Staying warm when riding in the snow

Just because you're in snow doesn't mean you dress quite the same as other snow sports. You're still mountain biking, which is pretty physical and means you'll likely heat up – especially if you're doing an event like the Snow Bike Festival. What's this mean then? You need to think about what layers you're wearing. A base layer to wick sweat away, a mid layer for insulation and something wind or waterproof. That last one can be tricky as a few degrees difference can make a big difference in what you need. Minus 2 degrees is chilly but dry, however 1 degree is cold and wet – and needs a whole different approach. Here's a run down of the gear I used to stay comfortable, with advice from Ground Effect clothing.

Downstairs

Ground Effect Daddy Long Legs merino tights might not suit your trail sensibilities but the unrestrictive fit and warmth were the perfect match for a baselayer plus they were light and very packable making them great to travel with. I wore them over some normal bib shorts. On top, I used either my favourite Ground Effect Sniper shorts if it was cold and dry, or the waterproof Helter Skelters which go over the knee and cinch closed for the slightly wetter days. Ground Effect suggested the Ranch Sliders and in hindsight they would have been the perfect match, and prevented a knickerbocker look. Daddy Long Legs: $160.38 Helter Skelters: $179.37

Upstairs

So many choices! I started with a longsleeve base layer, the Submerino. Ground Effect's Heatwave material puts merino next to your skin with a harder wearing outer. It's not a crazy tight fit so it was comfortable to pull on, and the raglan sleeves and longer back made it very comfortable on the bike. I also had a Thermos on hand – a sleeveless base layer made out of Heatwave merino with a windproof front. In the end I didn't use this but can see it serving well in an Australian winter. I used a Ground Effect Berglar as one option for a midlayer. I liked this option as it was full-zip making it easy to pull off if I had to, without removing a helmet, or just unzip to cool off. The Heatwave merino material means it will work against the skin in our usual winter, or beef it up with another layer like I did for colder weather. Having some pockets, including a zipped one, was a big bonus considering the amount I fell off riding in snow. The key item in all of this was the Ground Effect Hoodwink, a softshell hoodie. I had a rain jacket if it was really wet, but I could use the Hoodwink over the Submerino, or with the Berglar added for extra warmth. With a hood to pull up around your neck, and a chest pocket for storing essentials (I used it for my phone) the bright green Hoodwink I used also made a departure to the usual black of winter gear. It did get warm when riding up long hills, and I'd love to see an option to tighten the cuffs and hem for a refined fit. I used it evey day and I'll continue to use it back home on winter trail rides, as it transitions from cafe to trail to pub with ease, while keeping me comfortable too. Submerino: $93.95 Thermos: $84.46 Berglar: $150.89 Hoodwink: $169.87

Extremeties

I always get cold hands and feet, I've learnt that from bitter experience. So I have a range of gloves that I took along, making sure I could carry a spare set in my Camelbak incase I got wet. I had some Defeet thermal gloves and a pair of Gore Windstopper gloves which look like a ski mitt. The most useful was the Ground Effect Chipolatas, a windproof glove that is thin and with a decent cuff. They let you feel what you're doing, and cut the wind. These are probably one of the best winter gloves for mountain biking around. They're not waterproof, and on the wetter days I opted for some older mountaineering gauntlets I had from a previous life. You can also pack in some latex gloves for emergencies as they will always help keep your hands dry under other gloves. And drier is warmer. Chipolatas: $46.50 Ground Effect have a couple of options for winter socks and I lived in both the Shindigs and Lucifers. The Shindigs are almost knee-high socks that not only added some extra warmth to my lower leg, they were thin and warm and stayed put thanks to mild compression. The wool and nylon mix will be hardwearing. Lucifers are shorter and essentially they're a windproof bootie. I had some windproof winter shoes but I used these like an ugg boot in my hotel. But they'll be rolling out on my home trails for early mornings, adding a windproof layer inside my shoe with minimal bulk. Shindigs: $46.50 Lucifers: $37.01

On my head I used a range of items – from half a Buff to a whole buff, to a cycling cap and even a headband (yes, really!). But I also used the Aeroshell on my Lazer Z1 helmet to cut wind from the vents. Given I was going up and down – the best combination was a headband or half a Buff and no helmet cover. Then I used a Ground Effect Black Hole or a Buff around my neck, that I could pull up over my chin and nose as required. This item was essential for comfort, giving a warm and fuzzy feel when stopped or descending. The Black Hole was ideal on colder days, and a normal Buff sufficed on the ‘warmer’ ones. Adding something like this to your normal trail gear will add a lot of comfort for any winter riding.

Black Hole: $37.01

Whatever you choose for your clothing system, always have some spare items. Once you heat up and sweat, you cool down very quickly. Some dry kit to pull on for postride brews, rosti or otherwise will make you a lot more comfortable. I was a little stuck here. Normal shoes and overshoes? Flat pedals and winter hiking boots? Both would have worked, but as I was planning my visit fi'zi:k released the Artica X5 - a performance winter mountain bike shoe. The Artica X5 marries a waterproof outer with a soft inner. Imagine it like a built in neoprene insulated bootie over a shoe with speedlacing. Add a deep treaded full-rubber outersole and a carbon reinforced midsole and all of a sudden there didn't seem to be a better choice. I did size up to a 45 from my usual 44 but I never wore more than the Ground Effect Shindigs underneath, and this suited down to about minus 3 degrees, the coldest I experienced on this trip. The extra room would be handy for a thicker sock for a little more insulation. On the bike the shoes felt great, without the extra bulk being too noticeable. Given the amount of time you get off the bike to run or walk, not having a bootie pulling off at the toe, or catching snow and ice against the sole of your foot was a real bonus. One thing to remember though is that water, or snow melt, can still come in from the top. That's why you're best to think about footwear and outerwear as one system. If I had something like the Ground Effect Ranch Sliders, I would secure them over the top of the shoe so any water ran onto the lowers – not into the top of my shoes. The shoe were more than stiff enough for racing, and dried well overnight if they did get wet. I have a wide foot but have found the fit of fi'zi:k shoes to work for my foot. I suspect this is a set of shoes I'll have on the shelf for quite some time, but if you ride early in the morning in Victoria or Tasmania, I'm certain you would get extensive use out of these premium shoes.