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<\/a>Race Face carbon bars. Photo: Margus Riga\nCarbon fibre bars (and brake levers)<\/p>\n
Citing the benefits of carbon fibre bars usually includes lighter weight and improved stiffness. But, come winter, there\u2019s a fringe benefit that becomes a central selling feature: they\u2019re warmer. Or, at least, they don\u2019t transfer the cold through the grips to your hands the same way alloy bars do.<\/p>\n
If you want to get into really marginal gains, carbon (or any non-metal composite) lever blades make a surprising impact on warmth. Especially for that lonely braking finger floating out there on its own away from the warmth of its friends. It\u2019s hard to have any brake modulation with a frozen finger so, while we called this marginal, it can be pretty important if you\u2019re riding frozen trails.<\/p>\n
We all know that, on the coldest days, mitts are warmer than fingered gloves. But it\u2019s hard to grab a brake lever with mittens on.<\/p>\n There are a few different styles of gloves designed to maximize heat on the bike on frosty days. Which one works best for you will depend what kind of riding you\u2019re doing. The general idea is the same: keeping fingers together is warmer than separating them. Two finger \u201clobster\u201d gloves, pogies that go over the bars, mitts with one index finger for braking: all are different approaches depending how much control you need (road cruising vs fat biking on trails) and how often \u2013 or how quickly \u2013 \u00a0you need to be able to take your hands off the bars.<\/p>\n Flat pedals win medals\u2026 and winter<\/p>\n Flat pedals aren\u2019t just more fun than clipless, they\u2019re also warmer. The cleat \u2013 and screws required to keep the cleat in place, act like an access port in winter, letting the cold stab deep into the core of even the warmest shoe. There\u2019s not much less fun than feeling like you\u2019re pedalling with an ice cube underfoot.<\/p>\n This is one gain that I have can\u2019t offer any experiential backing for. But I still have the image of a half-bearded face from an Edmonton Journal\u00a0feature on winter commuting seared into my memory, decades later. My 14-year-old self never had access to the natural solution, I did learn ways to tuck a scarf, or anything else I could get to cover my face, into a jersey so that it wouldn\u2019t fly loose. That\u00a0EJ\u00a0story may be lost to the time pre-internet archives, but the lesson remains. Cover your face by any means necessary.<\/p>\n<\/a>Image: Matt Stetson
\nHeat-focused hand-ware<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Pro moves: A non-bearded and bearded Hugo Houle for the 2015 Spring Classics. Photo: Ag2r-La Mondiale
\nBeards, etc..<\/p>\n