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Advice and reviews of the winter riding gear that's worked for me
Winter riding is challenging enough without having to worry about your gear. The two most important things you need your kit to do in winter are 1) Keep you warm and 2) Keep you dry. I've learned the hard way over the years, so here are a few bits of kit that have worked for me.
I bought the Fizik Winter boots in 2016, and I'm still wearing them every winter, and it's 2025. I looked on the Fizik site, and they have updated versions now, but I have these ones.
These might be the best purchase I have ever made. They were pricey then, but have been well worth the money. They are fully waterproof, without wearing overshoes (which I always found fiddly). They can be adjusted to be a tight fit, with a zip and fastener, so no water gets in. I usually wear my bib tights over the top of the boots, and I've never had wet feet.
They also keep your feet pretty toasty, in the depth of winter, I'll wear thermal socks with them.
You can add whatever clips you need on for your bike. I wear these on every ride throughout the winter.
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I have five levels of base layer. Which may sound extreme, but I adapt them to the temperature. The three I use for winter riding are:
1) Warmest base layer - Endura Base Layer
This is for the coldest days as it's pretty thick, and a merino blend. Paired with a thermal long sleeved jersey over the top.
2) Warm base layer when you need more around the neck Rapha Thermal Base Layer
This was a new purchase for this winter as I wanted a base layer with more protection around the neck. This is a good base layer for cold days. It fits comfortably and still feels light. The neck isn't tight, and you can also pull the neck up over your face if you want to.
3) Medium base layer - for cold days and the spring if you want to wear a lighter jersey over the top. I have a few of these, but LeCol has stopped doing the exact ones I have. These are the nearest ones to them . They work well for colder temperatures but are too light for the deep winter days.
This is the piece of kit I've struggled most with, as most of the socks you can buy are still pretty light/thin. These are the socks that I have found to be the best:
Endura Merino Winter Socks are the same make/material as the thick base layer. I wear these socks for the coldest days; they are comfortable and don't feel too thick.
I bought two pairs of LeCol Tech Wool Cycling Socks this winter and they have been tremendous and light enough to feel comfortable, but the merino wool means they are built for cold temperatures.
On the really cold days, I felt like I needed something thicker and have an old pair of Sports winter socks, that I can no longer find online. They are a bit thick though, so not as comfortable in the winter boots - but the warmest I have.
Another piece of kit I've struggled with over the years. I don't like it if the gloves feel too thick and you don't feel that you have a good grip on the bikes / bars. None of them are great it the wet either; but these are the best I have found for winter and wet riding.
LeCol Hors Categorie Deep Winter Gloves
There isn't much between these two gloves, they are very similar in weight, warmth and fit. The LeCol gloves are slightly more comfortable and I feel more in control with these, but both are decent gloves that keep your hands warm in the winter and ensure you have enough grip to handle the bike.
If you are going out in wet weather, but it's not too cold, these are the best water-repellent gloves I've used. They are made from the same technology as wetsuits and feel like a wetsuit when you put them on. Your hands will sweat in them, which makes them a little yuk when you take them off, but for those days in the saddle when it's been constant rain, these keep my hand perfectly dry. I have a pair of black ones, the red is a bit bright for me!!
When the temperatures are very cold, or when there is a biting wind, I find that my ears under my helmet get cold, so I've invested in a couple of headbands that sit easily and comfortably under my helmet.
Endura headband, this is light, but covers my ears nicely and keeps them warm throughout the ride. You don't notice it under the helmet.
Rapha Merino headband, this is thicker material, but is good for the really cold days when I need a bit more warmth than the Endura headband
Both are easily washable after rides.