Whether you are hitting the trails offroad or onroad, for those of you who want to keep cycling this winter, you will need some winter cycling gear to keep you warm and dry. Cycling uphill soon warms you up, but it is very chilly on the downhills with the winter wind blowing at you. Your hands and face definitely will feel that icy blast. Then there are the shorter winter days, meaning that you are more likely to be cycling at night. This leads to the need for visibility.

So, what winter cycling clothes should you have?

Winter Headwear

That wind is pretty chilly in winter, so you will want to keep your ears warm when cycling.  Let’s start with cycling headwear. Most of you will probably be wearing a really cool cycling helmet, but they don’t exactly keep your head and ears warm. What you need is a VeloChampion Thermo Tech thermal cycling skull cap that fits unders your cycling helmet. A microfleece beanie hat will fit under your cycling helmet, or you could try a balaclava if you are not too fashion conscious. A thin powerstretch hat may look better, especially when used with a fleece tube around your neck. You can pull these down so that they cover your ears.

Keeping Your Neck Warm

A fleece tube is better than a scarf for keeping your neck warm. You don’t have to worry about it coming unwrapped. A Polar Buff is ideal. You can also pull it up over your nose to be really toasty, though some people find that it can steam up their glasses. You can pull it up over your nose when cycling downhill, and then easily lower it when climbing hills.

Winter Cycling Tops

You will definitely need a long sleeved top. Cotton is much better at ensuring you don’t get too hot and sweaty under all of your layers. One recommendation is a Frosty Boy top from Ground Effect. They also do a ladies version. It is excellent as it has a windproof front to keep you warm when cycling downhill.

There are plenty of dayglo bright yellow cycling jacket on the market. Just have a look at Evans Cycles, or Wiggle. They should be reasonably waterproof, with a cotton mesh lining. The mesh reduces the amount of sweat you get inside. The cycling jacket should also be windproof. My jacket has a fold down flap at the bottom of the back which covers my backside when cycling. This stops the spray from the road going down the back of my trousers.

Cycling Gloves

Make sure that you have a really warm pair of winter cycling gloves, as your hands are really exposed to the winter wind. You should still be able to grip the handlebars, as well as operate the gears and brakes. A great idea for cycling gloves is to make sure they have reflective strips on them. when you are cycling in the dark, cars won’t see you indicating to turn. If your cycling gloves don’t have reflective strips on them, you can get sticky strips to put on, or buy reflective wrist bands. You may also want to put reflective strips on your cycling helmet as well.

Winter Cycling Trousers and Leggings

Now we’re getting close to the wet road. Waterproof trousers are recommended to keep out all of the spray. Evans Cycles sell waterproof trousers that are jsut the job when cycling in winter. The reflective strips on them light up really well in car headlights.

Winter Cycling Footwear

For keeping your feet warm and dry when cycling in winter, nothing can beat Sealskinz.
100% waterproof, you can get a knee high version which will keep your whole leg warm and dry. You could also wear waterproof overshoes. These are less sweaty than Seal Skinz.

For a cheap solution, just put some carrier bags on your feet before you put your shoes on. Or, you could always put them on top of your shoes, but you have to be careful that any loose bits don’t get stuck in your wheels or chain!

Outdoor Shops for Winter Cycling Clothes

You can get clothing suitable for winter cycling from most outdoor clothing shops. At this time of year they will have a good range of winter clothing that you can also use for all sorts of other winter outdoor activities. Be cool and stylish whatever outdoor activity you are doing, even if it’s just hanging out with your mates.

Bestselling Bike Lights for Winter

Technology is constantly evolving, and you can get some really super bright bike light sets. For road bikes or mountain bikes, you are going to want bike lights that have the 3 modes of always on, flashing slow and flashing fast. LED bike lights can provide seriously bright 900 lumens, are water resistant to cope with all of that rain, and are easy to mount.

If you really want to see where you are going in the dark, you have to get the Sahara Sailor 5600 Lumens Bike Light with T6 Cree LEDs. With currently 62% discount at £23, it has a 4400mAh 18650 rechargeable battery that lasts at least 2-4 hours on high lighting mode.

For a huge range of winter cycling gear, why not get your winter cycling clothes from Amazon

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Organisers of the inaugural Verbier E-Bike Festival have announced that they are opening up four amateur team places for the first ever E-TMB (E-Tour du Mont Blanc). The amateur teams will be able to race against elite teams in the epic 300km 3-day race, which consists of 12,000m of climbing and 16,000m of descent. Public applications will open on 18^thJune 2019 (closing on 10^thJuly 2019). 

The E-TMB race takes place August 14-16, 2019 and follows a route through the three countries surrounding the Mont-Blanc massif: beginning in Verbier, Valais, Switzerland, the race continues to Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy and the mythical resort ofChamonix-Mont-Blanc in France at the foot of Europe’s highest mountain. It then concludes where it all started, in Verbier, Switzerland.

Featuring over 260km of single-track trails and nearly 16,000m of vertical descent, thisonce in a lifetime adventure takes riders through some of the most renowned alpine bike terrain on the planet. 

20 teams of elite professional riders from across the world have already been selected to compete in this groundbreaking event, destined to become one of the world’s premier E-bike competitions. 

Four additional amateur teams will be selected through the application process. Each of the finalteams will consist of two competitors. Selected amateurs will directly compete against their prequalified professional counterparts. 

Amateur teams can apply by sending their personal information and their sports track records  to register@verbierebikefestival.com. The best teams will be selected by the event organisers and will be officially announced on 13^thJuly 2019. The fee to enter E-TMB is 850 USD per rider and the prize money is 20,000 USD.

This innovative new event will give amateur riders a chance to ride side-by-side against the world’s most talented riders on an action-packed journey through Europe’s most stunning alpine landscapes. 

More information www.verbierebikefestival.com

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