Clothing for a wet summers day.
Discussion
A friend and I are planning on doing my first century of they year tomorrow and his first one ever, heading up towards Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales so there will be more than enough climbing to keep us warm.
The forecast is similar to todays, dry but with heavy clouds and rain never far away, it's still warm enough for short sleeves.
Rule #5 and get on with it? I love riding in winter conditions with the proper gear but summer (!) always seems harder to cope with the inclement weather.
Naturally if I was being completely PRO I'd invest in a Castelli Gabba top
The forecast is similar to todays, dry but with heavy clouds and rain never far away, it's still warm enough for short sleeves.
Rule #5 and get on with it? I love riding in winter conditions with the proper gear but summer (!) always seems harder to cope with the inclement weather.
Naturally if I was being completely PRO I'd invest in a Castelli Gabba top

Gargamel said:
If I wear I rain jacket, I just sweat into the jacket.
Prefer a nice micro fleece, and take a dry top for a change if it gets cold
+1 I still carry a jacket everywhere, but I never end up wearing it. Just got some of Howies new Epic water resistant cotton shorts for the summer. Not padded - pretty heavy duty but nicer than lycra. Prefer a nice micro fleece, and take a dry top for a change if it gets cold
TheFungle said:
A friend and I are planning on doing my first century of they year tomorrow and his first one ever, heading up towards Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales so there will be more than enough climbing to keep us warm.
The forecast is similar to todays, dry but with heavy clouds and rain never far away, it's still warm enough for short sleeves.
Rule #5 and get on with it? I love riding in winter conditions with the proper gear but summer (!) always seems harder to cope with the inclement weather.
Naturally if I was being completely PRO I'd invest in a Castelli Gabba top
Enjoy, its gorgeous. You don't need to worry I have ordered sunshine for this weekend The forecast is similar to todays, dry but with heavy clouds and rain never far away, it's still warm enough for short sleeves.
Rule #5 and get on with it? I love riding in winter conditions with the proper gear but summer (!) always seems harder to cope with the inclement weather.
Naturally if I was being completely PRO I'd invest in a Castelli Gabba top


Not wanting to sound like a complete wimp and I know the rules but do you chaps wear short legs in temperatures of 12C or cover up with leg/knee warmers?
I would normally wear bib tights when its a but nippy but have got myself some nice bib shorts that I want to wear before the summer goes lol
I would normally wear bib tights when its a but nippy but have got myself some nice bib shorts that I want to wear before the summer goes lol
BPC7 said:
Not wanting to sound like a complete wimp and I know the rules but do you chaps wear short legs in temperatures of 12C or cover up with leg/knee warmers?
I would normally wear bib tights when its a but nippy but have got myself some nice bib shorts that I want to wear before the summer goes lol
shorts down till bout 0 degrees I would normally wear bib tights when its a but nippy but have got myself some nice bib shorts that I want to wear before the summer goes lol
I'm waiting for a Vermarc jersey. I think they're made from the same stuff as a Castelli Gabba. They're supposedto be an awesome bit of kit & I'm sure it'll get plenty of use (sadly..). A gillet is a good idea, it'll keep your core dry & yr less likely to overheat than you would wearing a boil in the bag rain jacket.
TwistingMyMelon said:
BPC7 said:
Not wanting to sound like a complete wimp and I know the rules but do you chaps wear short legs in temperatures of 12C or cover up with leg/knee warmers?
I would normally wear bib tights when its a but nippy but have got myself some nice bib shorts that I want to wear before the summer goes lol
shorts down till bout 0 degrees I would normally wear bib tights when its a but nippy but have got myself some nice bib shorts that I want to wear before the summer goes lol
k that, i'm in 3/4 lengths unless it's above 14-15 degrees 
i'm a skinny chap though, BMI is JUST under 20.....
i've got some full on winter bib tights (with windproof front panels etc), some "general" winter tights (for when it's around 5-10deg), warmer 3/4 for around 10-15), thin 3/4 for anywhere around 12-18 and summer shorts for 15+
I feel the cold a lot though and really struggle, i also get reynauds disease which means i need to wrap up warmer than most or i can be in big trouble with my fingers (and toes if it gets bad) to the point the pain is unbearable.
I also find arm/leg warmers really good for when it's generally warm-ish but there is a chilly wind.....for when a base layer would be too much. rarely use the leg warmers though.
E38Ross said:
TwistingMyMelon said:
BPC7 said:
Not wanting to sound like a complete wimp and I know the rules but do you chaps wear short legs in temperatures of 12C or cover up with leg/knee warmers?
I would normally wear bib tights when its a but nippy but have got myself some nice bib shorts that I want to wear before the summer goes lol
shorts down till bout 0 degrees I would normally wear bib tights when its a but nippy but have got myself some nice bib shorts that I want to wear before the summer goes lol
k that, i'm in 3/4 lengths unless it's above 14-15 degrees 
i'm a skinny chap though, BMI is JUST under 20.....
i've got some full on winter bib tights (with windproof front panels etc), some "general" winter tights (for when it's around 5-10deg), warmer 3/4 for around 10-15), thin 3/4 for anywhere around 12-18 and summer shorts for 15+
I feel the cold a lot though and really struggle, i also get reynauds disease which means i need to wrap up warmer than most or i can be in big trouble with my fingers (and toes if it gets bad) to the point the pain is unbearable.
I also find arm/leg warmers really good for when it's generally warm-ish but there is a chilly wind.....for when a base layer would be too much. rarely use the leg warmers though.
S10GTA said:
Castelli Nanoflex FTW. Just purchased Knee Warmers and Arm Warmers and they are brilliant
these are the pair of "thick" 3/4 lengths i have, they're superb.the full on winter ones i have are DHB Vaeon zero, the general winter are DHB Vaeon Reflex, the thin 3/4 are some Specialized ones, and the full summer shorts are DHB aeron pro ones....all very good IMO, the DHB stuff continues to surprise me. so cheap compared to other brands yet the quality is just right up there.
BPC7 said:
E38Ross said:
TwistingMyMelon said:
BPC7 said:
Not wanting to sound like a complete wimp and I know the rules but do you chaps wear short legs in temperatures of 12C or cover up with leg/knee warmers?
I would normally wear bib tights when its a but nippy but have got myself some nice bib shorts that I want to wear before the summer goes lol
shorts down till bout 0 degrees I would normally wear bib tights when its a but nippy but have got myself some nice bib shorts that I want to wear before the summer goes lol
k that, i'm in 3/4 lengths unless it's above 14-15 degrees 
i'm a skinny chap though, BMI is JUST under 20.....
i've got some full on winter bib tights (with windproof front panels etc), some "general" winter tights (for when it's around 5-10deg), warmer 3/4 for around 10-15), thin 3/4 for anywhere around 12-18 and summer shorts for 15+
I feel the cold a lot though and really struggle, i also get reynauds disease which means i need to wrap up warmer than most or i can be in big trouble with my fingers (and toes if it gets bad) to the point the pain is unbearable.
I also find arm/leg warmers really good for when it's generally warm-ish but there is a chilly wind.....for when a base layer would be too much. rarely use the leg warmers though.
Shorts and tshirt/ss jersey from 8 degress upwards , shower isn't working at work at the mo, so I have to minimize sweat!
Always get a few funny looks from other roadies who are layered up, never really feel the cold and have very little fat on me and never have
TwistingMyMelon said:
Haha you guys aren't working yourselves hard enough!!! Each to their own, everyone's body temp is different
Shorts and tshirt/ss jersey from 8 degress upwards , shower isn't working at work at the mo, so I have to minimize sweat!
Always get a few funny looks from other roadies who are layered up, never really feel the cold and have very little fat on me and never have
This year I've discovered the joy that is arm warmers and a VERY thin yet windproof gilet, certainly made the spring more enjoyable.Shorts and tshirt/ss jersey from 8 degress upwards , shower isn't working at work at the mo, so I have to minimize sweat!
Always get a few funny looks from other roadies who are layered up, never really feel the cold and have very little fat on me and never have
Weather for tomorrow is looking a bit better, will let you know how we get on and I'll be sure to upload pics, just mapped the ride and the elevation gain is just under 7000ft...
TwistingMyMelon said:
Haha you guys aren't working yourselves hard enough!!! Each to their own, everyone's body temp is different
Shorts and tshirt/ss jersey from 8 degress upwards , shower isn't working at work at the mo, so I have to minimize sweat!
Always get a few funny looks from other roadies who are layered up, never really feel the cold and have very little fat on me and never have
Ha! I'm the same (apart from the no body fat part). I normally just wear baggy MTB shorts and a light merino baselayer SS T-shirt. If it gets colder, I wear a long sleeve version of the merino T. If it gets really cold (under 4 degrees and/or serious windchill), I wear both, but that's only happened once so far this winter. Shorts and tshirt/ss jersey from 8 degress upwards , shower isn't working at work at the mo, so I have to minimize sweat!
Always get a few funny looks from other roadies who are layered up, never really feel the cold and have very little fat on me and never have
If it rains, I get wet. The good thing about merino is that is stays warm and comfy when it's wet, which IMO is preferable to getting hot and sticky inside a jacket.
TheFungle said:
Went with a lightweight merino summer top from Cafe du Cycliste and apart from a rather uncomfortable rainshower near Reeth it was fine, merino really is magical, warm - cool - quick drying all rolled into one 
It's amazing that even after throwing millions of dollars of R&D at it, synthetic fabric still can't really match something you shave off a sheep 

I'm rapidly becoming a bit of a Macpac junky. Their stuff is often on sale, and at those prices it's pretty good value for the quality. Icebreaker seems to be a lot more expensive, and not appreciably better.
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