The sloppy season is well and truly with us. But that won’t stop us getting out, enjoying our favourite routes and hitting the roads and trails in all conditions. Winter clothing is the key to enjoying your bike even when the weather is telling you to stay on your sofa. In fact, with the right gear, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy full days out on the trails.
The autumn-winter ranges from Fox and Endura are now in stock at Big Bear Bikes and our sister store Dalby Forest Cycle Hub so here’s our pick of the best to keep your warm and dry from head to toe. These are the clothes we recommend to customers because they’re exactly what we wear ourselves.
Before we get into the clothes themselves, let’s look at these two essential attributes of winter apparel. Waterproofing is important for obvious reasons and “waterproofness” is measured in thousands of millimetres. Without going into why this is, what you need to know is that for something to be described as waterproof, it will need a rating of at least 5,000mm, which is usually shortened to 5k. We stock jackets up to 20k, which is about as waterproof as it gets.
As clothing becomes more waterproof, it also tends to retain more of the heat your body produces as you’re working out pedaling and expending energy. To counteract this, clothing needs to be breathable to enable heat and moisture to escape, helping to stop you getting clammy on the inside of the jacket or trousers. Breathability ratings can be a little harder to understand so essentially we recommend you look out for vented areas and breathable fabrics. Ask our team if you’re in doubt.
Onto the clothes…
An absolute classic, the Endura MT500 jacket is the most waterproof jacket we sell, rated at 20k, so you can be out all day in the rain. It has all kinds of features, including fully taped seams, a dropped tail to keep the mud and water from spraying up your back and an enlarged hood that’s designed to fit over your helmet. The MT500 has plenty of cinch points to enable you to tailor the fit, lots of pockets, including some big storage, and rubber strips on the shoulders to keep your backpack from slipping. Endura say the fabric it’s made from is actually twice as breathable as it is waterproof and this is also aided by armpit vents, for extra air flow.
Also part of the award-winning MT500 collection, these will keep your lower half dry over a full day of mud and puddles. The full length leg zips feature improved venting options and make it easy to put on and take off the trousers, even with shoes on. They’re pre-shaped for great on-bike articulated fit and stretch panels for unrestricted movement, with water-resistant hand pockets and reflective details in a number of positions for improved night time visibility. These are a great complement to the MT500 jacket if you’re serious about staying out all day.
These are a new launch for this season and are every bit as good as the jacket and trousers from the MT500 range. If you want to get out for hours without worrying about getting all blathered up, these will keep your feet warm and dry. The MT500 boots feature a high Neoprene cuff with an extra strap for a snug fit and a full laces cover to prevent water seeping in. The big opening means you can easily get your feet in and overall it’s a very comfortable shoe. Available as a flat shoe and clipped version, these boots also feature heel and toe grip zones. They’re a brilliant addition to Endura’s MT500 range.
Ranger is another perennial favourite. It’s more lightweight than the Endura MT500 jacket but still comes with 10k waterproofing and a breathable main body fabric. Ranger features a helmet hood, big zip pockets and helmet cinches to prevent the hood flying off when you pick up speed. FOX’s DWR finish means the outer shell sheds moisture, mud and debris as you ride. We also love the camo print on this year’s range.
Get your winter gear sorted now by visiting us in store in Southgate, Pickering. Our friendly team will advise you on which clothing is best for all weather conditions, whether you want to stay warm on the crisp, dry days or you’re planning on heading out no matter how we and muddy it gets.
