact that you’ll be pedaling circles around 90 times a minute (which is 45 times for each leg), and in an hour you’ve brushed each leg about 2,700 times against the saddle. That’s quite a bit, so you can see how chafing can be a problem—especially if you’re in the saddle for longer.
This is where chamois cream comes in. It is a thick cream that provides a protective layer between the friction points where the edges of the saddle hit your bum. After a few rides, this spot will easily identify itself. If you’re experiencing rawness—something akin to a burn—on your bottom after rides, chamois cream will help prevent it and can even be used off the saddle to help it heal. The cream is also a preventative against the horrors of saddle sores. These are little spots of irritation that turn into infected hair follicles caused by the bacteria in your sweat. Unlike the aforementioned abrasion, these can be a lot more painful and take days or weeks to heal. No fun at all, and difficult if not impossible to ride a bike comfortably while you have one.
There are numerous chamois creams out there that your bicycle shop should carry. There are also non-cycling products that work for some, but they are either too greasy or absorb too quickly. After comparative testing, many people usually find a type and brand that they prefer. Caution—some brands come with mentholated “cooling” or “tingly” versions (sometimes referred to as “Euro style”). If you have sensitive skin, read the labels carefully.

Barriers: Protecting from the Outside In 

Whether you’re rolling out in the morning cold or the forecast says to expect the unexpected, these are the things you can wear to keep the elements from destroying your ride—or your body afterward.

Jackets and Vests
Jackets and vests seem like simple items, but like jerseys, cycling jackets are unique. They are also cut longer in the back than they are in front and are usually designed to either protect from wind, the cold, rain, or all three, each one being progressively thicker and less breathable than the one before.
Windbreakers are ultrathin, lightweight, and usually designed to easily pack into one of your jersey pockets so you can wear it when you need it, then stow it away. To make them as packable as possible, they usually come without pockets. Imagine a jacket that can fold down to the size of a soda can and you’re in the ballpark. That being said, their ability to stop the wind from creeping down to your base layer and cooling your skin is second to none. Even on a 70-degree day, a long, shady descent at 30 miles per hour can be bone-chilling, so pull it out of your pocket before the descent and then tuck it away when you’re back on flat ground. Of course, on a colder day, a wind jacket (with proper layering beneath) is all you might need for the whole ride. As far as breathability, these usually don’t leave much room for your body to breathe, so the jacket can make you overheat quickly and is best removed if you don’t really need it. If you’re riding when it’s below 75 degrees and your ride has a long descent, it’s a must have.
A vest is a variation on this. It has all the same qualities as the jacket, but without sleeves. Similar to a base layer, it works by keeping your core at its warmest, but differs in that it leaves your arms exposed so they stay drier. If you’re a person who tends to run warm or perspires a lot, this might be a better choice than a full windbreaker for most of your rides. For anyone on a spring day when the warm hasn’t quite set in, it can be a perfect piece of your wardrobe.
For colder weather rides, you’ll want a thicker, thermal riding jacket. With a similar cut to the windbreaker, this is intended to be worn throughout your entire ride. It comes equipped with back pockets similar to those on your jersey, providing you with easy access to your food and other supplies on a cold day without having to remove a layer. Many of these also come with a bit of wind protection (especially over the chest) and light water resistance, and they are usually the most breathable of all types of jackets. For the coldest days, it’s great to layer one with your windbreaker or vest on top for extra protection.
Then came the rain. If you live in a climate that sees a lot of wet weather, a cycling rain jacket is a godsend. The rain jacket is heavier than a windbreaker (but has similar, element-blocking properties), and there are a few different types to try when you want to dodge raindrops. Which jacket is right for you will come down to how long and often you plan to ride in the rain, and how completely waterproof you need it to be. In general, the more waterproof the material, the less breathable (and more sweat generating) it is.
For racers or serious fitness cyclists, there are rain jackets that are form-fitting yet and can pack down almost as small as a windbreaker. These can be anything from a bit of inexpensive plastic to high-tech, semi-breathable materials that are still mostly or entirely waterproof. For commuters and cycle tourists, there is a more heavy-duty-style rain protection. Although this type of coat won’t fit in a pocket and has a much less aerodynamic fit, it’s intended to be worn for your entire ride over other layers. It’s waterproof yet breathable due to both materials and venting in the armpits, back, and/or sides to make it more comfortable to wear for long periods of time, and help you not end up soaked from sweat at the end of your ride.

Arm, Leg, and Knee Warmers
“Warmers” are one of the most brilliant pieces of clothing ever invented, so much so that other sport industries have stolen the idea and run with it themselves. They are small sleeves designed to fit over specific parts of your body to extend your clothing—turning short-sleeved jerseys into long-sleeved jerseys, bike shorts into three-quarter-leg or full-leg tights, and then back again as conditions warrant. Their genius lies in that they are easily removable for changing conditions effectively, making your summer riding gear double as fall, winter, or spring gear—and doubling your wardrobe.
For example, if you head out on a chilly spring morning ride, you might need your arm and knee warmers to keep the cold out, but as the day warms you can easily shed them and tuck them away in a pocket. In the winter, you might switch to a full-leg warmer for better coverage. They come in different weights of materials depending on your preferred style—many are made with wool or have fleece linings for maximum coziness and wicking.

Gloves
Cycling has what can look to the new rider like a somewhat frivolous accessory—fingerless gloves. This is what most riders often wear for a few really smart reasons. One, the gloves come with extra-thick material on the palms to protect your hands in case of an accident—because your natural first reaction will be to put your hands out in front of you. Without gloves, you can end up with scrapes on one of the most sensitive parts of your body.
Many cycling gloves also come with specific padding to relieve pressure on the nerves in your wrists and hands. Hours of resting on the bars and absorbing road vibration can create numbness or, worse yet, pain in your hands and fingers. This little bit of selectively placed padding can make a huge difference in comfort.
There are, of course, full-fingered gloves for warmth and protection in the winter. Typically what makes these special is the same padding with additional thermal material for warmth, some added wind or water repellency, plus reflective material (because winter rides are often in less than optimal lighting conditions).

Head Gear
There are lots of things besides helmets to protect your head—not to mention your ears and eyes. To absorb sweat and give you minimal eye protection from the sun, there are small, traditional cycling caps that fit under your helmet. Some people don’t like having a visor on a hat, or prefer to have the visor attached to their helmet but still want perspiration absorption. A bandanna or do-rag fits nicely under the helmet.
In the winter, hats vary from tight skullcaps to caps with visors and special earflaps built in. Cold-weather caps are made almost exclusively out of polyester or merino wool. You can also buy a special earflapped headband that fits over your summer cycling cap if you find that winter caps are too big or bulky.
For the coldest, most extreme weather conditions, which, thankfully, many of us will never ride in, balaclavas (the ski masks made infamous by bank robbers) are one option. Another option is a neck warmer (a.k.a. neck gaiter or winter collar) that will block the cold air from channeling down the front of your coat and into your core. These are also available in very lightweight, ultra-wicking UV blocking materials if you ride in places with high elevation and lots of sun, and don’t want to constantly slather on sunscreen.
No matter what time of year, keeping your eyes protected is a great idea. We’re used to thinking of eye protection in terms of the sun, but on the road you’ll be subjected to the occasional flying rock, road dust, low branch, or swarm of bugs, and it doesn’t take much to cause a serious injury that could easily be avoided with riding glasses. That lovely breeze on your face will be a constant as well, and glasses are great to help your eyes from tearing up.



Shoe Covers
You can just wear thicker socks—but only to a point. Because of the narrow fit of cycling shoes, you can’t bulk up too much or you’ll actually make your feet colder faster by cutting off the circulation you need to bring that warm blood through. This is why these fabric covers that slide over your shoes are lovely little additions that keep your toes nice and toasty in colder weather. They come in two lengths—simple toe covers and full booties that come with a small cutout for clipless pedal cleats. Much like jackets, the booties come in different fabric weights and levels of protection depending on weather conditions. The thicker and more waterproof they are, the less they are able to let your feet breathe.

Sunscreen and Windscreens
A word about protecting your skin. As we mentioned in both the arm/leg/knee warmer and headgear sections, in recent years there have been many products created to protect us from the sun. As the ozone layer depletes and UV rays become more insidious, protecting our skin from cancer-causing damage is no longer an option, but a must. Cyclists spend hours at a time in the sun, so make sure exposed skin—especially your neck (which because of your riding position gets the most exposure)—is coated in sunscreen. If you’re out for more than 2 hours, bring a small tube to reapply.
Of course, fabric sunscreens are more effective and not only block the sun’s powerful rays but also eliminate the need to slather yourself in creams. They also give you added protection from the hydration-sucking wind.

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