Cold weather season is approaching.  Granted, this is Southern California, land of weather wimps, but nonetheless, it’s our weather and we gotta dress for it.

It’s always best to wear two layers regardless of the weather; a base layer and a jersey.  A good base layer keeps you warm when it’s cool [adds insulation] and keeps you cool when it’s warm [traps moisture].

My favorite base layer is a thin, short-sleeve, merino wool t-shirt by SmartWool.  Wool is naturally anti-bacterial and helps keep da’stink off; bacteria is the biggest cause of stink {not including your breath}.  There are many new synthetic materials available with anti-bacterial agents blended into the fabric but essentially the goal is to emulate the qualities of wool; wick moisture away from your skin, maintain loft [insulation] when wet and prevent odor.  The most frequent complaint about wool is it’s too itchy, however, SmartWool produces fabric that is very soft and comfortable against the skin [in warm or cool weather].  SmartWool makes both a thin and medium weight undershirt.

For early morning training rides that start and end within a narrow bandwidth of  temperature fluctuation,  between 50° and mid-60s, I find 2 layers to be sufficient; a thermal jersey with a short or long sleeve wool base layer.  If the ride stretches into the late morning when the cold edge gets tempered, I’ll wear a short sleeve base layer and jersey with thermal [thicker] arm-warmers.  When you peel off the arm warmers, the bare skin acts like a radiator and helps keep your core from over-heating even if you’re wearing a thick base layer and heavier jersey to keep you warm against the early morning cold.

A third layer and a perfect cool weather complement is a thin, sleeveless vest to shield you from wind chill factor.  As it warms up, you can take it off, fold it up and stuff it in a back pocket or slide it under your jersey.  However, don’t disregard the base layer; it’s what buffers you against moisture and provides insulation that’s essential to keeping you warm when it’s cool and cool when it’s warm.

B[aaaaa]‘Animaux!

Photo Courtesy Tim Kok