How to Dress for Cycling in Cold Conditions

On a winter’s day as the blistering cold wind rushes over your hands in the drops, penetrating the chinks in your anti-cold armour, teasing its way through your outer layer and creeping further inside your defences, it’s easy to begin wondering whether you shouldn’t have taken up badminton, rather than road cycling.

Getting cold on the bike isn’t fun, but it also isn’t inevitable – and there’s no reason why winter weather should prevent you from getting outside and enjoying the sport we all love.

If you follow our guide on how to dress for cycling in colder conditions, you’ll be able to attack your off-season training goals with the same enthusiasm and success that you experience in summer. And the shuttlecocks and court shoes can stay exactly where they belong: on the shelves of your local sporting retailer.

MAAP’s cold weather cycling collection has had some significant upgrades, providing cyclists who want to stick it out through the chilliest parts of the year with a high-quality system of apparel to protect against the season’s elemental challenges.

In this post we’ll explain why dressing for colder conditions matters, as well as looking at the differences between winter in the northern hemisphere and the milder winter weather that many of us experience in the southern hemisphere.

When we say ‘dressing for the cold’ in a cycling context, we’re talking about the best clothing choices to ensure a ride where you can enjoy yourself, while hitting the performance goals you’ve set for your off-season.

If you haven’t got any performance goals, just focus on the more important first objective.

When you know how to dress for the cold and own the right key pieces of clothing to execute the principles – you’ll find riding in even freezing conditions becomes more of a joy and less of a chore.

The big trick to staying warm on winter rides – and it’s more common sense than closely-guarded secret – is layering. The right items combined in the right order should give you the perfect protection from the elements to enjoy any ride, regardless of the temperature.

What do Giza’s Great Pyramid and your winter dressing strategy have in common? They both rely on a solid base.

Base layers provide the foundation to your winter apparel, keeping you warm and moving the moisture your body generates as sweat away from your body.

Why does sweat management matter in winter? Well you’ll more than likely be wearing multiple layers, and that can lead to moisture becoming trapped if it’s not all breathable. The trapped sweat gathers in pools, and can soak through your kit. Once a piece is saturated, it too will stop working efficiently.

And then of course there are the moments where you stop working – maybe for a coffee, or to fix a puncture – at which point your body temperature will drop much faster if it’s surrounded by lots of wet, rapidly cooling fabric. Our own Deep Winter Base Layer is made with Polartec® Power Wool, for an impressive blend of temperature management and moisture wicking.

Most top-end winter base layers will use merino wool in some way, but don’t worry about that itchy feeling you get from an old woollen sweater – the inner face of the Deep Winter Base Layer is made with super-soft, brushed merino wool for a luxurious next-to-the-skin feeling.

For those not looking to flirt with sub-zero conditions, the Thermal Base Layer provides good warmth that won’t become suffocating on milder winter rides, or at the transitional points in the year.

As well as the long-sleeve linked above we also make this versatile option in a Thermal Base Layer Tee, which is great for really fine-tuning the way you want to feel while riding.

The next layer to add is pair of cycling bib tights. These are essentially a longer version of your favoured bib shorts, made with thicker material – and they usually have better protection against the spray and sludge churned up by your wheels in the colder months.

Bib tights come all the way down to meet your socks, but whether you should wear your socks under or over your tights is a matter of much heated debate. We tend to go socks under tights, but to each their own.

Tights keep your lower legs warm, so they can perform at their best. Naturally, you want a top-quality chamois when investing in a pair of bib tights – you’ll be spending plenty of hours in them, after all.

For amazing warmth and all-day comfort, the Team Bib Evo Thermal Cargo Tights are pretty much unbeatable. They use our own 3D Thermo Moulded chamois, featuring Eco X-tract fabric – and they frequently top our best-seller lists.

They have cargo pockets on both legs, increasing your capacity to carry nutrition, while freeing up your choices on what you wear on your upper body.

We also make the Team Evo Thermal Bib Tights, which boast all the same performance and comfort properties, but without the cargo pockets on the legs.

Finally, our Apex Deep Winter Bib Tights are the warmest we’ve ever made, featuring a strategic combination of both windproof and thermal materials plus a DWR waterproof coating for maximum elemental protection.

Whichever you choose, say goodbye to aching muscles and cold legs.

Up to this point, dressing for cycling in the cold is pretty much a one-size-fits-all approach. However, once you have your base and bib tights, things get a bit more flexible – and ultimately it’s all about preference. Most folks will rock a jersey on top of their base layer and then add either a warm jacket or the combination of a vest with arm warmers.

A full winter jacket is a wise choice for those in the northern hemisphere, while those in warmer climes can benefit from the more flexible but not-quite-so-warm combination of vest and warmers, or something in between.

Our Flow Insulated Jacket is made for the unpredictability of winter. It’s extremely light with mechanical stretch and the cut is all about on-bike fit. We use Teijin insulation which adds that extra warmth without bulking it out so much that it can’t be packed into a pocket or frame bag.

The Training range of MAAP products is all about hard-wearing, high-performing kit that fits into your daily performance plan. It’s great quality kit, built with the experience of weeks, months and years in the saddle.

The Training Winter Jacket applies all these things to the question of cold-weather cycling. To keep out the elements, you’ve got waterproof, windproof and thermally insulative technology – while on the inside there’s a soft brushed-back inner for extra comfort and warmth. 

If your tastes stretch more to the adventurous, then the Alt_Road™ Insulated Jacket is our most dependable jacket for expedition-riding in tough conditions. When you’re going further from home (and civilisation) every piece of kit you choose to carry with you is important. The Alt_Road™ Insulated combines a wind-resistant shell to block the chill with Tejin Octa insulation for boosted warmth.

To boost the versatility of your kit-out, we also offer the Alt_Road™ Insulated Vest which allows you to add arm warmers as and when you need them, instead of the full long sleeve. Best of all, despite having insulation as part of the garment, the silhouette of both the jacket and vest are streamlined and svelte, so you won’t look like the Michelin man bouncing around at the post-ride cafe or bar.

Our thermal jerseys are built to keep your core temperature steady, because consistent performance starts with consistent warmth. When your body and mind aren’t fighting the cold, you can fully focus on enjoying the ride.

The Evade Pro Base Thermal Long Sleeve Jersey 2.0 balances warmth and breathability with advanced Italian fabrics engineered for heat retention and moisture control. The compressive Race Fit delivers a second-skin feel ideal for maintaining your pace on faster rides through winter.


Ride after ride, the Training Thermal Long Sleeve Jersey is built for big training blocks and sustained efforts. A soft thermal interior insulates against the cold, while thermo-regulating tech and a close-to-skin Core Fit ensure warmth, comfort and adaptability for extended time in the saddle.


Gloves are gonna be an essential element in your winter wardrobe. Your hands take the brunt of the wind chill that rushes over your handlebars as you move through the air, and so they’re going to feel even colder than other parts of your body. Factor in the importance of your fingers when it comes to braking and shifting gear, and it becomes obvious just how necessary it is to keep them fully functional while you’re riding.

When choosing a pair of winter gloves, try to hit a balance of cold-weather and wet-weather protection – and of course, try to choose a pair that reflects where you live. A super-warm but bulky pair will end up being a waste if you live somewhere with very mild winters. Likewise, don’t go too streamlined and lightweight if you’re going to be tackling a winter in the high Alps or Canada, places it gets super-cold.

Make sure when you’re layering your gloves that you pull your jacket’s sleeve down over the cuff – creating a better defence against heat loss. If you choose to use warmers, then try and fit the hems underneath the cuff of your chosen glove – which achieves roughly the same end result.

MAAP’s Apex Deep Winter Gloves are part of MAAP’s Deep Winter collection, and they represent everything we think a winter pair of gloves should be. They’re made with a combination of extremely technical materials including Primaloft® Gold insulation for heat retention and non-slip suede for the palm, so your control of the bike is never compromised.

The palm areas are also thickened with Ariaprene®, to give you a bit of extra padding as you tackle the rougher roads of winter. It’s unlikely you’ll want to take these off if it’s super-cold, but luckily they’re touch-screen compatible – meaning you won’t have to expose your hands to the cold when you need to send a text.

If you live in a warmer part of the world where winters aren’t quite so extreme, our Winter Gloves should fit the bill. They’re waterproof, windproof and breathable, not to mention lined with polar fleece for a snug, soft feeling.

Or you could opt for the Power Shield Glove, which makes use of Polartec®’s elite Power Shield fabric. This is a advanced, triple-layer fabric that boasts strong breathability while also being windproof and waterproof.

Your winter layering strategy shouldn’t end without some serious consideration of the extra accessories on offer to cold-weather cyclists.

First up – and one of the most enduringly popular items for virtually any time of year – is the neck warmer. A lightweight, simple sleeve of material that is worn around the neck, kinda like a scarf – but much more practical for riding in.

A neck warmer helps to seal that area between your jacket, jersey or vest and the neck – leaving less of your skin exposed and helping to trap in vital warmth. Crafted from Polartec® Power Wool, it’s breathable and can be worn pulled up over the mouth and nose to defend against the chill on the very coldest days.

We also make a Thermal Wool Headband, which is constructed using NaturalMatch® – a blend of warm and antimicrobial merino with some man-made fibres to improve performance.

And in a similar vein, but made to keep your whole head warm, there’s the Skull Cap. It too uses NaturalMatch®.

The arm warmer is a simple garment, effectively helping you turn a short-sleeve jersey into a long-sleeve. They have the added benefit that they can be easily removed when you’re riding – especially useful if you’re working up a sweat and actually need to cool down a little. Once the hard part of your workout is over, you can whip them out of your pockets and put them back on again.

Take a look at our Alt_Road™ Merino Arm Warmers for a solid pair that will work brilliantly to keep you warm when you need it, and stow easily when you don’t. They’re made with lightweight merino wool which is celebrated for its unrivalled balance of weight, warmth and antimicrobial properties.

Overshoes and oversocks are another staple of the winter cyclist’s wardrobe.

Overshoes tend to be a heavier layer with some sort of neoprene. They work just like a wetsuit, providing warmth even when damp and prevent your feet from getting cold.

Oversocks are a little less resilient and focus more on warmth than overall weather protection. Choose them if the places you ride in winter are drier but still pretty chilly.

In our cold weather collection you’ll find both overshoes and -socks. The Neo Winter Overshoes are built for anyone planning on riding through a full European winter. They are constructed in tough Japanese neoprene, with strengthened panels at the heel and toe for enduring performance and protection. They also come in a smaller, lighter, cooler Toe Cover.

The Knitted Oversock, meanwhile, is crafted with a super-tough Cordura® knit fabric and stretches easily over your cycling shoes for an extra layer of warmth. 

So now you know, there is no true ‘secret’ to keeping warm in winter and hitting your goals – just use good quality kit, layer it up right, and find what works for you.

Investing in cold-weather apparel is one of the easiest ways to up your game, enabling you to keep putting in the miles all the way through winter and into spring.

If you have any questions about the best way to combine items from the MAAP cold weather collection, don’t be afraid to get in touch via customer services, or reach out to us on our socials.