For many of us at Bikerumor and many of our readers, cold weather for riding is looming overhead right now. For our EU team, we’ve spent the last week or so commuting to the office in sub-freezing temps and racing cross on cold wet courses, so we’re definitely interested when we see new cool weather riding kit pop in our inbox. Whether it is snow biking gear from Qloom, technical flannels from Kitsbow, or cozy caps from Snēk there is plenty out there to make riding through fall and winter comfortable…
Qloom
Qloom’s new line adds proper winter-specific mountain biking gear to their previous Europe-only XC ski and activewear offerings which will also now come to the US. Targeted at snowy, cold, wet riding conditions for deep winter riding the new insulated Steele Jacket and bib-style Steele Pants get rounded out with the Warm Glove. The 300€ EU-made jacket comes in bright orange & black to match the 250€ pants with their detachable Powerstretch vest. Waterproof panels, long cycling-specific cuts and breathable insulation should make them all well-suited for a cold winter on the bike. Qloom also sees riders using the XC ski gear as well as their separate mid-insulating layers on the bike as well, often for more aerobic riding and less extreme weather. Qloom.com
Kitsbow
To get in the cool weather spirit, Kitsbow has released an update to their Icon shirt in new seasonal colors for this fall. It’s the third year for their high tech answer to riding in a plaid flannel, which now comes in Paramount Blue, Huntsman Red, Vintage Noir, and Blue Ross Yellow. The Icon shirts, hand-sewn in San Francisco, mix together the natural performance of Pendleton wool and their classic look with the more advanced technical performance of Schoeller 3X Dry panels there to reinforce against wear and to add more resistance against moisture. Flannels & jeans is really where mountain biking started, so why not get back there with this limited production (and numbered) techy $195 Icon shirt, cut for movement and ventilation on the bike. Kitsbow.com
Snēk
New wool caps from Snēk Cycling out of Utah will keep your ears and noggin nice and toasty. Available in two versions – the Merino Winter Cycling Cap in black and the Wool Winter Cycling Cap in heather grey – both take a classic deep ear flap design to keep your head warm.The cpas are designed to be versatile enough to keep sweat out of your face on the long climbs, but still give the warmth needed for fast, extended descents.
The merino version is warm and soft for cold temps, while the wool cap blends in 51% polyester for a lighter feel and more wicking to ride in cool weather. Both caps fit slimly under a helmet, use a flexible brim that won’t break when stuffed in a pocket or the wash, and get a micro-fiber sweat band. The two winter caps both retail for $62 and are available online from Snek now. SnekCycling.com
