Winter commuting gear



Best winter gear for cold-weather bicycle commuting: Thinking of skipping public transit? Tired of traffic? Take a look at the best gear for your cold commute.

La Sportiva Crossover GTX

($154; lasportiva.com) La Sportiva took their speedy Crosslite trail runner and turned it into a four season bruiser by adding a Gore Tex waterproof bootie and a lightweight, breathable and stretchy above-the-ankle gaiter. The shoe itself has excellent traction in all conditions and a narrower fit. The overall result is a shoe that deflects slush, puddles and powder, while the spiked lugs dig into hard packed snow and slippery mud. They’re equally adept as a foul weather runner or a light snowshoe racing shoe.

Giro 100 Proof

($95; giro.com) The lobster claw design of these bike specific gloves has two functions: to keep your digits warmer than normal gloves and to allow full dexterity for changing gears and braking. Designed for variable weather they’re waterproof and breathable and insulated with Thinsulate synthetic insulation with an anti-microbial treatment. They come with a liner glove that can be worn on its own or layered in the lobster claws for increased warmth.

Saucony Protection Gloves

($40; saucony.com) There are lots of great versatile exercising gloves out there, but these have something no other pair has – an LED light. The light clips to one of the gloves and blinks away for better night time visibility. The gloves themselves are a versatile weight that works well for biking or running around freezing. Beef: the double layer design tends to get messed up when taking them off meaning you’ll be fumbling to get your fingers in the right spot next time you put them on. Bonus: they also have a snot rag and a magnet that keeps the pair together – nice touch.

Princeton Tech Push

($50; princetontec.com) This is a great front bike light. It cranks 100 lumens of light out of its front pointing light, which is enough for off road riding. It also has red lights that beam out either side creating 260 degrees of visibility. A quick release mounting system allows you to take the light with you after locking it up. The batteries last for 63 hours. Available at MEC

Camelbak Groove

($25 Titan, $35 stainless; camelbak.com) For those that like their Brita filtered water at home, but don’t want to bring the whole jug to work Camelbak has the solution. A filter in your water bottle. When you suck on the straw the water runs through a carbon filter, just like in your Brita, improving the taste before it hits your lips.

Keen Austin Pedal

($150; keencanada.ca) Meshing style and function these cycling shoes are also incognito technical. Hidden under the ball of the foot is a mount for clip-less pedals. They’re stiff enough you won’t feel like your riding in running shoes, but have enough flex in the forefoot that padding from the bike lock to your office won’t feel awkward. The sole is non-marking and the liner wicks moisture to keep your dogs comfy. They’re a little on the heavy side, but we overlook that on account of their relative good looks. They’re fairly attractive in a Keen sort of style with nice tanned leather. They look casual and go well with jeans. Like most Keen’s they fit wide. Available at MEC and online at Keen Canada.

Thunderbolt Sportswear Jeans

($190; thunderboltsportswear.com) These are a dream come true for me. I love the way jeans look, but I hate how they suck up water and let wind blow right through them. Thunderbolt took Schoeller Nanosphere soft shell with a hard face treatment to cut wind and offer better water protection. Then they cut and styled the fabric into a pair of jeans. The result is a super comfortable – four way stretch – highly weatherproof pair of jeans look a likes. They look great and could be worn in a lot of different situations including hikes or climbs. They’re the ultimate for walking the dog or casual Fridays. Pricey, but worth it.

New Balance 360 Degree

($90; newbalance.com) When we first unpacked the 360 we were dubious. A black jacket for night time running? But then we watched a 3M video, part of their No White at Night campaign. White jackets and shirts showed up on a dark night at 250 feet in the video. Jackets with reflective tape, like the 3M tape wrapping around the 360, can be seen from 1000 feet. It was pretty convincing. The jacket is shiny black with a couple of strips of silver tape as an accent. It’s a nice weight for winter running and has vents for dumping excess heat.

Osprey Momentum 34

($160; ospreypacks.com) Momentum is designed with bike commuters in mind, but is loaded with features anyone navigating the city in all weather will appreciate. It looks like a casual backpack but acts more like a messenger bag with a lap top sleeve, key pocket and cell phone sleeve. For bike comuters there’s a snug fitting raincover with reflective strips for visibility. There’s a helmet clip, U-lock slot, two side compression straps, blinker light attachment, front stash pocket (perfect for a bus pass), internal storage for tools & pump, and zippered side pockets. The shoulder straps undue and stow to turn the pack into an incognito tote bag. Available at Osprey Momentum Pack: Sojourn in Muskoka and Wildrock Outfitters. As well at Atmosphere stores nationwide.

READ MORE:

Share

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU