Guide
What to wear cycling, by temperature
How cold it feels at your speed
| Air | Standing | 15 km/h (9 mph) | 20 km/h (12 mph) | 25 km/h (16 mph) | 30 km/h (19 mph) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| −10°C (14°F) | −13°C (8°F) | −16°C (3°F) | −17°C (1°F) | −18°C (-1°F) | −19°C (-2°F) |
| −5°C (23°F) | −8°C (18°F) | −11°C (13°F) | −12°C (11°F) | −13°C (9°F) | −14°C (7°F) |
| 0°C (32°F) | −2°C (28°F) | −5°C (22°F) | −6°C (21°F) | −7°C (19°F) | −8°C (17°F) |
| 5°C (41°F) | 3°C (38°F) | 0°C (33°F) | −1°C (31°F) | −2°C (29°F) | −3°C (27°F) |
| 10°C (50°F) | 9°C (49°F) | 6°C (43°F) | 5°C (42°F) | 4°C (40°F) | 3°C (38°F) |
| 15°C (59°F) | 15°C (60°F) | 13°C (55°F) | 12°C (53°F) | 11°C (51°F) | 10°C (49°F) |
| 20°C (68°F) | 22°C (72°F) | 19°C (67°F) | 18°C (65°F) | 17°C (63°F) | 16°C (61°F) |
Into a headwind it's colder than the table. With a 5 m/s (11 mph) headwind at 25 km/h, the same 5°C feels like −5°C (23°F). Sunshine makes it feel warmer; rain much colder.
What to wear
Velvind adds one line about clothing to a ride's verdict when the forecast's feels-like temperature reaches one of these steps. It reads the coldest point of the ride, not the average.
- above 14°C (57°F)Short sleeves and shorts. Arm warmers if the morning starts cool.
- 10–14°C (50–57°F)The app says: a light layer to startA jersey with a gilet or arm warmers you can take off once you're warm.
- 6–9°C (43–48°F)The app says: long fingers for the first hourLong sleeves or arm warmers, knee warmers, thin long-finger gloves and a windproof gilet.
- 2–5°C (36–41°F)The app says: full glovesA thermal long-sleeve jersey or a light jacket, full-finger gloves, tights and a cap under the helmet.
- 1°C (34°F) or colderThe app says: winter gloves and shoe coversA winter jacket over a base layer, insulated gloves, shoe covers, thermal tights and something over your neck and ears.
The coldest point decides
A ride that starts at 2° isn't warm enough because its average is 7°. So Velvind reads the temperature at every point when you're there, and corrects it for height: 0.65° colder for every 100 metres you climb. Over the top, or early in the morning, is where the clothes get decided.
Wet is colder
Water takes heat faster than air. If it's raining, go one step warmer than the table, with a jacket that keeps out wind and water. The riding in wind guide covers the other thing that makes a ride feel colder.
Read on
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