dressing for biking or skiing

ARE YOU A WINTER BICYCLIST? AND/OR SKIER?

Bicycling in Grand Junction is as popular as it is all over the country and especially so because of the Kokopelli Trail.

Weather wise we do not have much snow and the temperature never goes much below the 20’s most of the winter so bicycling is a year round activity.

The other day a local fellow came in to buy my socks for cold weather riding and we spoke of the sweating and then chilling that takes place when he stops to rest. My recommendation was that he wears the fishnet under shirt as his first layer. I explained that all of his sweat would go through the holes which constitute the bulk of the garment. Over the fishnet top he should wear a cotton shirt that was lose fitting. He asked why (?) because he was of the belief that cotton was a no, no.

I explained that the heat from his core was moving to his skin surface as was the heat moving as a vapor out of his pores and if he was wearing a synthetic garment (polyester or nylon) the fabric would absorb his heat and conduct it away from him. At the same time the synthetic fabric would stop the moisture from moving away from him resulting is a clammy feeling and possibly a chill even though he was wearing the fishnets.

When I was lost I was wearing the fishnets with a cotton shirt over them. The heat that I was generating stayed between my skin surface and the cotton fabric because cotton does not react to temperature change the way synthetics do, so it will not conduct the heat away from you as the synthetic fabric does. The heat that was trapped in the garment drove the moisture out as is evidenced by the amount of frost on the outside of my parka, which you can see in the photo on the web site.

I looked at the web sites for winter bicycling clothing and all of what I saw was closely knitted garments. I find it hard to believe that wearing these garments when the temperature is in the 30’s would be comfortable when you stop to rest. Every ounce of your sweat would have to be trapped either in the garment or between the garment and your skin. The companies that sell these garments can talk till they are blue in the face about “breathability” but as far as I am concerned they are just lying. Even if they used the proper phrase “vapor permeable” to describe what happens when wearing their garment again they would be lying.

My recommendation of what to wear that will allow you to be the most comfortable is the fishnet top as a first layer. The second layer should be the lose fitting cotton shirt and then the Ducksback wind shirt. You will discover that keeping the wind shirt slightly un-zipped will allow all of the moisture out while still in the vapor state. Remember all of your movement creates a bellows action which basically pushes the vapor out the easiest area of the garment that is open to the outside, you’re neckline. In the event you are bicycling in still colder weather having the Ducksback pullover will actually take you down to -5 degrees. What is also beneficial are the “Pogies” to keep your hands warm without the need of gloves.

This same clothing system can also be employed when you are cross country skiing or downhill skiing. I never biked as much as I have skied so I know these garments will out- perform all of the other outfits that are sold in ski shops around the world. They are not as colorful but better performers. Also, the Kodiak mittens are basically designed after one of the best-selling mittens ever the “boxing glove” mitten made for years by Grandoe Glove Company now unfortunately out of business. The family just shut the doors after 70 or 80 years. Anyway the Kodiak is the best mitten on the market, temperature wise it is good for temperatures as low as -20 degrees.

Of course this basic system can work quite well for any outdoor pursuit.