Getting chilly in the cafe

[roubaixtuesday]

I think this is inevitable, at least in hilly country. It's just not possible to both not sweat uphill and not freeze down. I rarely do long winter rides precisely because of this.

I'd recommend heated gloves make a big difference, though pricy. Waterproof socks are also great.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

@Cathryn I'm the same as you re feeling cold, even in summer.
On top of that, if I stop for 20/30 minutes, my leg muscles get cold too, it's a struggle to reactivate them!
The above advice about layers is good, but I feel having a spare bra on the ride would do the trick.
Changing your base layer and bra on arrival to a cafe would make you feel more comfortable.
What to do, though, if: there are more than one cafe stop planned/you are a road biker with no means to carry spare clothing/you arrive to the cafe soaked from the rain on top of your perspiration?
Best thing is not to stop

 

[slowmotion]

I find merino impossibly itchy if I sweat. I use Heattech Ultra from Uniqlo as base layers. Half or a third the price of merino and moths don't destroy them either.

 

[Brandane]

Best thing is not to stop

If only Fubar ("no stopping; no shopping!") was still reading these boards, he would be delighted to hear about your change of tactics .

 

[Pat "5mph"]

If only Fubar ("no stopping; no shopping!") was still reading these boards, he would be delighted to hear about your change of tactics .

Stopping the bike to go shopping is ok, your body still moves.
Stopping to sit down for half an hour makes you freezing

 

[Cathryn]

@Cathryn
Changing your base layer and bra on arrival to a cafe would make you feel more comfortable.
What to do, though, if: there are more than one cafe stop planned/you are a road biker with no means to carry spare clothing/you arrive to the cafe soaked from the rain on top of your perspiration?
Best thing is not to stop

Totally agree about the bra! I think carrying a spare layer/bra is the best solution!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Totally agree about the bra! I think carrying a spare layer/bra is the best solution!

Some paper towels too (some cafe toilets only have air hand driers), to dry under your breasts

 

[Falsesummat]

I too get very cold very quick when stopping mid ride especially in winter. Nowadays i either dont stop or if its likely that i will because im riding with others i take a lightweight down jacket rolled up and compressed, stored in a large seatpack. Mines a 2.7 litre ortlieb seat pack

 

[All uphill]

On the subject of merino I have several Marks and Spencer merino pullovers, and wear one most days. They are a good £40 worth.

 

[cyberknight]

I suffer with this too, i find taking layers off in the cafe followed by wearing a windproof when i set off again helps, of course sometimes a windproof is a bad idea so i have to just ride hard for a bit which doesnt go down well with others .

 

[MichaelW2]

Are you riding in a waterproof? If so, consider wearing a permeable windproof and saving the waterproof for actual rain. This should stop your inner and midlayers getting damp.
As noted, carry a spare dry jersey if needed. In winter I might carry a bunch of assorted extra clothing inc insulated gillet, wooly hat, neck warmer, waterproof over trousers, even spare socks.
You can shed extras with experience but you need to "dress to egress" as pilots say, and be able to cope with fixing stuff by the road.

 

[matticus]

Another tip (I think): if the cafe is warm enough, take off as many clothes as you can! :P
- will let things dry a bit, and
- you will then feel/be warmer when you put it all back on again for the ride home.

You may find that you *always* need to wear a bit more on the way home (all other things being equal), so carrying spare stuff is, sadly, hard to avoid.

p.s. big fan of merino here, especially when you (or the weather) is damp

 

[craigwend]

Experimented today with a synthetic baselayer for a ride and noticed when got back home (no cafe stop) got colder quicker than merino, so this one very unscientific experiment, merino keeps its warmth longer as well when you stopped...

 

[ColinJ]

I had been thinking about trying out merino until the comment above about moths. I have had years of trouble with the damn things. I never manage to completely exterminate them but by eliminating as much wool as possible from the house I got last year's visible moth numbers down to tens rather than hundreds. I don't fancy feeding the descendants of the survivors with expensive cycling kit!

Hmm... I just thought - store the merino items in sealed plastic bags? That should keep them safe from tiny larval teeth!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I think this is inevitable, at least in hilly country. It's just not possible to both not sweat uphill and not freeze down. I rarely do long winter rides precisely because of this.

I'd recommend heated gloves make a big difference, though pricy. Waterproof socks are also great.

The amount of sweat and whether it gets to the outer layers can very much be adjusted though. Too many layers or too many layers that don’t allow the liquid sweat to reach the outside of the outer layer where It can evaporate and you’ll get damp. If you’re wearing a waterproof you are stuffed as they trap liquid water in your layers.