Autumn is one of the best times of year for cycling. Fall’s lower temperatures and crisp air make the season ideal for long road rides, gravel adventures, or taking your mountain bike to your favorite trail system. Whether you’re tackling your first century or commutingevery day, having the right clothing improves your ride.
Although it’s still technically summer, and temperatures are in the 80s and 90s in many areas around the country, fall weather will arrive sooner than you think. (In some places, the snow could start falling not long after the leaves hit the ground.) Now’s the time to start planning for those rides in chilly temps and stocking up when gear is on sale!
What Do You Need?
Fall rides usually require a different clothing assortment than in hot and humid summer months. Since autumn rides can fluctuate greatly in temperatures during a ride, clothing that you can quickly take off (or put on) mid-ride comes in handy. Depending on your local climate (and tolerance for cold), this often means starting a ride wearing arm warmers, leg warmers, full-finger gloves, and a vest or lightweight jacket—clothing that can easily be removed and stashed in bar bags or jersey pockets as the ride progresses.
Similarly, cycling in the winter can vary greatly by region and rider. What constitutes a “winter” kit for riders in Southern California or Florida is very different than what might be needed in Minnesota or New England. Those in warmer climates might wear fall kits throughout the winter, while those in northern latitudes usually require thermal tights, insulated jackets, heavy-duty gloves, and booties.
Trevor Raab
Buying Tips
My first two tips for buying fall and winter clothing are: 1) Purchase neutral colors, and 2) Spend a little more for better quality gear.
Black or dark gray kits never go out of style and match with almost any color gear and accessories. Many brands keep the same fall or winter items in their product lines for many years, unchanged. No one will know if you bought that gear this season or three years ago,
If you invest in good fall and winter apparel, it will keep you warm, dry, and last longer. Autumn and winter cycling kits usually last multiple seasons with proper care and washing. In the winter, I regularly ride in thermal bib tights that are at least four years old, and I own gloves and riding beanies that are almost a decade old.
Trevor Raab
My third tip is: Buy your fall and winter apparel off-season for the best deals and selection. Don’t wait until the first chilly morning arrives to discover you lost one of your arm warmers or for the first flakes to fly to replace that old thermal jacket with the busted zipper—Get them now.
End-of-summer and Labor Day sales are a great opportunity to score fall and winter gear at big discounts. I scoured through the week’s best sales from REI, Backcountry, Competitive Cyclist, Trek, Specialized, Velocio, Rapha, and others to pick out some great deals. Several of these items below, I personally tested on fall and winter rides. Bicycling’s test team also tried many of the other items on their road, gravel, and mountain bike rides.
Gloves
Full-finger gloves are a must-have for cold weather. Select gloves that meet your personal needs, local riding, and weather conditions. Lightweight gloves are great for fall riding; gloves with wind-blocking material are ideal for cold-weather rides.
Pearl Izumi Unisex AmFIB Lobster Gel Glove
Pearl Izumi Women’s AmFIB Gel Cycling Gloves
Fox Ranger Fire Gloves
Specialized Thermal Knit Gloves
Warmers
Arm and leg warmers are the most versatile pieces of cycling apparel you can own. With warmers, gloves, and a vest, you can extend the use of your summer riding kit into cooler months. Many brands make great warmers; Pearl Izumi’s are my long-time go-to.
Pearl Izumi Elite Thermal Arm Warmers
Pearl Izumi Elite Thermal Knee Warmers
Pearl Izumi Elite Thermal Leg Warmers
Trevor Raab
Vests
Rapha Core Gilet Vest – Men’s
Velocio Line SE Wind Vest – Men’s
Velocio Women’s Ultralight Vest
Tights
For conditions when leg warmers aren’t warm enough (or you’ll never take them off on your ride), full-length tights are a great choice.
Pearl Izumi Men’s Quest Thermal Cycling Tights
Rapha Women’s Core Winter Bib Cycling Tights
Socks
If you normally ride in summer-weight socks, a pair of slightly thicker wool socks can help keep your toes warm on chilly rides.
Assos Fall Unisea Socks
Capo Euro Winter Wool 18cm Sock
Trevor Raab
Base Layers
A lightweight layer between your skin and jersey helps wick away sweat. This keeps your core dry and warm.
Gorewear Windstopper Base Layer Shirt – Men’s
Pearl Izumi Transfer Wool Long Sleeve Base – Women’s
Pearl Izumi Transfer Mesh Sleeveless Baselayer – Women’s
Endura BaaBaa Blend Long-Sleeve Baselayer – Men’s
Head Coverings
Keep your head warm on fall rides with a cycling cap under your helmet. On colder days, reach for a heavier wool cap paired with a neck gaiter. On frigid days, opt for a balaclava.
Giro Seasonal Merino Wool Cap
Giro Balaclava
Buff Lightweight Merino Wool Neck Gaiter
Shoe Covers
Oversocks and shoe covers help insulate your feet on chilly and cold days. They add a layer of wind protection and extra insulation without affecting your shoe fit.
Giro Ambient Toe Covers
Pearl Izumi AmFIB Shoe Covers
Specialized Reflect Overshoe Sock
Trevor Raab
Jerseys
There are many excellent long-sleeve jersey options. Combined with a vest or jacket, mid-weight, long-sleeve jerseys can greatly expand your riding wardrobe.
Velocio Women’s Alpha Long Sleeve
Pearl Izumi Attack Thermal Cycling Jersey – Men’s
Rapha Women’s Core Thermal Long-Sleeve Cycling Jersey
Jackets
No fall or winter kit is complete without a good quality jacket. Pick what works best for your riding conditions. I recommend having a rain jacket for damp days and a jacket with wind protection for blowy rides. Heavyweight jackets are useful for winter riding in cold conditions.
Rapha Core Rain Jacket – Men’s
Pearl Izumi Men’s Attack Hybrid Cycling Jacket
Gorewear Phantom Gore-Tex Infinium Jacket – Men’s
Gorewear C3 Gore-Tex Infinium Thermo Jacket – Men’s
Velocio Women’s Signature Softshell Jacket
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As Deputy Editor, Tara Seplavy leads Bicycling’s product test team; after having previously led product development and sourcing for multiple bike brands, run World Championship winning mountain bike teams, wrenched at renowned bicycle shops in Brooklyn, raced everything from criteriums to downhill, and ridden bikes on six different continents (landing herself in hospital emergency rooms in four countries and counting). Based in Easton, Pennsylvania, Tara spends tons of time on the road and trail testing products. A familiar face at cyclocross races, crits, and bike parks in the Mid Atlantic and New England, on weekends she can often be found racing for the New York City-based CRCA/KruisCX team. When not riding a bike, or talking about them, Tara listens to a lot of ska, punk, and emo music, and consumes too much social media.