[BUMP from 2/18/06] [Here’s a reprint from a 1994 issue of OYB. The improved winter jacket idea is a great one and deserves spreading around. I still use my jacket and haven’t heard of anything better.]
Bicycling thru winter is euphoric. Air clean, vision clear. Freshness everywhere flaring. At night the stars are sharper. In fact, it’s such a fine thing to do, you might really get into it, that is, if you’re ready for it.
Most days the pavement is dry. Half the snowy days will be hardpack. Days of slush or ice, bag it of course. Otherwise go for it! And experiment with the duds to get what works…which is half the fun. Because when your system works, it’s satisfying indeed.
The sad thing is that it’s hard nowadays to dress right. The supposedly hi-tech garments suck. They make ‘sport’ clothes out of nylon, etc., to make laundry easy…and manufacturing cheap for them, I presume. They know 90% of what they sell will never be used as intended, so I also suppose that helps them feel better about their non-performance.
Riding togs with nylon anywhere on them suck. They don’t work. They sweat up. Their vents do not help (you’re dry at the vent, still wet wherever nylon is). They cannot breathe. And Gortex, et al, cannot breathe fast enough. And still you can pay $100 easy for the stuff.
I looked, I shopped, I wanted to buy something right, just the ticket. It couldn’t be found. (And I hassled all the techie salesfolk with plain demonstrations of why their stuff sucked and wonderment over the lack of function.) Back in the old days, up to the 1970’s, I imagine there were plenty of good outfits. Sure they were of natural fiber and needed care, but what the heck, they worked great.
After experimenting, I made my own ideal coat. And I bet it’d work real swell for most anyone else. I found that a dense wool layer provided enough insulation and almost ideal breathability, but not enough windbreak. So I took a Woolrich Shirt-Jak and vented it heavily in the pits and across the back to first give it ideal breathability. (Martha was into having me look snappy and ride warm, so she graciously sewed all of the alts. Thanks, M!) Then I had canvas sewed across 90% of the chest area (2 panels). This gives wind protection and full breathability in the same area.
Now I ride from 40°F to 10°F without a hitch!
At warmer temps I wear a long-sleeve shirt under the jacket, at colder, a shirt and sweater. Perfect. Cheap. Snappy. (OK, geeky, too, but whatever. For tighter stylepoints one could use a solid-color jacket and apply matching canvas.)
To complete my rig, I do the obvious: pants and footwear to suit; gloves when warmer, mitts when colder; hanky across nose below freezing, scarf when colder. Maybe not so obvious: clear safety wraparound glasses down to 15°, goggles colder. Eye-tearing can be a pain…proper ventilated eyewear solves it. Lastly, for the gents, a hat or glove or scarf down the front of the trousers—do not neglect this last bit even once!
