In PNW, I'm solidly in camp Merino. I've used the best poly blend materials and they are fine on cold dry days, but once you add in damp or heavy rain, merino can't be beat. I think one problem is people get too heavy a weight of merino base layers, I get those micro base layers then if it's really cold, I use a fleece mid layer that can absorb the moisture from the base layer but also has a lot of air pockets to trap heat. Then I use either a gilet or shell jacket. One thing you will notice with merino, versus poly is when you stop. Rather than going into hypoxic shock outside the cafe, merino keeps your core stable, not warm, stable. My core temp runs really high, so this may not work for everyone. The most important bit is gloves and I've gone through hundreds. My favorite gloves, by a metric mile, are Hestra. They are worth the extra money over cheaper gloves. They come in many sizes, which is great for my blacksmith-like mitts. For long rides where the weather and temp is going to shift, I bring two sets of gloves. One is a "runner" glove that offers a bit insulation, but not a lot else, the second is a water resistant glove. I switch gloves as needed, with the goal to keep my hands dry. not warm. The big issue is remembering to pull stuff off when you are climbing hills, so you have useful protection on the way down. As far as feet, I'm back to merino socks and occasionally Gore-tex shoes. I've never really though about my feet after the initial few minutes of a ride. Then again my feet have taken so much abuse from ultra-running and such, I don't know if the nerves properly work in them anymore.
Polypropylene is a perfect base layer. I regularly work outside in sub zero F temps (-20 C) and my buddies who do cold water rescue in these temps always use polypropylene base layers. We have also found the next best layer over the poly layer is a fleece vest. Then any type of shell with wind stopping liner, insulated or not depending on how cold. The fleece vest works like wool, and will help pull sweat from the poly layer, and it still insulates when damp. Also, you can get polypro sock liners. You would be shocked how well having a sock liner helps. Edit: you also need better neck warmth if it is really cold. The back of your neck is one of the biggest keys psychologically to how warm you feel.
4:28 disagree with the merino, but maybe its a sign of where i live (New Zealand) but i find merino to be much better than polypropylene for hiking, MTB, Road biking in the rain. Sure, the top layers synthetic is far better, but we have some great brands for Merino base layers and i personally find they are much warmer when not moving, with better breathability when on the move. Some of the best base layers i have are actually a mix of polyrop with Merino. 14:45 case in point, merino actually holds up really well to being soaking wet on a long descent (ask me how i know). It acts in a similar way to neoprene in that it holds moisture close to the skin, and it will warm up to your body temp and stay that way. Now that doesn't work for some with poor circulation, but in my experience, when doing exercise, your body generally wants to shunt heat away from the core anyway so it isn't an issue.
My best buy was a pair of Shimano winter boots, one size up to allow some wiggle room. One pair of vey thin liner socks and a pair of fluffy Heat Holder socks. I suffered with Raynaud's as a teen and still get cold hands and feet. I have a box full of gloves that do not cut the mustard so last Christmas my daughters gave me some Norwegian heated gloves. Bliss.
Dexshell Thermlites with a lightweight wool inner sock work well for me; make sure your shoes/boots are not tight. The Bridgedale StormSocks look interesting. Good gloves are essential (lightweight inner, wind/waterproof outer) and I'd add that taking a hat is a good idea especially if windy and raining (cold ears get painful).
Enjoyed the video. I'm so glad it isn't just me who thinks the clothes colours for males is dull. Whereas the women get much better colours. I've never heard of polypropylene. I'll have to take a look, thanks
I’m not a fan of merino either … i’ve got skin that is very sensitive to fabric contact, and there’s no way i can have wool directly contacting my skin! Just a comment on ‘merino wool’ clothing in clothing. It’s a weird marketing term. Pretty much _all_ wool used in clothing is made from merino wool!
I have been using ski socks with some merino content since a while and they work well for me. Every once in a while when I managed to step into water, pulling a thin plastic bag over the wet socks as an emergency helped keep some more warmth of my foot, but that was really a last resort (and you need to have that bag with you anyway). I think it's the same as with tools and spares: do you expect your chain to break on a regular ride and prepare with a chain breaker - do you expect to step into water and bring an extra pair of socks...? Maybe I would if I had a backpack on me always... Bridgedale is widely available here in central EU as well.
never had issues with cold feet before and there are times I need to ride in sub zero temps. now cold hands... that's a scunner. good gloves are essential.
Thanks Paul, another really informative video with real world examples. Shame about the wet feet but someone had to do it 😜. Bridgedale do not have much stock left on the website. (Well not the normal sizes anyway). Never mind, as I live on the south coast I rarely see ice and the spare socks I carry take care of wet feet. Keep up the absolutely great content you put out. Cheers Alan.
"Keep warm" content was excellent, and very pertinent, thank you. And if I can afford them, the longer waterproof shocks could solve a problem with me not liking over shoes. Wet feet in any weather, has been a very unpleasant experience. I'm a little confused with the last ride in the video, where you took a tumble. (As I did Sunday that has left me unable to walk/drive.) The bike you are on, the 3T Extreme Italia, looks to the ignorant (me) to be a lightweight carbon road bike with fatter tyres, wide range cassette/derailleur, so then called a gravel bike. What I am quite surprised at, is that you would ride it across rock and water filled gorse trails .... No suspension at all? And in winter? We all like a challenge ..... But really? :-)) You certainly earn your followers! ATB.
Maybe this is obvious, but at least for me keeping my head warm and dry is as important if not more so than my hands and feet. A good thermal beanie/watch cap and helmet cover if it's raining makes a huge difference. I think we lose something like 30% of our body heat from our heads.
personal experience : i got always cold feet, whatever the weather (even sometimes in spring or early summer !). Merinos socks, technical socks... nothing works. The only thing that works for hours is : heated socks (with a little battery in it) AND shoe protection (neoprene) to keep the warm. Otherwise, its a nightmare for me in winter.
@Mapdec it's great here, whilst cold it's not damp. I've cycled through the winter on studded tyres. Wool socks and over shoes for the feet. Layers for the body and then inner gloves for the hands... You still get cold eventually, but that's half the fun 😎🇫🇮
pls help - i got a fox 32 stepcast performance i just notice that lower leg bolt/crushwasher on the air side leak just a bit! can i just tide it-out or i need to add more oil in the leg now ?
I find people reach for the waterproof for warmth - when a light windproof is just as warm and a lot less sweaty. I've also got an Endura Jetstream which has windproof front and fleecy back - ideal for staying drier and warmer. I just get grief for wearing roadie kit on MtB...
I'm in team merino for base layers but has to be 100% or close. Comfortable on my sensitive skin. Great for keeping more even temperature in a wide range of conditions. I have found polypropylene to be stinky and have the insulating properties of tissue paper. The new ranges of Bridgedale socks look really interesting. Always looking for good, warm socks. I have nerve damage in my toes and have to be really careful with keeping them warm otherwise the get very painful.
More MTB content please!
In PNW, I'm solidly in camp Merino. I've used the best poly blend materials and they are fine on cold dry days, but once you add in damp or heavy rain, merino can't be beat. I think one problem is people get too heavy a weight of merino base layers, I get those micro base layers then if it's really cold, I use a fleece mid layer that can absorb the moisture from the base layer but also has a lot of air pockets to trap heat. Then I use either a gilet or shell jacket. One thing you will notice with merino, versus poly is when you stop. Rather than going into hypoxic shock outside the cafe, merino keeps your core stable, not warm, stable. My core temp runs really high, so this may not work for everyone.
The most important bit is gloves and I've gone through hundreds. My favorite gloves, by a metric mile, are Hestra. They are worth the extra money over cheaper gloves. They come in many sizes, which is great for my blacksmith-like mitts. For long rides where the weather and temp is going to shift, I bring two sets of gloves. One is a "runner" glove that offers a bit insulation, but not a lot else, the second is a water resistant glove. I switch gloves as needed, with the goal to keep my hands dry. not warm. The big issue is remembering to pull stuff off when you are climbing hills, so you have useful protection on the way down.
As far as feet, I'm back to merino socks and occasionally Gore-tex shoes. I've never really though about my feet after the initial few minutes of a ride. Then again my feet have taken so much abuse from ultra-running and such, I don't know if the nerves properly work in them anymore.
Thanks. Yep. Generally Merino for low intensity stop start activity. Polypropylene for higher intensity
Polypropylene is a perfect base layer. I regularly work outside in sub zero F temps (-20 C) and my buddies who do cold water rescue in these temps always use polypropylene base layers. We have also found the next best layer over the poly layer is a fleece vest. Then any type of shell with wind stopping liner, insulated or not depending on how cold. The fleece vest works like wool, and will help pull sweat from the poly layer, and it still insulates when damp.
Also, you can get polypro sock liners. You would be shocked how well having a sock liner helps.
Edit: you also need better neck warmth if it is really cold. The back of your neck is one of the biggest keys psychologically to how warm you feel.
4:28 disagree with the merino, but maybe its a sign of where i live (New Zealand) but i find merino to be much better than polypropylene for hiking, MTB, Road biking in the rain. Sure, the top layers synthetic is far better, but we have some great brands for Merino base layers and i personally find they are much warmer when not moving, with better breathability when on the move. Some of the best base layers i have are actually a mix of polyrop with Merino.
14:45 case in point, merino actually holds up really well to being soaking wet on a long descent (ask me how i know). It acts in a similar way to neoprene in that it holds moisture close to the skin, and it will warm up to your body temp and stay that way. Now that doesn't work for some with poor circulation, but in my experience, when doing exercise, your body generally wants to shunt heat away from the core anyway so it isn't an issue.
My best buy was a pair of Shimano winter boots, one size up to allow some wiggle room. One pair of vey thin liner socks and a pair of fluffy Heat Holder socks. I suffered with Raynaud's as a teen and still get cold hands and feet. I have a box full of gloves that do not cut the mustard so last Christmas my daughters gave me some Norwegian heated gloves. Bliss.
Nice. I like the sound of them.
Hey, would you mind sharing the model of the shoes and gloves? Many thanks:)
@@rdslmi Shimano MW701 boots. Osmo heated gloves
@@rdslmi Shimano MW701 Boots, OSMO gloves.
Loved this. Nice to see you out of the workshop
Been using Bridgedale socks for many years now. Excellent
Dexshell Thermlites with a lightweight wool inner sock work well for me; make sure your shoes/boots are not tight. The Bridgedale StormSocks look interesting. Good gloves are essential (lightweight inner, wind/waterproof outer) and I'd add that taking a hat is a good idea especially if windy and raining (cold ears get painful).
Thanks for sharing!
Great to see some MTB content. Off to buy some Bridgedale cycling socks; I have several pairs of their walking socks.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Enjoyed the video. I'm so glad it isn't just me who thinks the clothes colours for males is dull. Whereas the women get much better colours. I've never heard of polypropylene. I'll have to take a look, thanks
I’m not a fan of merino either … i’ve got skin that is very sensitive to fabric contact, and there’s no way i can have wool directly contacting my skin!
Just a comment on ‘merino wool’ clothing in clothing. It’s a weird marketing term. Pretty much _all_ wool used in clothing is made from merino wool!
I also recommend waterproof winter cycling shoes/boots.
I have been using ski socks with some merino content since a while and they work well for me.
Every once in a while when I managed to step into water, pulling a thin plastic bag over the wet socks as an emergency helped keep some more warmth of my foot, but that was really a last resort (and you need to have that bag with you anyway). I think it's the same as with tools and spares: do you expect your chain to break on a regular ride and prepare with a chain breaker - do you expect to step into water and bring an extra pair of socks...? Maybe I would if I had a backpack on me always...
Bridgedale is widely available here in central EU as well.
Great comment.
never had issues with cold feet before and there are times I need to ride in sub zero temps. now cold hands... that's a scunner. good gloves are essential.
Would have been nice if you spoke about sizing. Do I need a larger pair of shoes/boots with the winter socks?
Worth trying, but I usually have the same size.
Now thats an ad I actually enjoyed watching.
Cool. I appreciate hearing that. I really thought hard about making the vid as educational as possible.
Thanks Paul, another really informative video with real world examples.
Shame about the wet feet but someone had to do it 😜.
Bridgedale do not have much stock left on the website. (Well not the normal sizes anyway).
Never mind, as I live on the south coast I rarely see ice and the spare socks I carry take care of wet feet.
Keep up the absolutely great content you put out.
Cheers Alan.
Glad you enjoyed it
"Keep warm" content was excellent, and very pertinent, thank you. And if I can afford them, the longer waterproof shocks could solve a problem with me not liking over shoes. Wet feet in any weather, has been a very unpleasant experience.
I'm a little confused with the last ride in the video, where you took a tumble. (As I did Sunday that has left me unable to walk/drive.) The bike you are on, the 3T Extreme Italia, looks to the ignorant (me) to be a lightweight carbon road bike with fatter tyres, wide range cassette/derailleur, so then called a gravel bike. What I am quite surprised at, is that you would ride it across rock and water filled gorse trails .... No suspension at all? And in winter? We all like a challenge ..... But really? :-)) You certainly earn your followers! ATB.
Maybe this is obvious, but at least for me keeping my head warm and dry is as important if not more so than my hands and feet. A good thermal beanie/watch cap and helmet cover if it's raining makes a huge difference. I think we lose something like 30% of our body heat from our heads.
Wool base layer ftw.
personal experience : i got always cold feet, whatever the weather (even sometimes in spring or early summer !). Merinos socks, technical socks... nothing works. The only thing that works for hours is : heated socks (with a little battery in it) AND shoe protection (neoprene) to keep the warm. Otherwise, its a nightmare for me in winter.
1.45hr Lunch break ride😆, great video again thx
Hehe. I’m the boss. 😉
Finland has left the chat 🇫🇮 was out running at the weekend on the ice, was -8°C with wind chill taking it down to -14°C 🥶
Yeah. But it was dry. Done some great ski tours in Finland. And some truly terrifying drives.
@Mapdec it's great here, whilst cold it's not damp. I've cycled through the winter on studded tyres. Wool socks and over shoes for the feet. Layers for the body and then inner gloves for the hands... You still get cold eventually, but that's half the fun 😎🇫🇮
Good stuff
Caution crossing frozen puddles along a trail! The one I crossed had broken off chunks of ice refrozen on top. That led to an extremely painful slide!
Ouch!
pls help - i got a fox 32 stepcast performance i just notice that lower leg bolt/crushwasher on the air side leak just a bit! can i just tide it-out or i need to add more oil in the leg now ?
Pop in the shop. Open on the 6th Jan.
I find people reach for the waterproof for warmth - when a light windproof is just as warm and a lot less sweaty. I've also got an Endura Jetstream which has windproof front and fleecy back - ideal for staying drier and warmer. I just get grief for wearing roadie kit on MtB...
Just add baggy shorts and they stop moaning.
Teaching the British how to deal with winter...🤪
“X” topic for the least cash should be a new mini series?
I don't know the temperature? But, Shawn is very relaxed with very few normal clothes on. 😅 Beautiful area!
Hardcore it was about -5° in the valley.
@Mapdec WOW! Indeed, it was cold
I use powdered latex gloves (like the dentist) underneath my normal gloves. Never got cold hands again.
Oh. Great shout. I used to have that as my emergency back up. Works well.
Tried this. Cue sweaty cold hands.
Winter boots + spatz + freezer gloves and add a flask of hot blackcurrant is how you survive winter
Hot Bovril 😉
I'm in team merino for base layers but has to be 100% or close. Comfortable on my sensitive skin. Great for keeping more even temperature in a wide range of conditions.
I have found polypropylene to be stinky and have the insulating properties of tissue paper.
The new ranges of Bridgedale socks look really interesting. Always looking for good, warm socks. I have nerve damage in my toes and have to be really careful with keeping them warm otherwise the get very painful.
I've been
I take every day cold shower, so if my feet are wet or cold I so my body doesn't react so drastically : )
This makes exactly no sense
@@catsploitation Still winter socks, and overshoes are goo precaution : )
Thanks for dropping by, Wim