A PRIMER ON PROPER CYCLIST ATTIREWRITTEN BY PAUL HURDLOW (AVID CYCLIST AND PARTNER WITH DLA PIPER)

A big part of the fun for the Mamma Jamma ride is the preparation.

We prepare ourselves physically, and get our bikes into Mellow Johnny’s for that important pre-ride tune-up (don’t wait on the latter, by the way; MJ’s can get busy and you want to make sure they have a look at the bike before our big ride).

So after all the preparation, with our bodies and our bicycles working great, nothing is more frustrating than to suffer through the ride because we don’t have the proper clothing and are too warm or, especially, too cold. Less experienced riders are sometimes not familiar with the unique clothing issues confronted by the cyclist; fundamentally, these issues arise because of the bicycle’s movement through the ambient conditions at 10mph – 30mph. Sixty degrees can feel pleasantly brisk when you’re standing at Zilker Park watching the ACL festival, but it is positively chilly when you’re riding a bicycle.

October weather in Central Texas can be notoriously fickle and variable. Mamma Jamma’s inaugural ride was a great example. Riders rolled out in sub-60 degree temps, and it never did get far above 70 degrees. However, in 2005, it was 105 degrees in that area! Throw in the ever-present possibility of a random Texas shower or big-time winds, and remember many of you will be on your bicycle for several hours, and you have yourself a sartorial puzzle worth solving.

To help you dress your best, here’s some tips organized by temperatures. Be sure to pack the night before the ride, and throw in clothing appropriate for a range of temperatures so you can make a “game day decision” about clothing choices once you get to Reunion Ranch. I’ll also include some thoughts about windy and rainy conditions. This guide assumes you have the basics of appropriate shoes, socks, chamois shorts/bibs, and a cycling jersey.

01

TWO GUIDING PRINCIPLES1. Use layers, as temperatures and conditions will change throughout

a long ride such as a century.

2. Cotton is generally not ideal as a cold-weather layer. It does not wick sweat away from the body and becomes relatively useless at retaining body heat once it is wet.

MY BIAS:

I don’t have the best circulation in fingers and toes, and I absolutely hate being cold on long bike rides, so I might “over dress” a bit, but I’d rather have it and be able to take it off than not have it to begin with. If you are a Belgian hard-man or woman and are comfortable when it’s cold, you could downgrade a bit from my guide.

02 | A Primer on Proper Cyclist Attire

BELOW 50°F

Hopefully we won’t be looking at this temperature range, but this is downright freezing on a bicycle and you’ll want all the layers you can layer:

■■ Base layer (technical clothing with wicking properties to keep sweat away from the body – cotton not appropriate for this layer). If you think you want another layer, go pro and shove a newspaper down the front of your jersey on top of your base layer – you’ll be surprised how well this works once you’re riding!

■■ Warm socks (only one layer); technical material or wool; cotton not appropriate.

■■ Cycling shoes, plus shoe covers. If you don’t have shoe covers and don’t want to purchase them, put a plastic baggie over your foot, on the outside of your socks but inside your shoe. This will help break the wind that would otherwise run over your toes and cause them to get very cold indeed.

■■ Warm, wind-resistant gloves (ski gloves will work if you don’t own a pair of cold-weather cycling gloves). This is a critical clothing item in this temperature range.

■■ Leg/knee warmers and arm warmers (technical cycling clothing “tubes” that roll over your legs and arms providing a clothing layer below your cycling shorts and the sleeve of your jersey).

■■ Cycling shorts and jersey. If you have a long sleeve jersey, go with this instead of arm warmers in this cold temperature range.

■■ Wind vest or cycling jacket. If you don’t own one of these and don’t want to purchase, use a moderately heavy windbreaker.

■■ Warm “cap” that totally or partially covers your ears. This clothing item is a bit tricky to substitute for, so if it looks like it may be this cold I’d advise purchasing a cycling cap at Mellow Johnny’s. Otherwise, go with a wool “beanie-style” cap. You wear the cap under your helmet.

03

50°F TO 59°F

This would have been appropriate last year, chilly but manageable!

■■ Base layer

■■ Warm socks

■■ Cycling shoes. You can go without the shoe covers if it’s over 55 degrees, provided you have quality technical or wool socks.

■■ Gloves. You can go with a lighter glove in this temperature range, but I’d still go with long fingers of some sort – think lightweight wool gloves.

■■ Leg/knee warmers

■■ Cycling shorts and jersey

■■ Wind vest or lightweight cycling jacket

■■ I’d use the cap if it’s less than 55 degrees; closer to 60 degrees I might go without it unless it’s windy.

60°F TO 69°F

Starting to get very nice here!

■■ Base layer? This gets tricky here – if it looks like temps will climb above 70, or well above 70, you may want to forego a base layer in this temp range. I have a couple of very light, short-sleeve base layers and I’d put one on if the ride start was close to 60 degrees; if over 65 degrees, I’d go without.

■■ Docks: wool socks would still be okay, but if temps are going to climb you might want to go with a lighter, cotton sock and just have the toes a bit cold for the first hour.

■■ No shoe covers

■■ Short-finger cycling gloves; no need for long fingers in this range.

■■ Above 65 degrees, no need for arm or leg warmers, and hardy types may want to forego them anywhere in this range.

■■ Cycling shorts/jersey

■■ No need for wind vest or jacket, unless it’s really windy (see next page).

■■ No need for cap

04 | A Primer on Proper Cyclist Attire

70°F TO 80°F

Oh YEAH!!! The sweet spot – we could ride naked and it would feel good (but it would be illegal). Go with your cotton socks, cycling shorts/bibs and jersey, short-finger cycling gloves, and enjoy a perfect Texas day! No base layers, covers, jackets or caps.

ABOVE 80°F

Starting to get warm, but here’s where the bicycle’s movement is nice. While runners would suffer, we cyclists get to enjoy nature’s giant fan as we pedal through the air. It’s helpful if your cycling jersey can be unzipped, and remember to drink frequently and use sunscreen and sunglasses.

WIND

Wind is a game-changer; if it’s over 10 mph you should consider adjusting my recommendations “down” to the next coldest category. Also, allow a bit more space in your “personal bubble,” as it can be harder to control bicycles in windy conditions, particularly in a cross-wind.

RAIN

If the forecast calls for rain, even light and sporadic showers, give serious thought to a water-repellant jacket. Once you are wet you will not get “un-wet” the rest of your ride, and if it’s also cold or windy you can become extremely uncomfortable if you’re wet on a bicycle. Most bicycle electronics (in the form of computers and GPS) are advertised to be water-resistant, but if it’s anything more than a drizzle I throw a baggie over my computer and use a rubber band to secure the baggie. Roads can be very slick in the wet – reduce your speed dramatically through any turn and keep your weight over your bicycle (as opposed to leaning into the turn). Roll smoothly, slowly and steadily through the turn with your head up and eyes down the road (so you keep weight centered).

05

Like everything else with cycling, preparation is key. Checking the weather (use the “hourly” forecasts to see what will happen during your hours on the bike) the night before, and packing appropriate clothing choices, will help you have a calm, confident morning and ensure that the fun you’ve earned by preparing your body and your bicycle won’t be spoiled by Mother Nature.

Please email me with any questions: paul.hurdlow@dlapiper.com

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