Commuting is cold-weather cycling on hard mode. You ride slower than on a training ride, for less time, often in the dark, stopping at every red light — and at the end you have to walk into work looking presentable. All of that changes what you should wear.
WHY COMMUTING FEELS COLDER
You make less heat
A commute is usually an easy pace, around 18 km/h, not a hard training effort. Your body produces much less heat, so the same temperature feels colder. VeloReady's Easy setting accounts for this, picking kit as if it were about 2°C colder for your body and 1°C colder for your legs.
You never fully warm up
On a long ride, the first chilly twenty minutes are soon forgotten. A 25-minute commute is almost all first twenty minutes. Dress for how you'll feel at the start, because there's little time to warm into the ride.
Red lights and the dark
Every stop at a junction lets cold air in under your layers, and you start from cold again each time. Winter commutes also happen before sunrise and after sunset, with no sun on your back — VeloReady treats those hours as about 2°C colder than the same temperature at midday.
"At 5°C, a steady daytime ride gets a wind jacket. The same 5°C on a commute before sunrise gets a winter jacket."
TWO COMMUTES, TWO FORECASTS
The morning ride is usually the coldest of the day; the evening ride is the one more likely to bring rain. Check both before you leave the house, and pack for the ride home rather than the one you're about to do. A packable rain jacket and a spare buff take up almost no space in a pannier.
WHAT TO WEAR, BY TEMPERATURE
These come straight from VeloReady's Easy setting, so they match what the tool recommends on the day.
Commute at 8°C — dry, in daylight
Commute at 5°C — before sunrise
Commute at 8°C — rain, after dark
Rain moves everything a step colder: at 8°C in the wet, thermal tights replace the leg warmers and full thermal overshoes replace the toe covers. For the colder end, see 3°C and 0°C — a commute at those temperatures gets full winter kit.
NOT IN LYCRA? THE SAME PIECES STILL MATTER
Plenty of people commute in everyday clothes, and that's fine. VeloReady's list still tells you what each part of your body needs — you just meet it with different garments:
- A windproof outer layer. Any windproof or waterproof jacket does the job of the cycling shell. Wind through a wool coat is the main reason commuters arrive frozen.
- Full-finger gloves, a neck warmer and an ear cover. These matter more than anything on your body, because your hands, neck and ears are in the wind the whole way.
- Dry feet. Overshoes over normal shoes, or waterproof shoes. Wet feet are the quickest way to a miserable ride.
- Nothing cotton next to your skin. Cotton stays cold once it's damp with sweat or rain. A thin merino or synthetic layer underneath fixes it.
- Waterproof trousers in the rain. Wet jeans are cold, heavy and slow to dry.
ARRIVE WARM, NOT SWEATY
Overdressing is the most common commuting mistake. Put the warmth into the parts that don't heat up — hands, feet, neck and ears — and keep your body layers moderate. Start the ride feeling slightly cool, and open the jacket zip before you start to sweat rather than after.
Carry things in a pannier, not a backpack: a backpack traps sweat across your whole back. If you can, keep a spare base layer, socks and a small towel at work, so a damp ride in doesn't mean a damp morning at your desk.
SEE AND BE SEEN
Most winter commutes happen in the dark or at dusk, often in the busiest traffic of the day. Run front and rear lights on every ride, even if you set off in daylight. Bright or reflective clothing helps, and reflective detail on moving parts — ankles, shoes, gloves — catches a driver's eye much sooner than the same reflective strip on your back.
WINTER ROADS
The morning commute is the most likely time to meet ice. Bridges, shaded corners and the edges of cycle lanes freeze first, and often look simply wet. Wet leaves, painted lines and metal covers are slippery long before it freezes. Brake earlier than usual, take corners upright, and fit mudguards — they keep road spray off you, and off the trousers you're wearing to work.
Leaving soon? Check live weather for your city, set the effort to Easy, and get the kit for the hour you'll actually ride.
Check your commute →THE COLD-COMMUTE CHECKLIST
Winter commuting essentials
QUICK QUESTIONS
What should I wear to cycle to work in winter?
Dress warmer than you would for a training ride at the same temperature: a merino base layer, a windproof outer layer, full-finger gloves and a neck warmer from about 8°C down, then thermal tights, overshoes and an ear cover as it gets colder. Set VeloReady to Easy and check the hour you leave.
How do I not arrive at work sweaty?
Start slightly cool, unzip before you overheat, carry things in a pannier rather than a backpack, and keep a dry base layer at work. Put the warmth into gloves, buff and overshoes rather than extra layers on your body.
Can I commute in normal clothes when it's cold?
Yes. Add a windproof or waterproof jacket, full-finger gloves, a neck warmer and something for your ears, and keep feet dry with overshoes or waterproof shoes. Avoid cotton next to the skin and jeans in the rain — both stay cold once wet.