Weathering the weather is part of being a cyclist.

I get pretty tiresome with all my gripes about the weather, don\’t I? I complain about cold; and about wind; and about rain. But I don\’t want to become a \”fair weather cyclist\”, so I have to pay attention to it. How do I go about weathering the weather?

It\’s often said that there\’s no such thing as bad weather; only bad clothing choices. Unfortunately even the best clothing choices won\’t keep a cold wind from making my nose run!

Well, what all clothing is out there?

When it\’s really cold, you can start with a base layer.  I have an undershirt for the coldest days. Next comes either a jersey or a long-sleeved blouse. The main body of my old cycling jacket is my vest; and over that goes my cycling jacket.

Some days, such as when it\’s below about 45 degrees (especially if it\’s also windy), I wear yet another jacket. That one has a hood, which I can use to help protect the back of my neck.

Are my leg warmers meant to be a just base layer? On some cold days they aren\’t warm enough; and then I wear an old pair of slacks over them. Or should I try embrocation cream?

Oh-h-h, and my feet are cold! Not even double socks can keep them warm for more than a few miles on a frigid day. How about shoe covers? I tried toe covers several years ago. They helped keep my toes warm; but the strap thing that ran across the sole of the shoe got all torn up from my attempts to get clipped in.

And there are gloves, and  helmet liners … at this rate, I\’ll be too bundled up to be able to move!