How to dress for the Wet
Winter cycling can be a thrilling, rewarding experience—but staying warm and dry is essential to truly enjoy it. From sudden downpours to biting winds, the elements can quickly turn a fun ride into a miserable slog. Fortunately, with a little preparation and a few creative hacks, you can conquer winter’s worst and keep pedalling in comfort.
In this article, we’ll share practical tips and tricks to help you dress smart, stay dry, and ride longer—even when the weather’s against you. Whether you’re tackling long training sessions or just trying to enjoy a brisk winter spin, these simple yet effective strategies will keep you cozy and focused on the road ahead. Let’s dive in!
Helpful Hack:
- Sandwich bags between your sock and shoes
These days there are plenty of super expensive winter boots for riding in; we’ve found that these can be a mixed bag – some people love them but others like me find that they don’t offer any benefit other than really heavy shoes! However, a sandwich bag between your sock and shoe can help fend off the wet. This can be in addition to a neoprene overshoe – I love the Spatz ones (more info here).
Helpful Hack:
- Take spare gloves
Whilst many gloves purport to be waterproof; we’ve found that this often only lasts so long. And that a change of gloves can mean you get an extra hour or two of riding in, even in the wet. You can also double down with a pair of silk liners – often used for mountaineering, these work well for cycling in the cold and wet. Decathlon sells silk liners for less than £10 (here) and these can take a cheap outer glove into a cozy winter warmer.
Helpful Hack:
- Put legwarmers under your thermal leggings
I often have trouble keeping my legs warm and one method I’ve found that works surprisingly well is to put a set of leg warmers under my leggings. This gives an extra layer of protection for both the cold and wet. I also have stopped caring if look silly, and a waterproof overpant can really work well too!
Helpful Hack:
- Put mudguards on your bike!
Even the clip-on versions work well these days. But by keeping the wet spray off your legs and back it can help keep you warm and dry. If possible and your bike allows, the bolt on mud guards offer more protection and can be bought in a variety of width to accommodate different tyre widths. We’ve even tried extra wide mudguards on our gravel bikes – and winter gravel biking whilst staying dry is one of the most enjoyable experiences you can have!
Helpful Hack:
- Put mudguards flaps on your mudguards!!
These can be made from an old bidon or even bought with fancy designs like these here. These can offer further protection from water on the ground and help protect the people behind you if you’re riding in a group. Bonus points if your mudguard flap matches your bike!
Helpful Hack:
- Always take an extra layer
Less of a hack and more of a piece of safety advice
Helpful Hack:
- Take food that is easy to eat
Opening wrappers with bulky gloves on can be frustrating! It can be helpful to pre-open your food and place it in easy to reach areas (like a front roll) so that you’re not trying to get under a waterproof coat.
Helpful Hack:
- Warm Bidons FTW!
When it’s cold and wet outside start with warm liquid in your bidon. I have found that OTE Super Fuel Blackcurrant takes like hot Ribena. It can be easier to drink your carbs when the weather is wet and cold as getting into food can be tricky – see above!
Bonus Women Only Helpful Hack:
- Consider ‘easy-pee’ tights
Trying to stop for a pee can be an absolute nightmare – there seems to be so many layers to take off. In the past I’ve ended up coming home dehydrated to avoid the need for a pee break. However, easy pee winter bibs like these from Velocio (here) can be an absolute game changer – you can pee in these without taking any clothes off or even gloves. Allowing you to keep hydrated and crush your training.
If you’ve found this article useful, we’ve got plenty more like it from years of experience training and racing. Alongside training plans working with KSU coaching can help with advice to help you achieve your goals, even in the middle of winter!
