A high-quality waterproof cycling jacket is your insurance against the year-round unpredictability of the UK weather. Whether your typical riding consists of commuting to the office or 100-mile sportives, a waterproof cycling jacket is a wardrobe essential.

• Waterproof cycling jackets made from fabrics keep out rain, but let sweat through so you don't get 'boil in the bag cyclist' syndrome.

• Even the best breathable fabrics can't transpire the sweat of a cyclist working hard, so look out for waterproof cycling jackets with zips and vents to help heat and sweat escape.

• Classic 'hardshell' fabrics combine a waterproof, breathable membrane with DWR (durable water repellent) coating to make water run off and usually an inner layer to protect the membrane.

• 'Softshell' fabrics like Gore Windstopper are softer — the clue's in the name — and thick enough to provide warmth as well as water resistance; they're very well suited to British conditions.

28 of the best waterproof cycling jackets

• Chrome Kojak Convertible Jacket — ~£235.00
• Howies Herald — £59.00
• Galibier Tempest Pro — £59.30
• Rapha Women's Lightweight Shadow Jacket — £97.50 (XXS only)
• Gore C7 Women Gore-Tex Shakedry Viz Jacket — £190
• Resolute Bay Reflective Cycling Jacket — £195
• 7mesh Rebellion Jacket — £279.99
• Rapha Pro Team Lightweight Shadow Jacket — £200
• Metier Beacon Rain Jacket — £200
• Pactimo Vertex WX-D Jacket — £129.50
• Assos Mille GT Winter Jacket — £157.50 - £225.00
• Galibier Mistral Foul Weather Jacket — £69.00
• dhb Aeron Lab Ultralight Waterproof Jacket — £120 (XXL only)
• Gore C7 Gore-Tex ShakeDry Stretch Jacket — ~£240
• Lusso Aqua Extreme Repel V2 Jacket — £149.99
• 7Mesh Oro — £250
• Altura Microlite Showerproof jacket — £20 (limited sizes)
• Proviz Reflect 360 Jacket — £71.99
• dhb Waterproof Jacket — £50.00
• Endura FS260-Pro Adrenaline Race Cape — £55.00 - £77.99
• Showers Pass Pro Tech ST jacket — £95
• Bontrager Velocis S1 Softshell — £79.99
• Polaris Fuse — £119.99
• Pearl Izumi Women’s Elite WxB — £59.99 (XS only)
• Endura Pro SL Shell Jacket II — £140.24
• Parentini Mossa 2 — ~£130.00
• Showers Pass Women's Elite 2.1 — £199
• Castelli Idro Pro 2 Jacket — £289.00

Fabric

The fabric is the most important point to consider when you buy a waterproof cycling jacket. Our advice is not to skimp if you want a decent high-quality jacket that is going to provide years of outstanding service. You really do get what you pay for.

Making a waterproof fabric is relatively easy; a bin bag is waterproof. Making a fabric waterproof and breathable, so it lets sweat out, now that is a lot more challenging, but it’s not impossible. With a hard-working cyclist inside a jacket producing a lot of sweat, the fabric needs to let water vapour escape outwards, while stopping the rainwater getting in. Fortunately, water vapour can pass through pores in the fabric that are too small to let water get through as a liquid.

There are all manner of fabrics on the market. Some have a waterproof treatment applied to the actual weave of the fabric (the lightest and most breathable option), some have a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) layer that causes water to bead up and roll off, and some have a membrane sandwiched between several layers. Many fabrics use more than one approach. Membrane waterproofs have a DWR coating that provides the first line of defence against the wet.

It’s also worth considering that many waterproof cycling jackets will need to be reproofed regularly to replenish the DWR. If water isn’t beading off your jacket, and it was when it was new, then it needs reproofing. There's plenty of choice of reproofing products. It's typically a matter of just putting your jacket through the washing machine with this special proofing product added.

Pay close attention to manufacturers' descriptions when buying a jacket. They can claim to be waterproof, water resistant or water repellant. To be considered waterproof, a jacket must be made from a waterproof fabric and have taped seams. Anything else is water resistant, which will hold up to some rain but eventually water will find a way in. Water repellant fabrics use a hydrophobic treatment that reduces the amount of water the fabric absorbs. A water resistant jacket might be okay for short showers, but if you're likely to be out in prolonged heavy rain you want a waterproof cycling jacket.

Taped seams

Fully waterproof cycling jackets will have taped seams to stop water getting in, while some might just have taped seams in key places. Fewer seams provide less opportunity for water to get in, but more panels, and therefore more seams, often lead to improved fit, and better fit leads to greater comfort on the bike. Some manufacturers are now combining different fabrics, some with stretchy panels, to improve fit.

Dropped tails and adjustability

Waterproof cycling jackets usually have dropped tails, to keep your lower back and bum covered up when you're crouched low over the bike. Some waterproof cycling jackets even have a drop tail that can be stowed away, clipped up inside of the jacket.

For the same reason, the arms are usually given some extra length so they don’t ride up when you're stretched out on the bike, leaving your wrists exposed. The collar and cuffs are places for rain to get inside so look for a design that is close fitting with elasticated and/or adjustable openings. Drawcords at the hem and neck and Velcro cuffs let you adjust the fit.

Ventilation

Even the best fabrics are not breathable enough to cope with the amount of sweat put out by a cyclist working hard, for example while climbing a hill. A full-length zip obviously provides good ventilation, but if it’s raining heavily you don’t want to be opening it up and letting the water in.

Some waterproof cycling jackets therefore have various ventilation options — zips on the sleeves or in the arm pits, for example — to let some of the moist air escape. Extra zips and features like pockets cost more money though and will push the price up, plus they add weight.

Mesh lining

The reason you get sweaty inside a jacket is because your sweat rate exceeds the capability of the jacket to pass the moisture out. For this reason some waterproof cycling jackets have a mesh lining that helps remove the moisture and makes it a lot more comfortable and less clingy on bare arms, but all that mesh adds weight and bulk.

Top jackets for all budgets — from £20 to £270

Waterproof cycling jackets range from heavy duty, fully featured designs to ultra minimalist emergency jackets. There’s a huge choice, so you can choose the right jacket for your riding situation, whether it's a jacket for commuting, touring, racing, training or sportives. We've picked 31 of the best that represent the variety of choice and what you can expect to pay. Many of these jackets are offered in both a men and women's cut and different colours too.

Unarguably some of the very best ones are expensive, but in real terms a high-end cycling waterproof is a lot cheaper than it once was. One of the earliest waterproof cycling jackets to use breathable Gore-Tex fabric, the North Face Velo, retailed for £150 in 1988. Allowing for inflation, that's the equivalent of almost £400 now.

Chrome Kojak Convertible Jacket — ~£235.00

Probably the most unusual waterproof cycling jacket here, the Chrome Kojak Convertible is well appointed and full of surprises. Its USP, and the source of  'Convertible' in the name, is that as tester Matt Lamy explains, "it's not a single jacket that stretches to your knees, it's actually a short 'trucker' jacket with a zipped-in lower extended section. Should the mood take you, you can unzip the bottom section and just have a shorter top."

In either configuration it keeps the rain off superbly, though as a short jacket it's obviously not going to protect as much of your body. Matt adds: "Rain instantly and faultlessly beads on the Kojak and – even in the worst weather – nothing gets through its taped-seamed interior. It also helps that it looks rather smart and up to the task, not unlike a cycling orientated Dryza-Bone-style coat."

Read our review of the Chrome Kojak Convertible Jacket

Howies Herald — £59.00

The Howies Herald is a fantastic waterproof cycling jacket that's ideal for commuters. A little more reflectivity for night riding would make it nigh-on faultless.

The Herald is clearly designed as a jacket for active wear, even if it's not obviously cycling-specific. It's made from a two-layer, matt waterproof and breathable nylon shell, with a mesh polyester lining. Seams are double taped for added water protection while the lightweight fleece collar is there for a spot of comfort.

Perhaps more exciting than the Herald's fabric is its practical design. There are two typical zipped hand pockets, a subtle zipped chest pocket, a zipped internal pocket and – my personal fave – a zipped forearm pocket with fitted bungee cord and clip for secure holding of your front door key. (I'm going back a bit with my references here, but I'm pretty sure Frank Spencer or Mr Bean had something similar.)

Read our review of the Howies Herald

Galibier Tempest Pro — £59.30

The Galibier Tempest Pro Jacket has an impressive ability to shrug off the heaviest of rain for ages without soaking you from the inside out, and when you don't need it, just stuff it in your rear pocket. There's a bit of a plasticky feel to the fabric, but it works really well.

Using a HydraStop membrane, the Tempest Pro delivers factory results of 9,000mm when it comes to waterproofing; that means it can resist 9,000mm of water from a hydrostatic head (tube of water) before it can't hold any more and it leaks through. In the real world that means heavy rain and downpours.

The biggest plus point is the staggeringly low price. The Galibier Tempest Pro compares favourably with waterproof cycling jackets like the Endura Pro SL Shell II or even the Rapha Pro Team Lightweight Shadow but is over £100 cheaper.

Read our review of the Galibier Tempest Pro

Rapha Women's Lightweight Shadow Jacket — £97.50 (XXS only)

The Rapha Women's Lightweight Shadow Jacket has gained me many a compliment from fellow riders while I have been out testing it. It has a simple, classic design and excellent fit and it performs brilliantly... with a price tag to match.

I put the jacket on for the first time to model it for the photos you see in this review, and immediately mentioned what a lovely fit it was. There is room for a jersey and light layer or two underneath on colder days, but no unnecessary flapping or extra material hanging around.

It is surprisingly stretchy for such a water-resistant and windproof layer, which also allows it to fit over well-filled pockets at the start of a long day's riding. In fact, with the right layering underneath, I can see myself wearing this most of the year in the UK.

The men's version is similarly excellent. Read our review of it here.

Read our review of the Rapha Women's Lightweight Shadow Jacket

Gore C7 Women Gore-Tex Shakedry Viz Jacket — £190

Light, packable, windproof, completely waterproof and with superb breathability, Gore's C7 Women's Gore-Tex Shakedry Viz jacket works brilliantly on the bike, whether it's raining or not. It's not cheap, but with such impressive performance it really will earn its keep.

Gore Shakedry really is in a class of its own. The jackets are expensive, but if you consider that they can act as both a waterproof and a windproof, packable but protective enough for the wettest days, and light enough to take the place of an emergency showerproof in your pocket, it's all manner of garments in one.

On cool, dry days its windproofing keeps you warm, and if the sun comes out you won't overheat and get sweaty. It's thin, not insulated, but wear the right layers underneath and you'll be fine. The fabric has a pleasant feel against the skin, too, a kind of smooth, warm silkiness.

Read our review of the Gore C7 Women Gore-Tex Shakedry Viz Jacket
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Resolute Bay Reflective Cycling Jacket — £195

The Resolute Bay Reflective Cycling Jacket is impressive. It's a high-quality design, offering superb protection against the weather, excellent breathability, and some strong cyclist-specific features, and the fit works really well both on and off the bike.

One thing that tends to plague waterproof cycling jackets aimed at commuters is that they're either too cycling-specific or not cycling-specific enough. The Reflective Cycling jacket aims to balance the two – and succeeds.

As with all foul weather jackets, waterproofing is one of the most important elements, and the Resolute Bay has stood up to all of the rain that the British spring has thrown at it. I tested it on some torrentially rainy rides and it performed admirably, not letting in a drop. The only slight downside was that when wearing it with the hood down (if you have a helmet on), you can get water caught in the hood.

Read our review of the Resolute Bay Reflective Cycling Jacket

7mesh Rebellion Jacket — £279.99

The 7mesh Rebellion is an excellent waterproof cycling jacket that offers Gore-Tex Active protection, a slim fit and easy packability.

Gore-Tex Active is used throughout. It comprises a nylon ripstop outer fabric with a durable water repellent (DWR) treatment and a lining that's integrated into the Gore-Tex C-Knit membrane.

It's impressive stuff that keeps the rain out superbly. We used the Rebellion for all kinds of winter rides – everything from all-weather commuting to long Sunday morning jaunts – and the fabric didn't let water through. The seams are sealed with 13mm tape that shows no signs of lifting or bubbling several washes in, which is a good sign that they'll keep the outside world outside for a long time to come.

Read our review of the 7mesh Rebellion Jacket

Rapha Pro Team Lightweight Shadow Jacket — £200

The Rapha Pro Team Light weight Shadow Jacket is a very impressive piece of kit for wind protection, waterproofing, packability and breathability, and though it comes at a hefty price it's still cheaper than some rivals.

I was initially a little worried about its ruggedness, but after dozens of rides and stuffing it in pockets it still looks as good as when I first took it out of the packet.

Luckily Rapha has managed to reduce the thickness of the material without reducing its effectiveness, and this waterproof cycling jacket took everything that the weather could throw at it.

Read our review of the Rapha Pro Team Lightweight Shadow Jacket

Metier Beacon Rain Jacket — £200

The Metier Beacon Rain Jacket performs brilliantly in foul conditions and can also pack down small and compactly into a jersey pocket. Its USP, the flashing LEDs, work really well too, although if you're thinking it'd be great for everyday commuting with a backpack, they're not ideally placed. This isn't your typical commuter jacket, though, it's a piece of high-performance kit – with a price tag to match.

The idea of incorporating flashing lights within clothing isn't new, but can be a little garish and needs to be done subtly in order that the wearer doesn't look like a walking traffic light. Metier has managed this well with slim strips of LEDs, one set of white lights on the front of each shoulder, and a set of red lights on the bottom hem at the back of the jacket.

The lights offer a decent amount of visibility – so bright you could probably get away without bike-mounted lights (not recommended at night), though I tended to use them as additional visual aids rather than primary lights.

Read our review of the Metier Beacon Rain Jacket

Pactimo Vertex WX-D Jacket — £129.50

Pactimo's Vertex WX-D waterproof cycling jacket has proved to be a top performer in the cold and wet British weather. It's warm, dry and light while being breathable enough to wear all day in comfort.

It can be hard to gauge what to wear in winter – how cold is it, will it rain, blow a gale? The usual response seems to be layers and extra clothing in your pockets, but you end up looking like the Michelin man or without the bits you need. A jacket that claims to cover all aspects is a tantalising prospect, then, but can it deliver? The Vertex W-XD claims warmth down to -17°C, windproofing and waterproofing too, with its three-layer outer fabric providing the weatherproofing with taped seams (reflective on the outside) and waterproofed zips, and brushed fleece grid providing the warmth.

It's reasonably thin and light for a cold weather outer – not quite enough to fold up into a jersey pocket, but you shouldn't need to as breathability is good and it has two small zipped vents for fresh air if needed.

Read our review of the Pactimo Vertex WX-D Jacket

Assos Mille GT Winter Jacket — £157.50 - £225.00

The Assos Mille GT Winter Jacket is a very strong performer, offering excellent protection against low temperatures and heavy downpours, and although it comes with a fairly heavy price tag, it goes a very long way to justifying it.

Away from the very depths of winter, one of the elements that's difficult to get right is knowing what to wear, as you can often start the ride in under 5°C and come back in the mid teens, but one of the key elements of the Mille GT jacket is that it not only keeps you warm, it also has fantastic breathability.

This combination of warmth and breathability comes from the use of three different materials: Neos Medium on the front panels, Neos Light on the upper back and upper sleeves, and RX on the underside of the sleeves and the spine. The triple-layer Neos Medium takes the brunt of the weather because of its positioning, and is water repellent and wind resistant. The Neos Light has a similar construction but with around double the breathability (Assos quotes 27,000 gr/m2/24h vs 14,000 for the Neos Medium) and is used in areas that are less impacted by the weather, still allowing for good protection but letting heat dissipate nicely. The RX is used in areas most hidden from the weather, and offers high wicking and temperature control.

Read our review of the Assos Mille GT Winter Jacket
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Galibier Mistral Foul Weather Jacket — £69.00

Galibier's Mistral foul weather jacket will cover off nearly all of your winter rides if you like to work up a sweat. It's windproof, waterproof, breathable, close fitting and exceptional value. Only the pockets let it down.

Fully black winter jackets aren't always that visible on murky days, and if you wear full neon and it's sunny some enterprising defence lawyer will probably claim your jacket was camouflage. So the best bet is probably a mixture of the two; the Mistral waterproof cycling jacket has plenty of neon on the back and the arms, as well as a substantial reflective panel on the pockets. The zip piping on the front is fluorescent yellow too, but other than that and the embroidered logo, the front is black.

Read our review of the Galibier Mistral Foul Weather Jacket

dhb Aeron Lab Ultralight Waterproof Jacket — £120 (XXL only)

dhb has created an excellent bad weather top layer with its Aeron Lab Ultralight waterproof cycling jacket. It keeps the weather at bay better than most, especially at this price and weight, plus it's packable too. It's quite an outlay, but it's justified by the very good performance.

Tester Stu Kerton reported that he was was still dry after two hours of constant heavy rain mixed in with road spray from lorries and puddles. And there was a pretty nagging headwind too, just for good measure.

Read our review of the dhb Aeron Lab Ultralight Waterproof Jacket

Gore C7 Gore-Tex ShakeDry Stretch Jacket — ~£240

The Gore C7 Gore-Tex ShakeDry Stretch Jacket provides total rain protection with incredible breathability. The stretch panels help to give a perfect fit that lasts through machine washing and tumble drying.

This jacket is packed with tech features. The Gore ShakeDry fabric that made the last iteration so good is still present, and it works really well in heavy rain. Put simply, nothing gets through.

Added to this latest edition, which we first looked at in May, is Gore's new Stretch technology. It was developed with the military for use with body armour and is also windproof and completely waterproof.

Read our review of the Gore C7 Gore-Tex ShakeDry Stretch Jacket
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Lusso Aqua Extreme Repel V2 Jacket — £149.99

One of the best waterproof cycling jackets on the market. Made right here in the UK, in Manchester, the Lusso Aqua Extreme Repel Jacket V2 keeps serious rain out without creating that boil in the bag sensation found with many others on the market. A huge amount of reflective detailing makes this jacket perfect for night rides too.

Read our review of the Lusso Aqua Extreme Repel V2

7Mesh Oro — £250

The 7Mesh Oro jacket might be expensive but it keeps the rain out, it's super-lightweight and it takes up an incredibly small amount of space in a jersey pocket. Tester Mat Brett wore the Oro in the rain a whole load of times, most memorably on a ride in Italy where a couple of cyclists had to get bussed home for fear of getting hypothermia (really), and the results were superb. If anyone's in danger of getting hypothermia it's usually Mat, but rain didn't once get through the fabric or through the internally taped seams. You almost expect water to get in because the jacket is so lightweight, but it doesn't.

Read our review of the 7Mesh Oro
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Altura Microlite Showerproof jacket — £20 (limited sizes)

Altura's Microlite Showerproof jacket is designed to be packed down and carried for emergency use. It is a simple, single skin waterproof jacket more suited to light showers than prolonged downpours, but at this price (reduced from its usual £40) it's an absolute steal.

Read our review of the Altura Microlite Showerproof jacket
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Proviz Reflect 360 Jacket — £71.99

The Proviz Reflect 360's unique feature is that it's entirely made from reflective material. If you spend a lot of time on the roads in the dark it'll certainly get you noticed. The cut of the jacket is more commuter style than race so it's safe to assume that a streetlit urban environment is where the designers expect it to be used most.

The Reflect 360 is water resistant rather than Proviz claiming any waterproofing ratings but the material keeps out moderate rain for a decent amount of time backed up by taped seams and a storm zip. The rear drops slightly to which also adds protection if you aren't using mudguards.

Read our review of the Proviz Reflect 360 Jacket
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dhb Waterproof Jacket — £50.00

The dhb Waterproof Jacket does what it says on the tin, at a price that would get you an arm and half a collar from some other brands. It's not loaded with tech – in fact there's almost no tech on show – but if fifty quid is your budget it's hard to go past.

Read our review of its predecessor, the dhb Classic Rain Shell

Endura FS260-Pro Adrenaline Race Cape — £55.00 - £77.99

The FS260-Pro Adrenaline Race Cape is a great garment from Endura, proving breathable race capes can be relatively affordable. Packable race-light 'shells' are usually either super-expensive yet breathable and comfortable, or cheap and boil-in-the-bag. I'm delighted to report here that the FS260-Pro straddles the two definitions.

It performs very well. Of course, there's a limit to how effective any breathable fabric can be. Even industry standard Gore-Tex meets its match in the right (or wrong) combination of humidity, warmth and exertion. But, if you're riding at a high tempo, the Endura keeps you as dry as I've experienced in a shell such as this. It works best in cooler conditions – and layering up too much negates its effectiveness – but it really is quite impressive.

Read the full review of the FS260-Pro Adrenaline Race Cape
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Showers Pass Pro Tech ST jacket — £95

The Showers Pass Pro Tech ST is a light weight, clear race cape, so that when the heavens open you can stay dry and your club or team kit can still shine through on race day or just on a training ride.

Read our review of the Showers Pass Pro Tech ST jacket
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Bontrager Velocis S1 Softshell — £79.99

The Bontrager Velocis S1 Softshell Jacket keeps the cold off your front, lets the heat out at the back and provides an impressive level of winter protection. It might have saved our tester Neil from a dose of exposure on one occasion.

Read our review of the Bontrager Velocis S1 Softshell
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Polaris Fuse — £119.99

If you're after a highly waterproof cycling jacket and are willing to accept a small amount of extra bulk over some other offerings, the Polaris Fuse is well worth looking at. Its waterproof quality is up with the best, keeping you dry in rain that, speaking from experience, would see others fail. It's really well made, and represents good value for money.

Made with lightweight stretch waterproof fabric, the jacket's breathability is good enough that you don't notice any uncomfortable overheating – even in our wet yet warm UK winter like the one we've just had.

Read our review of the Polaris Fuse
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Pearl Izumi Women’s Elite WxB — £59.99 (XS only)

The Pearl Izumi Women's Elite WXB jacket is on the expensive side at its £150 RRP, but it will keep you warm and dry on horrible days. Lack of storage could be a problem, but there is room for that in your jersey. It is worth the sacrifice just to stay this dry, and for this sale price, it's a great deal.

The first thing you notice about this jacket is the high visibility colour scheme – in the bright yellow and pink you really shouldn't be missed. Love it or hate it, it's perfect for day time riding visibility, and there are enough reflective accents on the rear and the arms to make sure you stand out come evening too.

Read our review of the Pearl Izumi Women’s Elite WxB
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Endura Pro SL Shell Jacket II — £140.24

The Endura Pro SL Shell Jacket II has impressive waterproofing and will really keep out the worst of the rain and wind. It just about fits in a large jersey pocket, and is a good investment for cooler days when you need a robust level of weather protection.

Endura's Exoshell 40 waterproof fabric is a three-layer construction, with fully taped seams to keep the rain out and a claimed waterproofing level of 20,000mm – meaning nothing from a tube of water 20 metres tall would seep through a patch of fabric from this garment. And nothing did: no complaints about the waterproofing at all.

The collar is quite high, which is good for protection and I didn't find that it irritated me at all, even on hard rides.

One of the things I like most is the fit. Endura has gone for a shaped, multi-panel construction with strategic stretch sections to make the jacket move with you, and although it looks quite rigid and robust (I thought it was more commuter-orientated when it was first given to me) I found it was perfectly flexible on the bike.

Read our review of the Endura Pro SL Shell Jacket II
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Parentini Mossa 2 — ~£130.00

The Parentini Mossa is a race-fit waterproof and windproof jersey that copes well with the rapidly changing and impossible-to-predict British winter conditions.

The Mossa is actually fully waterproof, not just water resistant. This is achieved with the Windtex Membrane fabric, which comprises two layers sandwiching a membrane, plus a hydrophobic treatment providing water repellency. Water simply beads off the fabric and even on a ride of 2-3 hours in steady rain, the Mossa copes admirably.

Read our review of the Parentini Mossa

Showers Pass Women's Elite 2.1 — £199

There are waterproof cycling jackets that are best suited to being emergency jackets, rolled up in a rear jersey pocket in the hope that they'll never actually be required. Then there are jackets that are there to be worn on the wettest, filthiest ride, giving all-day comfort and making a bad day not so terrible. The Showers Pass Women's Elite 2.1 Jacket sits firmly in the latter camp and does a great job of it too.

The first thing that's noticeable about the Women's Elite 2.1 Jacket – aside from the not inconsiderable price – is how well featured and how meticulously designed it is. This is not a walking or outdoor waterproof repurposed for cycling, it's a cycling jacket from the ground up.

The men's version is similarly excellent. Read our review of it here.

Read our review of the Showers Pass Women's Elite 2.1
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Castelli Idro Pro 2 Jacket — £289.00

This thing is crazy-light. At 123g, it's possibly the ultimate pocket-jacket. The idea is that it’ll go more or less unnoticed in a jersey pocket until you need proper protection from the rain.

"The Gore-Tex Active technology with a new permanent beading surface is an innovative fabric construction that eliminates the textile on the outer face of the fabric, resulting in a two layer fabric that is lighter weight and doesn’t absorb moisture on the outer face,” says Castelli.

Read our review of the Castelli Idro

For even more choice view all our cycling jacket reviews.

• Mudguards are the key to keeping dry in typical British conditions. Unless it's raining hard, spray from your wheels is what gets you wet.

• A vital courtesy in group rides, a long rear mudguard with flap keeps spray out of the face of the rider behind you.

• For road bikes without mudguard eyes, there are lots of options from full-length guards designed to squeeze in to the limited space to clip-ons that at least keep your bum drier.

• Full-coverage bolt-on guards are the way to go for any bike that can take them and that will be used all year round.

If you’re determined to cycle through the winter whatever the weather, an easy way to make it more pleasant is by fitting your bicycle with mudguards. They will prevent a lot of the spray created by the wheels from turning you into a soggy mess.

If you've never used mudguards — and a lot of riders haven't — you'll be surprised at how much water they keep off. When you ride in the rain, you mostly get wet from water thrown up by the wheels, especially in lovely British drizzle.

Mudguards fall roughly into three types

• Traditional full-length mudguards commonly fitted to touring bikes
• Clip-on plastic guards that will attach to most road bikes
• Mountain bike style mudguards that attach to the down tube and seatpost

This choice means there is are mudguards to fit just about every type of bike, from a carbon race bike to a flat bar commuter. This guide will show you the best type of mudguards for your bike.

Think mudguards aren't cool and that they'll spoil the lines of your bike? Think again. Even professional cyclists will be fitting mudguards to their racing bikes through the winter.

Mudguards also offer a performance advantage. Yes, really. Ride without mudguards and your feet will get soaked, and then get very cold, and your legs will be saturated by rear wheel spray. The resulting chill can really affect your ability to push hard on the pedals as well as sapping your motivation. By keeping as much of the water off your body as you can, you're going to be able to ride for longer, and faster, when the roads are drowning.

For commuting, mudguards are a no-brainer. If you want to cycle to work through the winter, mudguards go a long way to ensuring you stay reasonably dry. If you have to carry a rucksack a rear mudguard will stop it getting covered in dirt, and then leaving a trail of dirt through your workplace.

You might think mudguards look daft on your carbon race bike, but that’s not as daft as you’ll look with a brown line up the back of your jacket and sodden shoes from the front wheel spray. We often hear people say that mudguards ruin the clean lines of their road bike, but if it's the difference between being dry or absolutely soaked and covered in road muck from head to toe, then we'll happily use them for the winter months. We're more interested in keeping dry so we can keep cycling through the winter.

If you're riding in a group, those following your wheel will appreciate your mudguards. Many clubs and riding groups demand mudguards over the winter.

Full-length mudguards

• Pros: Best coverage, protects bike as well as rider, protects the rider behind you
• Cons: Can be fiddle to fit, won't fit all bikes, limited clearance, can be rattly

These are the mudguards commonly referred to as traditional mudguards, because they’ve been around for many, many years. They are most often a permanent fixture on touring bikes. Due to their length and sides, they cover a large percentage of both wheels and provide the best protection from spray generated by the wheels.

Some full-length mudguards are longer than others. Some have a large rubber flap on the end of the front mudguard. The longer front mudguards really help to stop your feet from getting soaked through. There's a surprising amount of spray kicked up by the front wheel and your feet are right in the firing line. The longer the front mudguard, the more chance of your feet staying dry. Having a long rear mudguard will keep spray from hitting the person following behind you when you're riding in a group too.

The other advantage of these mudguards is that they offer the most protection to the bicycle. They keep all the water and mud away from the brake calipers, which really don't like being dowsed in gritty water, and it's the same for the front mech. They also keep water away from a saddle bag and rear light that you might have attached to the saddle/seatpost, so that's another plus for mudguards.

Full-length mudguards are very sturdy. They mount to your frame at the brake calipers, eyelets at the dropouts, and to the chainstay bridge behind the bottom bracket. They can take a bit of time to set up, but once in place they will survive a lot of abuse.

In order to fit full-length mudguards you need a frame with enough clearance under the brakes and behind the seat tube. That means the chainstays are a bit longer, lengthening the wheelbase. The extra space under the brakes means you usually need long-reach brake calipers, too especially if you want to use mudguards with 25mm or larger tyres.

The fact that full-length mudguards can only be fitted to frames with the necessary mounts and clearance does limit them, but there are plenty of bikes designed to accept them. Most common are those that fall into the touring/Audax category of bicycle design, with a variety of frame materials including the most common: steel, titanium and alloy. It’s also possible these days to buy a carbon fibre frame with the necessary eyelets and clearance for these mudguards.

Not everyone wants, or has space/money for a second bike built specifically to take mudguards. Luckily, bicycle designers have cottoned on to this and many regular road bikes come with concealed mudguard mounts. Without mudguards a bike like this looks like any regular road racing bike, but look close enough and you'll find mounts that turn it into a mudguard-equipped winter bike.

Concealed mudguard mount on a Trek Madone 2.1

The Trek Madone 2.1, for example, has mudguard eyelets just behind the dropouts on the fork and frame, out of view until you need to use them. The Canyon Inflite also has unique mudguard mounts and Canyon have designed their own mudguards, made by SKS, to be compatible with these mounts, so there's increasing choice if you look around.

Recommended full-length mudguards

Kinesis Fend Off mudguards — £55

'When you live in the UK, you gain an appreciation for a good set of mudguards,' says Kinesis of its Fend Off guards. And true to form, they are a good set of mudguards. Very good, in fact.

Most of your mudguard options out there are plastic, or plastic with a metal core. These Fend Off mudguards are anodised aluminium, and as such they're considerably stiffer than most. Kinesis has only used a single stay on the front, and that's plenty to keep the guard firmly in place. At the back there are two stays and a bridge mount, but again the guard is stiff enough that you could dispense with the bridge mount if, for example, you have a frame with no seatstay bridge. With it in place, the guard is very rigid and quiet.

Read our review of the Kinesis Fend Off mudguards
Find a Kinesis dealer

SKS Chromoplastic — £26.00 - £28.99

The SKS Chromoplastic mudguards are one of the best known, and very highly regarded, full-length options. They’re made by sandwiching aluminium strips inside a plastic housing. The resulting profile is quite deep which makes it stiff and sturdy. Stainless steel stays fix them in place and the Secu-Clips on the front means they pop out of the mount if somehting gets caught between the mudguard and tyre, rather than locking teh wheel and putting you on your face. You get a generous mudflap on the front mudguard and a reflector on the rear. They’re available in several sizes to fit tyres from 20 to 45mm.

Read our review of SKS Chromoplastic mudguards
Find an SKS dealer

SKS Longboard mudguards — £29.99

You get the most coverage of any mudguard from the SKS Longboards, thanks to the extended front and rear flaps. The front almost reaches the floor, which is great for keeping spray off your feet, while your riding companions will appreciate the generous rear coverage.

Read our review of the SKS Longboard mudguards
Find an SKS dealer

M:Part Primoplastics — £19.99

M:Part Primoplastics mudguards are a hassle-free solution to keeping your backside dry and your bike clean. With easy fittings and high levels of stability they make a great choice against others on the market.

At first glance the Primoplastics look pretty similar to what could arguably be called the market leaders, SKS Chromoplastics, but we found the M:Part guards just a little better, in just about every way.

Read our review of the M:Part Primoplastics

Find an M:Part dealer

Tortec Reflector — £27.98

Tortec Reflectors are serious contenders in the full-length mudguard hall of fame, if there were such a place.

Reflective pin striping is primarily for rider safety but also adds a decorative touch. Thanks to their density, they should survive many seasons and considerable abuse. A comprehensive and equally sturdy fitting kit including zip-tie chain-stay bridges means they’re as close to a genuinely universal fit as you’re likely to get.

Unlike cheaper models, they have a much rounder profile complementing, rather than detracting from a bike’s clean lines.

Read our review of the Tortec Reflector mudguards
Find a Tortec dealer

Clip-on mudguards

• Pros: Fit road bikes without mudguard eyelets, lightweight
• Cons: Less protection than full-length mudguards, compatibility and clearance issues with some bikes

If your road bike doesn't have mudguard mounts, there are still a lot of mudguards designed for such bikes.

Clip-on mudguards don’t require the frame to have eyelets or long-reach brake calipers, or extra clearance. Instead, they attach to the frame using simple fastenings like rubber bands, Velcro or zip ties. This gives far more versatility than full-length mudguards as you aren’t hindered by bike choice, and it means you can keep riding your favourite road bike through the winter if you want to.

The main downside of clip-on mudguards is that they usually don’t wrap as much of the wheel, nor have the sides or front rubber flap, that full-length mudguards offer. This means they don’t keep as much of the rain and spray off your body or bike. However, they do keep most of the water off and can make a huge difference on wet roads. When spring rolls around they can easily be removed and stored in the garage until winter, restoring the clean lines of your road bike.

Clip-on mudguards are also much lighter than full-length mudguards, and some people might just want to fit a rear mudguard for those winter club runs where you're forced to spend the whole ride at the back if you turn up without mudguards. No one wants a face full of water and mud from following someone without mudguards.

Fitting clip on mudguards can be fraught with compatibility issues, which usually focus around the limited clearance on regular road bikes. It's worth having a read of our reviews first, and checking with the manufacturer to see which bikes they're compatible with.

Recommended clip-on mudguards

SKS Speedrocker mudguards — £35

The SKS Speedrocker mudguards are easy to fit, provide room for really fat tyres and are free from rubs and rattles. Their only significant fault is that riders following you will wish the rear guard was a bit longer.

SKS has done a bang-up job of the Speedrockers. They'll fit around tyres up to about 38mm, as long your frame has room for them. The front comes in two pieces to avoid the perennial problem of squeezing a guard under the fork crown and the rear has a sliding component to fit against the seat tube.

The front guard is long enough to keep your feet dry, though it's not as ground-tickling as SKS's Longboard guard, and the rear does a decent job of keeping the wet off your bum. However, it only extends round the tyre to about the 10 o'clock position, so spray off the lower segment of the wheel is thrown up at anyone following your wheel.

Read our review of the SKS Speedrocker mudguards
Find an SKS dealer

Flinger Race Pro Clip mudguards – £39

We're big fans of Flinger, with our reviewer Liam applauding the "near-perfect performance from an easy-to-use clip-on mudguard at a sensible price". You are limited to using 25mm tyres due to their width, but if you want to commute on your regular road bike while still protecting yourself from spray then these are a great shout. They're super quick and easy to install and stay secure once they're on, with the stays fitting to the frame via a rubber band that can be cut to length.

Read our review of the Flinger Race Pro Clip mudguards

Find a Flinger dealer

SKS Raceblade Pro/Pro XL — £31.60 - £35

The 2016 SKS Raceblade Pro sets a new benchmark for temporary mudguards. Infinite adjustability and solid mounting make for an excellent package. There are now two models of Raceblade: the Pro and Pro XL. The Pro (355g) is shorter and has skinnier tyre clearance than the Pro XL (365g), which once fitted comes pretty close to replicating the coverage of a fixed mudguard.

Over a month or so of short, long, dry and soaking wet rides on old steel and new carbon bikes, both the Pro and Pro XL worked flawlessly. They hang on tenaciously, don't move of their own accord, and are easily adjusted back into place if knocked.

Read our review of the SKS Raceblade Pro/Pro XLs

Find an SKS dealer

SKS Raceblade Long Mk II — £35.00 - £37.99

SKS introduced version one of this full-length quick-fit mudguard in 2011, but they soon vanished because of reliability problems with the clips. They're back and much improved. The guards clip into mounts at the brakes and hubs that can be permanently left on your bike. Once they're on, they act like regular, full-length guards.

The Raceblade Long Mk IIs reward a healthy willingness to fettle, especially on modern disc-braked bikes. The ability to bend and cut the stays to required lengths and adjust their position on the mudguard (or even remove one stay completely) means, with a good eye, they will go onto pretty much any bike. We've even managed to fit them to a bike with very tight clearance under the rear brake bridge by simply fitting the clips upside-down so they go over the top of the brake.

Once they are on and adjusted, they work very well indeed. The strong multiple stays hold the guards firmly without any rubbing, and should they get severely knocked, a bit of bending/use of a 2mm Allen key gets things back in shape.

Read our review of the SKS Raceblade Long Mk IIs

Find an SKS dealer

Crud Roadracer Mk3 — £26.99

The other popular option is the Crud Roadracer. As long as you've got 4mm between the top of your tyre and the inside of your brake caliper, the Roadracers will slide in. The Mk3 version is the longest of any clip-on mudguard, almost as long as full-length mudguards, and has a front mech protector too.

You don't need mudguard eyelets. Roadracers attach to the frame with what looks like industrial strength velcro. That makes the Roadracer’s incredibly light at just 262g for the pair.

The weight is saved because Roadracers do not use the four metal stays used on conventional mudguards to keep the guards from touching the wheel or tyre. Instead, the Roadracers have plastic stays that support them from the centre.

Fitting these is remarkably easy; it's possible to get a good setup in just 15 minutes. The all-plastic construction means Roadracers are more fragile than chromoplastic guards, an issue for some riders.

Read our review of the Crud Roadracer Mk3 mudguards
Find a Crud Products dealer

Mountain bike style mudguards

• Pros: Will fit almost any bike, loads of clearance regardless of frame design
• Cons: Limited protection, won't protect rider behind you, feet will still get wet, bike gets no protection

The other type of mudguard is that favoured by mountain bikers. Mountain bikes, because of the huge variety of design thanks to factors like suspension and huge tyres, need a mudguard fitted very high above the wheel. The solution is a rear mudguard that clips onto the seatpost so the height above the wheel can be adjusted, and a a front mudguard that's attached to the down tube.

These mudguards are useful for commuting bikes, especially where clearance might be an issue because of frame design or wide tyres. The simplicity of fitting makes them attractive, and they can be whipped off in a minute too. While these mudguards don't provide 100% protection compared to full-length options, they do keep a surprisingly large amount of spray off.

The seatpost-style mudguard is one favoured by quite a few professional riders, but they’re more for keeping your own back dry than worrying about the rider behind you getting a faceful of Belgian toothpaste.

Similarly, a mudguard attached to the downtube also offers the same simplicity of fitment. Protection from front wheel spray is limited to riding in a straight line through; the mudguard obviously doesn’t track the front wheel through turns.

Recommended mountain bike-style mudguards

Zefal Swan Road — £7.99

If you're looking for great protection from road spray from your rear wheel and don't have mudguard mounts (or much technical know-how), the Zefal Swan Road is a great option – for both permanent and temporary use.

It fits via a sturdy yet simple bracket to the seatpost, so there's no faffing around with fiddly support struts, and it eliminates the issue of clearance altogether. The bracket fits by a screw-on mechanism, which when fully unscrewed releases and unclips from the seatpost for removal. It really is super simple.

Read our review of the Zefal Swan Road
Find a Zefal dealer

SKS S-Blade — £12.00

The SKS S-Blade will fit seatpost diameters between 25.4 and 35mm. It works best with 18-26mm tyres. 28mm upwards shows signs of compromise with tell-tale spatter congregating along the peripheries. Getting everything aboard is effortlessly simple; you'll just need a 4mm Allen key for tweaking the angle.

Read our review of the SKS S-Blade mudguard

Crud Catcher — £7.95

The Crud Catcher is perhaps the best-known down-tube-mounted front wheel mudguard. Okay, it's not as effective as a full guard but sometimes you don't want (or can't fit) one of those, and it's an excellent solution for many bikes.

Read our review of the Crud catcher mudguard
Find a Crud Product dealer

Micro guards

You might think that Crud Guards and the like were the last word in minimalist protection from rain and spray, but you'd be wrong. In the last couple of years we've seen the advent of a new type of guard, what we're calling the micro guard. These offer protection from the worst of the elements when you need it and when you don't you just whip them off and stow them, usually under the saddle.

These are ideal for those people who either live somewhere it doesn't rain a lot but who don't want to get caught out when it does, or for those who don't ride that often in the rain, but likewise don't want to get caught out when it does. The two leading makes are the Ass Saver and the Full Windsor Quick Fix/Fast Fix. Both are simple, easy to fit affairs that are also suprisingly durable.

Genetic Micro Fender £43.99

Further proof that nothing stands still in the world of mudguards is the development of what might be termed the Super Micro Guard. The one and only example we know of so far is the Genetic Micro Fender which uses a carbon arm to hold in place a surprisingly effective minimalist guard in the sweet spot for deflecting the most crud from your back wheel. It even has directional channels to help it shed water more quickly. Unlike the Ass Saver or the Zefal Shield it's not cheap though.

Zefal Shield S10 — £8.38

The Zefal Shield S10 is a minimalist rear mudguard that offers a decent amount of coverage to the rider and has a sturdy fixing system. For a cheap and cheerful fix, what's not to like?

For starters, it literally takes a few seconds to fit. The clamping area is grooved to accept most standard saddle rails and you just clip the mudguard on. For added security the Zefal comes with a Velcro strap, just to make sure that everything stays in place. Once fitted, I got no movement from it even when riding on gravel tracks and rough byways.

Read our review of the Zefal Shield S10
Find a Zefal dealer

Ass Saver Extended — £12.99

The Ass Saver is about as minimal as mudguards get: a strip of plastic (different widths are available) that hooks onto the rails of the saddle providing just enough protection from rear wheel spray. It’s not so good on heavily saturated roads, but for the occasional puddle it does make a difference.

Read our review of the Ass Saver mudguard
Find an Ass Saver dealer

What if you want full length mudguards but your bike doesn't have eyelets?

Don't worry: no front and rear mudguard eyelets does not mean you have to forego full length mudguards. There are a number of attachments available to help you attach mudguards to your bike, eyelets or not.

The best known is the P-Clip, basically a small clamp/bracket that fits to the bike's frame and fork legs to allow you to then fit the mudguards. P-Clips are readily available and come in a variety of widths and materials and at a variety of prices, topping out around the £3.50 mark for some Tortec P-Clips.

There are a couple of other answers to the question below. These systems will allow you to fit full-length mudguards to more or less any road bike, but bear in mind that you'll still need enough clearance between your brake caliper and the tyre to squeeze the mudguard in.

Recently the advent of wider tyres has meant that standard caliper brakes have been widened and deepened in the arch slightly to accommodate up to a 28mm carcass. That's good news if you want mudguards, because it means you'll probably be able to squeeze in a guard and 23mm or 25mm tyres, depending on your particular bike.

PDW Full Metal Guards — £94.99

Going to the other end of the scale are the PDW Full Metal Guards. These are full length guards that come with their own fitting kit that bypasses the need for mudguard eyelets by using tabs that attach to your bike's quick release skewers. At £60 they're not cheap, but they are very effective, and the set we've got have proved very durable too.

You can also buy the fitting kit separately for £13.50 which does open up the possibility at least of using those QR tabs to fit a different set of mudguards. However before you do that you might like to check out our final suggestion.

Read our review of the PDW Full Metal mudguards
Find a PDW dealer

Axiom Mudguard Axle Runners — £31.18

These are light but sturdy metal tabs that fit over your bike's quick releases enabling you to fit mudguards. They work but might require a bit of filing down to fit some dropouts, but if it's a choice between that and wet feet from all that front wheel spray we know which we'd chose.

Find an Axiom dealer

A rear light is a legal requirement when cycling, and using one that's brighter than the legal minimum seems like a sensible way of helping drivers see you — or at least defanging 'but I didn't see them' excuses. The best bike rear lights have long run-times, can be seen from a good distance, and are sufficiently tough and waterproof to fend of day-to-day abuse and

• Cycling rear lights universally use one or more red LEDs to generate their light

• Rechargeable rear lights that take power from a USB source are popular, but battery-powered lights are still available

• Rear bike lights are increasingly intended as day-time safety lights too

• A flashing red light says 'bike' to most drivers; we recommend using a constant light as well so your position can be easily followed

• Need a front light too? Check out our guide to cycling front lights

17 of the best cycling rear lights

• Giant Recon TL 200 rear light — £28.99
• Exposure TraceR MK2 With ReAKT And Peloton — £52.00
• Oxford Ultratorch Slimline R50 — £19.01
• Blackburn DayBlazer 65 — £20.99
• Lezyne Zecto Drive Max — £37.99
• Moon Alcor — £10.00
• Oxford Ultratorch Pro R25 — £19.25
• Bontrager Flare R City — £30
• Brightside — £22.50
• Moon Gemini — £12.29
• Nite Rider Sentinel 250 — £42.99
• Knog Blinder Mob Kid Grid — £22.50
• Exposure Lights TraceR DayBright — £40
• Gemini Iris — £37.50
• Magicshine MJ-818 — ~£40
• See.Sense Icon 2 — £79.99
• Lupine Rotlicht Max — ~£95

Get yourself seen

A rear light has the proverbial one job: to get you seen, unlike a front light that has to be visible enough to stop inattentive drivers mowing you down while allowing you to see where you're going. Depending on where and how you ride, your priorities regarding brightness, flashing modes and battery life will be different.

The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations say:

Rear lamp
One is required, to show a red light, positioned centrally or offside, between 350mm and 1500mm from the ground, at or near the rear, aligned towards, and visible from, behind. If capable of emitting a steady light, it must be marked as conforming to BS3648, or BS6102/3, or an equivalent EC standard. If capable of emitting only a flashing light, it must emit at least 4 candela... the light shown by the lamp when flashing shall be displayed not less than 60 nor more than 240 equal times per minute and the intervals between each display of light shall be constant.

Given that every light we know of has a steady mode, that means you need a British Standard-approved light to comply with the law. To be fully compliant with the law your bike also needs a front light, front and rear reflectors, and amber pedal reflectors.

In practice, not many bike lights are Kitemarked. The specification for cycle lights dates back to 1986 and is written mostly with filament bulbs in mind; every single light we've been sent for the last few years is an LED. LED lights can meet the requirements but lots of them aren't specifically tested for the ageing British Standard, especially those that are sold worldwide.

Since the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations (RVLR) was amended to allow cyclists to fit flashing LEDs, we've heard very little about cyclists being stopped for having non-compliant lights. In theory running a non-approved light could be used as an argument for contributory negligence in the case of an accident, though we've not heard of such a case being brought as yet.

Things to consider

What kind of riding will I be doing?
If you're mostly just pootling to the shops and back then something basic will probably do the job. Simple flashers that use button cells or AAA batteries are cheap and effective these days, and they last ages before the battery needs replacing.

If your commute is on busier roads, or you plan to do longer rides at night, you'll probably want something brighter. There's a wealth of USB-rechargeable and brighter AAA-powered rear lights about that will catch a driver's attention from further afield. Many riders who spend a lot of time on the road after dark fit more than one rear light to increase their chances of being seen.

Some rear lights are bright enough to be used in daylight too. There's certain types of riding – racing a time trial on a fast A-road, for example – where you'd want to be running the brightest rear light you can buy. Plenty of city riders run their rear lights in daytime hours too.

Flashing or not?
In terms of the law, it's up to you. The law requires flashing modes to be between 1Hz and 4Hz (one to four flashes per second); as you'll see from the beam comparison engine below, actual modes vary considerably and some fall well outside that. Pulsing constant modes are a grey area.

Ask a rider why they have their light flashing and they'll often argue that it makes them visible from further away. Ask another rider why they have a constant light and you'll often hear that it makes distance easier to judge for following vehicles.

There's not a lot of scientific research to hang your choice on. Most people who run two lights will have one of them flashing. One thing to bear in mind is that if you're riding in a close group – be that a club run, sportive, Audax or anything else – having a bright light flashing in your eyes at close range is pretty annoying. Many lights have low-power steady modes for group riding.

All-round visibility
Most rear lights are nice and bright if you're standing directly behind them. But in many situations – and especially for urban riding – traffic may be approaching you from other directions, so it's good for a light to have a wide angle of visibility. Again, the type of riding you do will dictate how important side visibility is to you.

Battery life
Most rear lights will cope easily with the longest ride you're likely to throw at them, though not all USB-rechargeable ones can be fully trusted to last a whole night, especially on steady beam. If you're planning some big forays into the dark unknown – or if you're just a bit crap at remembering to charge your lights – pick something that has a long run time. AAA-powered lights tend to be the pick for that.

Recommended lights

Giant Recon TL 200 rear light — £28.99

Bike maker Giant might not be the first name that springs to mind when you're thinking about bike rear lights, but the Recon TL 200 is excellent. It has useful modes, and puts out plenty of light at decent run times. Tester David Arthur said: "It's become my favourite rear light for all rides, day and night."

On high mode it puts out 100 lumens for 2.5 hours, but the flash mode was favourite, delivering 6 hours using the full 200 lumens. The Recon TL 200 remembers the mode you were using last time, so once you find a favourite, you just turn it on and that's how it's set; no need to waste seconds cycling through the modes.

It withstood filthy weather, jet-washing and being dropped in a bucket of water.

Read our review of the Giant Recon TL 200 rear light

Exposure TraceR MK2 With ReAKT And Peloton — £52.00

Exposure's TraceR with ReAKT and Peloton rear light impressed us previously without the Peloton technology, but one year on it's gained this extra feature to help keep it near the top of the pile.

In this updated version, the recipe hasn't changed, it's just been added to. You still get a beaming 75-lumen max output, with six modes that dictate how much burn time you have, from 3 hours in the brightest static mode to 24 hours on the lowest flash mode, plus DayBright pulse mode.

ReAKT is probably the best feature of the lot, adapting to the light conditions at the time, and flaring up when it senses that the rider is braking. But now there's a new feature to add to the mix. It's called Peloton, and it recognises when there is a front bike light behind you and dims itself to save dazzling the following rider.

Oxford Ultratorch Slimline R50 — £19.01

Oxford's Ultratorch Slimline R50 rear light is a simple rear light that does the job of making sure you're well seen, with ample light output, good mode choices, and easy operation and fitting, in a conveniently sized package at a very good price. The R50's COB LED can put out an adequate 50 lumens in its high mode, with medium, low and eco modes available too. You cycle through these with a single click of the power button, and switch them off with a long press. You get 2hrs claimed burn time (mine tapped out at 1:52hrs) on the brightest static setting, and near-enough 6hrs if you have it on the highest flash setting.

Read our review of the Oxford Ultratorch Slimline R50
Find an Oxford Products dealer

Blackburn DayBlazer 65 — £20.99

If you want a small, well-made, easy-fitting rear light for your bike or bag that's bright and good value, look no further than the Blackburn DayBlazer 65. Its two LEDs pump out an impressive 65 lumens when in the disruptive 'high flash' mode, and 50 and 30 respectively in 'steady' and 'low strobe' settings. Burn times are claimed to be 1:30-6:00hrs depending on the mode, and we found those to be accurate to within around 5-10 minutes depending on how you use it. The single button doubles as an indicator of battery life when the unit has just been switched off, and the light naturally powers down a little when you get close to the end of its life.

Read our review of the Blackburn DayBlazer 65
Find a Blackburn dealer

Lezyne Zecto Drive Max — £37.99

The Lezyne Zecto Drive Max 250 has a range of modes that start at sensible light output and increase to the ever so slightly insane with a mighty 250 lumens topping the bill. Each one has its use though and allows you to balance power with battery life whatever the conditions.

Lots of manufacturers are starting to include daytime modes to their lights and this is what Lezyne have done with the Max 250. The 250-lumen flash can be seen a good distance even in bright sunshine and for this reason I'd suggest never using it in the dark as it is downright antisocial for drivers sat behind.

Read our review of the Lezyne Zecto Drive Max
Find a Lezyne dealer

Moon Alcor — £10.00

The Moon Alcor is simple, bright and has a nifty magnetic mount. I use a back light almost all the time, perhaps excepting on the finest of high summer days. Bright sunlight, especially when the sun is low and the roads are wet, is not the friend of the cyclist and an attention-grabbing strobe like that provided by the Moon Alcor is a valuable aid to daytime visibility.

That's how I've used this most of the time during the test period, and it was a bonus that the day-flash mode gives over 34 hours of battery life (I never did find out exactly how many hours because I had to go to bed). Moon reckons that on the low-power single-flash setting you should get 70 hours. That's still plenty bright enough for night riding on dark roads, by the way.

Read our review of the Moon Alcor
Find a Moon dealer

Oxford Ultratorch Pro R25 — £19.25

The Oxford Ultratorch Pro R25 LED Tail Light is a strip rear light that performs the basics very well at a competitive price.

What do we want from a rear light? For me, there are only a few central criteria that it needs to fulfil to hit the spot: it needs to be bright, make you clearly visible, and fit securely to the rear of the bike. Next comes battery life – something easily taken care of usually, thanks to the lower power requirement of a tail light compared to a front beam – profile on the bike, and waterproofness.

The Ultratorch meets pretty much all these criteria. A single button atop the unit operates the light, in which you can cycle through four different settings with a single click – three static brightness settings of 25, 50 and 100 per cent of the 25-lumen maximum output, and a 12-lumen flash setting from the Cree LEDs.

Read our review of the Oxford Ultratorch Pro R25
Find an Oxford Products dealer

Bontrager Flare R City — £30

The Bontrager Flare R City rear light is a small yet mighty cube-shaped model bristling with sensors and similar tech to deliver optimum light intelligently, whatever the conditions, day, or night.

The tail light has a 100-lumen front sibling, and together they could be all some urban commuters will need. At 26g apiece, they're arguably ideal clutter-free options for summer/time trial builds, or companions for a trainer/audax bike's main lighting.

Read our review of the Bontrager Flare R City
Find a Bontrager dealer

Brightside — £22.50

Brightside's eponymous light is a well-built double-ended side light at a good price that attaches easily to your frame, and gives you an extra dimension of visibility to other road users approaching you from the side. Bright 15-lumen Cree LEDs at each end attract attention.

The Brightside has filled a gap in the market (a quick internet search only unearthed the Brightside and the Cateye Orbit Spoke lightset) in a bid to reduce the instances of SMIDSY (sorry mate I didn't see you) incidents. With too many accidents happening at junctions and roundabouts, the light is designed to give you all-round visibility to motorists approaching from your side – Brightside, not broadside.

Read our review of the Brightside

Cateye TL-LD610 — £14.99

A classic that's still going strong, the TL-LD610 has five decently bright LEDs and runs off a pair of AAA batteries. It excels as a round-town attention-grabber because of the mode in which the lit LED scans across the panel: think Knight Rider or Cylon Centurion.

Find a Cateye dealer

Moon Gemini — £12.29

Moon's Gemini is a featherweight USB rechargeable rear light that clips on easily and is bright enough for urban commuting. The small single button is surprisingly easy to find in big gloves.

The Gemini benefits from many of the features of its more expensive big brothers. It has a spot angle of 95 degrees at 10 metres, giving an effective span of 22m. The total angle is helped by the two single LEDs, resulting in a full 360 degrees, very useful for urban riding. The brightest 20-lumen constant is also perfect for partially lit commutes; I prefer a slightly brighter rear for my unlit rides, but this also works well here as a backup or secondary light.

Read our review of the Moon Gemini
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Nite Rider Sentinel 250 — £42.99

Dr Evil would love it. As well as powerful LEDs, the Sentinel shows riders how much space you'd like them to leave when they pass by drawing a virtual bike lane on the road with frickin' laser beams. Shark not included.

Read our review of the Niterider Sentinel

Knog Blinder Mob Kid Grid — £22.50

The Knog Blinder Mob Kid Grid Rear Light is a well designed and strong performing rear light. It pumps out enough light to keep you visible and has a really good variety of placement options while also having a good battery life, so it can just be left for weeks until it needs charging.

The light pumps out 44 lumens to keep you well lit without blinding the person riding/driving behind you. In recent years I have come to realise that being stuck behind somebody pumping out 100 lumens from their seatpost is one of my real pet peeves. Sure you can be seen mate, but the only other things I can see are blue dots. I'd say 44 lumens is about the right balance between good visibility and annoying the person behind you.

Read our review of the Knog Blinder Mob Kid Grid
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Exposure Lights TraceR DayBright — £40

This super-bright and tough little USB rear light from UK illuminati Exposure pumps out plenty of light and will last for a week's medium-distance commuting (4-5 miles) between charges. It's not cheap, but it is excellent.

We've also been really impressed with the £59.96 Exposure TraceR Mk2; its ReAKT feature adjusts the brightness of the light based on braking forces and light conditions.

If you want more light and longer run time, the Exposure Blaze MK2 Reakt (£84.95) packs a 1,500mAh battery for roughly twice the life.

Read our review of the Exposure Lights TraceR DayBright
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Gemini Iris — £37.50

Gemini's Iris rear light claims to pump out a retina-melting 180 lumens of red. That's enough to get you seen in any conditions, and there are plenty of lower-power modes for general riding too. And it's well made.

First things first: ye gods, this thing is bright. You know when you turn a light on, and you think, "MY EYES!"? Well I did that with the Iris, only to find out it wasn't even on the brightest setting.

Read our review of the Gemini Iris rear light
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Magicshine MJ-818 — ~£40

This is the standalone version of the MJ-818 which uses a 3-watt LED for maximum visibility with nine smaller emitters to cover a wide range of angles. In this package it's paired with a 8.4V 4.4Ah battery. If you already have a Magicshine light, then you can get the light and a cable splitter for £31.94

Read our review of the Magicshine MJ-818

See.Sense Icon 2 — £79.99

We loved the clever speed-sensing function and incredible brightness of the original See.Sense light. The Icon includes a plethora of extra features linked to a free app so you can control the light on your smartphone. This nifty little blazer will also tell your loved ones if you have a crash, and alert you if someone tries to make off with your bike when it's parked up.

The Icon uses super-bright Cree LEDs putting out a total of 300, which certainly count as bright enough for the old joke 'do not look at laser with remaining eye'. This is not a light to turn on while looking at it – it is ferociously bright.

Read our review of the See.Sense Icon

Lupine Rotlicht Max — ~£95

Another light with value-added smart functions, the Rotlicht acts as a brake light, brightening when you decelerate, and has a light sensor so it can adjust its output to the conditions. Clever stuff.

The latest version, the Rotlicht Max, has twice the run-time of the original Rotlicht.

Read our review of the Lupine Rotlicht

If you want to carry on cycling through the cold winter months, you're going to have to deal with rain, but the right legwear can help stop your rides turning into soaking-weat miseryfests. Here's a selection of the best waterproof cycling trousers and tights to keep your legs protected from the wet.

Leg muscles don’t work as well when they’re cold, and there are few ways of making them cold better than running water over them. Tights, trousers and overtrousers that fend off the wet are therefore a winter essential for many riders.

You have three main choices. Performance-orientated riders tend to go for tights, which take the basic idea of cycling shorts — they're close-fitting garments that move with you — and extend it down to your ankles; waterproof overtrousers fend off the rain so you arrive at the office with dry trousers; and cycling trousers look like regular trousers, but are shaped and detailed so they're comfortable for riding.

In this guide we're taking a look at waterproof and highly water-resistant winter legwear suitable for winter riding and training and also for getting to work without getting cold and wet because it's raining.

A note on water-resistance. It's just about impossible for a fabric to be totally water-resistant and remotely pleasant to cycle in, so there's always a degree of compromise here. We've found the garments in this guide fend off water well enough that we'll happily use them in the rain.

If you swerve wet weather, take a look at our guide to warm winter tights.

Waterproof cycling trousers and over-trousers

If you’re commuting or even touring or mountain biking, then waterproof cycling trousers might be a better option than tights. Their looser fit makes them useful for commuting and urban cycling, they can be more comfortable and they can be worn over casual clothing.

There are two types: overtrousers that are waterproof and roomy enough to be worn over normal clothing; or tailored cycling trousers that look like regular trousers, but with cycling-specific features like a gusset free crutch and stretchy fabric.

Overtrousers are handy if you want to pull something over your normal clothing for riding to the office. They can be waterproof and windproof so will keep you nice and dry. Velcro or zip adjustments at the waist and ankle will tailor in some of the fabric so they don’t flap about or risk getting caught in the chain. The level of bagginess can vary from brand to brand, so it’s always worth checking before you buy. Look for lots of reflectivity if you’re commuting.

A smarter option — sartorially — is cycling trousers, designed to look like regular trousers and more fitted than overtrousers. These are ideal if you don’t like the idea of skintight Lycra tights or baggy overtrousers, and for shorter commutes or dashing across the city, they’re a stylish choice. And, providing you stay dry, you can wear them all day in the office too.

Some are made from technical fabrics, like a soft shell or Epic Cotton, so they’re not only comfortable and warm, but also weatherproof.

You get normal pockets, an adjustable waist band and some have adjustable ankles that can be rolled up for that fixed chic look. The part of the trouser you sit on will be made from a hard-wearing fabric and the seams will be placed so that they don’t cause any discomfort. They won’t have any padding, but you can supply your own padded shorts if you want some extra comfort or are planning a longer ride. You’ll get a few reflective details on some trousers too, for increased about-town visibility.

One thing to check is the leg length. Cycle clothing is usually made in fairly short production runs by the standards of normal high street fashion or utility wear. That means there is often only one choice of leg length. Not a problem for those of reasonably average height, or leg length, but potentially a problem for anyone at either end of the spectrum.

Those with shorter legs in particular can find that overtrousers bunch at the ankles so that even when cynched in they can bulge out enough to snag in chainrings.

One other thing to bear in mind with any waterproof trousers is that while they may keep your legs dry all that water has to go somewhere and a large proportion of it is going to be heading for your shoes. So if you want to stay dry either combine with waterproof socks or with waterproof overshoes. Make sure that you put the trousers over the top of the over-shoes otherwise the water simply runs in to the tops of your overshoes and from there makes its way in to your shoes.

Cube Blackline Rain Pants — £109.99

Cube's Blackline Rain Pants do an excellent job of keeping your legs dry and the pedals turning relatively unencumbered. They're not quite so hot at keeping you free from chill breezes, though.

On warmer days you could get away with just wearing bib shorts or padded liner shorts underneath the Blackline Pants. However, I think viewing them as overtrousers – a waterproof outer layer – is the most sensible approach, especially if you're going to be wearing them for a fair while. In this case, it's also worth pointing out that breathability is very good – no sweaty legs here.

When the rain starts beating down, they are fantastically effective at keep you dry. I've tested them in everything from light drizzle to heavy downpours, and they haven't failed to work their magic. As I've said, there have been no self-made moisture problems, either, so you're guaranteed to arrive at your destination completely dry (bottom-half, at least).

Read our review of the Cube Blackline Rain Pants
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DU/ER Performance Denim Weatherproof Slim Jean Trousers — £158.95

For cycling short distances and not having to carry a spare change of clothes, the DU/ER Performance Denim Weatherproof Slim Jeans are ideal, being comfortable on and off the bike and keeping you dry and warm in the wind and rain thanks to a waterproof membrane. They also pack some useful reflective details when you roll the cuff up.

The best thing is they look like regular jeans. No more odd looks as you billow into the office/cafe with oversized waterproof overtrousers when you've cycled in the rain. Normal jeans aren't much cop for cycling any sort of distance, but these are stretchy and provide no restriction to pedalling, nor are there any nasty seams in the saddle area to cause discomfort.

The jeans are made from a cotton fabric infused with Lycra, for added stretch, and Coolmax technology, which ramps up the breathability and helps transport sweat away. But the real magic lies in the use of a waterproof membrane.

Ride in the rain and, put simply, the jeans don't get saturated like regular jeans. Arrive at the office and they quickly dry off so you don't need to get changed. I found the waterproofing adequate for most rain I encountered, from drizzle to heavy downpours.

Read our review of the DU/ER Performance Denim Weatherproof Slim Jean Trousers

Madison DTE Women's Waterproof Trousers — £96.99

The Madison DTE Waterproof Trousers are made for riding in the most terrible conditions, the sort of weather where one glance out of the window is enough to make you put your slippers back on and reach for the kettle. Don these trousers though and you’ll soon find, actually it’s not that bad to be out splashing down the road, gravel or trails, in fact it’s pretty fun!

Constructed from a 2.5 layer fabric with 3 layers on the rear panel, knees and ankles for more protection, which along with taped seams make the DTE’s fully waterproof. They are pretty breathable too, outings in these have been in both conditions of ‘raining cats and dogs’ and ‘dry skies but swamp like’. For the former the trousers have kept me dry while the rain batters down and for the latter they have defended us from the wet and crud whilst preventing us from overheating, thanks in no small part to the two zippered leg vents. Which do, in case you were wondering have waterproof zips for when they are closed.

There's a similarly excellent men's version too.

Read our review of the Madison DTE Women's Waterproof Trousers

Endura Hummvee Zip-off Cycling Trousers II — £69.99

You can tweak the popular Endura Hummvee Zip-off Cycling Trousers for a range of types of riding, from commuting to hitting the trails and dirt roads. They're compatible with Endura's Clickfast system so you can add liner shorts for longer rides too.

A DWR coating fends off the wet, and a seamless seat panel keeps you comfy. There are zipped hand pockets, cargo pockets and large rear map pockets, an elasticated waistband with adjustable belt and ankle length zips with Velcro ankle cinches to step them flapping into your chain

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Proviz Nightrider Men's Waterproof Trousers — £52.99

We've not reviewed them, but our Liam swears by these overtrousers for wet-weather commuting. As well as being waterproof and breathable, they feature reflective trim and logos for visibility, a cycling-specific cut and ankle zips.

They're also length-adjustable, with poppers at the ankle providing a range of cuff positions so you can get the fit spot on.

See all trouser reviews here.

Tights

Tights are essentially long versions of regular shorts, and are often made from similar Lycra fabrics, though they're usually thicker for warmth. You have a choice of bib tights, with straps looping over the shoulders, or bibs with a waist band. Which you wear is down to personal preference, but bib tights are generally considered more comfortable as you don’t have a waist band to dig in, which can be annoying on longer rides.

Some tights have a water resistant or waterproof fabric, such as Castelli’s Nanoflex. These are good if you’re brave enough to venture out in the rain as they can stop the rain seeping through to your skin which will, given time, sap away at your warmth. Likewise, some manufacturers add windproof panels in key places to keep the wind chill out.

We discussed the features of winter tights in more depth in our guide to warm winter cycling tights

7Mesh TK1 Bib Tights — £150.00

The 7Mesh TK1 bib tights are very warm, technically loaded and can carry as much kit as a three-pocket jersey. As always, the pad fit may not be to everyone's liking, but if it does suit you these are excellent winter tights for on- or off-road riding.

Canadian firm 7Mesh's "warmest, most protective thermal legwear" has a pretty good pedigree to draw upon. Earlier this year Pat raved about the warmer-weather Mk3 Bib Shorts, praising their 'unique design' and 'incredible levels of comfort'. A key factor here was the 'hammock' design whereby the chamois can move independently from the outer skin of the shorts. Pat found this prevented the need to do the 'cyclist shuffle', whereby the pad needs rearranging, either on or off the bike, to afford comfort.

I can vouch for the comfort of the design, but it may not be for everyone, all the time. Over a few months' riding I did encounter one occasion where the pad seemed to bunch on one side, leading to a small amount of chafing. As this only happened the once, and otherwise I was a happy chap, I'll put this down to perhaps more need to pay attention to – ahem – strategic alignment at the start of a ride, shall we say.

Read our review of the 7Mesh TK1 Bib Tights

Rapha Women's Souplesse Shadow Tights — £270

With the Women's Shadow Tights, Rapha has combined its finest technologies to create "unparalleled" weather defence and performance – and added a price tag to match. Leaving no stone unturned from cosiness to safety, it has created a reliable and stylish pair of bib tights to keep you on the road, even when the mercury plummets.

The Shadow tech was developed for the Spring Classics. From Team Sky to Canyon//SRAM, Rapha's material has been ridden to World Tour level. The Shadow fabric is a blend of nylon and elastane finished with a hydrophobic DWR (durable water repellent) treatment made for staying dry whatever winter throws at you. The technology, Rapha claims, is 'an unbeatable force in weather protection'.

'Unbeatable force' is a strong statement, but hours from home with torrential rain setting in, I agreed. Water collects into satisfying little beads which brush away to reveal barely-wet fabric. Out on chilly, wet training rides I was able to stay dry, with no rain sinking through the fabric.

Read our review of the Rapha Women's Souplesse Shadow Tights

Pearl Izumi Pursuit Hybrid Cycling Bib Tights — £121.44 - £162.99

The latest version of Pearl Izumi's Pursuit Hybrid winter bib tights have had some subtle alterations, and with Mike raving about the previous versions, we were pleasantly surprised to find that, if anything, they've got even better. The added PI Dry technology on the back of the legs prevents you getting soaked from spray, they're super-stretchy and flexible so you can use them on hard training sessions too, and the padding is really comfortable – they're firmly among our very favourite bib tights.

Read our review of the Pearl Izumi Pursuit Hybrid Cycling Bib Tights
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Santini Vega 2 Aquazero Bib Tights — £105.99

As water-resistant foul-weather bib tights, Santini's Vega 2.0s are right on the money. They're reassuringly water resistant without losing a smooth fit against the skin. They're not quite warm enough for super-cold temperatures, but they're not as expensive as you might expect either.

Santini says that you can use the bib tights in temperatures ranging from 5-18°C. Now, I don't know about you, but 18°C is summer shorts weather for me on a bike, but the breathability in colder weather leads me to think that you could conceivably wear them to something approaching that upper temperature if you really did feel the cold.

The downside is that these aren't really bib tights for deep winter – when you're looking at frosts that hang around all day, for example. They're just not windblocking enough for that (although the fleece lining is very comfortable), and that positions them as tights that you'd be likely to use as your first pair through autumn, and your last pair through spring, with a 'hardier' pair for the really grim, freezing stuff in the middle.

Read our review of the Santini Vega 2 Aquazero Bib Tights
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Pearl Izumi Pro Pursuit Cycling Bib Tights — £63.99 (limited sizes)

 The Pearl Izumi Pro Pursuit Bib Tights represent excellent performance at a very good price (and, as usual, even better online – but make sure you're buying the right ones, they come with or without a pad). If you are after foul-weather, full-length bibs for going fast in, look no further.

Read our review of the Pearl Izumi Pro Pursuit Cycling Bib Tights
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Kalf Club Thermal Men’s Bib Tights — £70

The Kalf Club Thermal bib tights are supremely comfortable, nice and warm yet lightweight, and really well constructed. The reflectivity on the calves actually looks good, and the fit was near-perfection for tester Jack Sexty. They've been his go-to bib tights for winter, except for near-zero temperatures for which they're not quite warm enough.

Read our review of the Kalf Club Thermal Men’s Bib Tights
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Endura Pro SL Bib Tights — £119.99

Endura's Pro SL Biblongs are excellent: they're windproof, fit superbly, and the pad comes in three widths, offering a little customisation.

At the core of the longs is the four-way stretch windproof, breathable fabric with DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish front and seat panels. This panelling of fabrics gives the longs a very comfortable fit. On the bike, they fitted me perfectly with no bunching of material at the back of the knee.

The windproofing is very effective and kept me nice and toasty down below zero. The density of the fabric is brilliant and results in no cold spots where the material is stretched. With others, my knees can get quite stiff in the cold; no such problems here.

Read our review of the Endura Pro SL Bib Tights
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Castelli Nanoflex Pro bib tights — £190

The Castelli Nanoflex Pro Bibtights are a warm (but not windproof) and water resistant choice for the cold weather, offering great breathability and freedom of movement.

You might well have heard of Nanoflex before because Castelli uses it extensively across its range. It's the brand's fleecy, stretchy Thermoflex fabric, a warm polyamide/elastane mix that's given a coating of silicone 'nanofilaments'. This makes water roll off the surface rather than soaking in. It doesn't make the fabric waterproof – heavy rain will get through – but you'll stay dry in drizzle, and road spray won't soak in.

Read our review of the Castelli Nanoflex Pro bib tights
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Castelli Sanremo Thermosuit — ~£330

Special mention must go to the Thermosuit from Castelli. The Thermosuit is essentially a pair of tights and a long sleeve jersey stitched together at the waist around the back, with a full-length zip on the front. There's Gore Windstopper X-Lite Plus fabric on the chest panels, while a lighter weight Thermoflex Core Due fabric is used around the back and for the tights.

Read our review of the Castelli Thermosuit

See all tights reviews

Choosing the right cycling base layer can make a huge difference to your riding comfort. Here's what to look for when you buy, and 19 of our favourite base layers.

• Whatever the weather, the right base layer can help keep you comfortable on the bike by providing insulation, wicking sweat away from your skin or both.

• Lightweight synthetics are good for summer use, while Merino wool has fans all year round because it can be worn repeatedly without getting smelly.

• For winter use look for features like a high neck, thumb loops and a zip for cooling

• Minimalism is the watchword in summer, but short sleeves — rather than a sleeveless design — can still help provide a little crash protection

19 of the best base laters for 2020

• Megmeister Drynamo Cycle Short Sleeve Base Layer — £54.95
• Cycology 8 Days Men's Long Sleeve Base Layer — £40
• dhb Aeron women's SS Merino base layer — £28.50
• Alpkit Koulin Trail Tee — £19.99
• Chapeau Mesh Base Layer — £29.99
• dhb Mesh Sleeveless Base Layer — £22
• Pearl Izumi Transfer Sleeveless Base Layer — £34.99
• Lusso Race Base Mesh Base Layer — £24.99
• Ekoi Unisize — from £14.35
• Lusso Dryline Base Layer — £29.99
• Craft Active Extreme 2.0 CN LS — £34
• Castelli Pro Issue Short Sleeve Base Layer — £36.00
• Altura Dry Mesh Base Layer — £28
• Hackney GT Bang Unisex Performance Base Layer — £28
• Sportful 2nd Skin Long Sleeve T High Collar — ~£45
• Craft Extreme Windstopper short sleeve — £55.00
• Rapha Women's Long Sleeve Base Layer — £30
• X-Bionic Energy Accumulator V2.1 — £93.32
• Rapha Base Layers — £27-£130

Also known as an undershirt or vest for the jargon-averse, getting the right base layer against your skin can make a big difference to cycling comfort all year round. In winter you wear more layers, and arguably the most important layer is a base layer. How many layers you wear over the top is down to riding conditions, temperature, weather, duration, intensity and personal preference. Start with a good base layer and you’re off to a good start to cycling happily through the winter.

A base layer isn't quite as important in the summer, but can still make a useful contribution to your on-bike comfort. A lightweight base layer will help move sweat away from your skin, a job some jerseys don't do quite as well as you might hope. And there's another reason why you'll often see pros wering base layers even in the height of summer: if you crash, your jersey will slide over your base layer, reducing damage from abrasion.

Choosing the right cycling base layer

The job of a base layer is quite simply to keep you dry when you’re sweating, by pulling moisture away from your skin. A base layer also provides a layer of insulation, and you can tailor how much insulation by the base layer you choose. As the base layer sits next to the skin, comfort is vital so it’s worth investing in a high quality base layer. You don’t want any irritation when you're cycling.

Base layers came in many varieties: different sleeve lengths, different fabrics and weights, high collars and low collars; no two base layers are the same. A base layer doesn’t have an easy job, and the trick is to find one that suits your demands and style of riding.

Lightweight base layers are ideal for year-round cycling and suit hard charging cyclists who produce a lot of sweat. They are good at keeping you comfortable on fast-paced rides or warmer days, or when climbing lots of hills.

Heavier weight base layers are good for really cold days and providing essential warmth, or when you’re riding at a lower intensity - maybe touring or cycling to work.

Long or short sleeve, or sleeveless?

You can choose base layers with short or long sleeves, or sleeveless. Sleeveless and short sleeves are best suited for warmer days and the summer, but depending on the layers you’re putting over the top, and how cold it actually is, a short sleeve base layer can still be useful in the winter. Sometimes it’s simply not cold enough for a long sleeve base layer, and you can always add arm warmers if going with short sleeves.

Long sleeves are the business for the coldest days though, and paired with a soft shell jacket offers perhaps the most versatile and suitable outfit for typical UK winter weather. A long sleeve thermal base layer and good soft shell jacket is a really good setup, for example.

Material choice

Base layers come in a variety of materials, falling into two camps; man-made and natural materials.

Merino wool is the most common natural fabric base layer. Merino is great because it copes with a wide range of temperatures and doesn't pong when you get sweaty, and it’s very soft next to the skin. It comes in different weights to suit different temperatures, from lightweight to thermal insulation.

Not all merino base layers are the same, there are different weights of merino, and some use 100% merino wool for the construction while some combine merino with another material like polyamide or polyester to provide extra stretch for a better shape and more durability, so you get the best of both worlds, with the faster drying time of the man-made fabric. Such material blends are also easier to care for than 100% merino wool base layers.

If you are cycling every day, or you’re riding twice a day because you’re commuting to the office, then a merino base layer has the advantage that you can wear it for several rides before it needs a wash. Just hang it out to dry and it'll be good to go again.

Man-made synthetic base layers like polypropylene and polyester are generally better at wicking sweat and are usually much lighter, and many people prefer how they feel next to the skin. Such materials can get smelly when you sweat though, so you certainly can't wear them for multiple rides, but recent material developments have seen this become less of an issue than it used to be.

Man-made materials are typically better at actually wicking sweat away from the skin. Whereas merino holds onto the moisture (but retains heat so doesn’t get cold), man-made materials provide excellent wicking properties and don’t hold onto much water. They dry quickly, so are ideal for high intensity cycling. Man-made material base layers are also less bulky and typically provide a closer fit on the body than merino base layers.

Aside from material choice, base layers are available in a wide range of thicknesses, from lightweight summer tops to chunky Arctic-ready base layers. You need to take into account the average temperature that you aim to ride in, the duration and intensity of your cycling, and what layers you plan to wear over the top, to help you decide what base layer is right for you.

Some people also run hotter, and so can get away with a lighter weight base layer, and some people need the extra insulation of a thicker grade base layer. So try and choose the base layer that best fits your requirements. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for you, everyone is different, and experience is the only way to find what works for you.

Some base layers are offered with a wind stopping material used in the chest panels. Why? With wind protection next to the skin, it frees you up from having to wear a windproof outer layer and gives you a little more versatility. For example, you could combine a windproof base layer with a long sleeve jersey that doesn’t have any wind resistance, with the base layer keeping the wind out, providing a good option for high intensity riding. However while they might sound perfect they don’t handle the buildup of heat as well as regular base layers so it’s possible to overheat in them

The weather in the UK can vary hugely, even from one day to the next, so having a couple of different base layers so you can dress appropriately is a good way forward.

Fit and shape

For a base layer to do its job most effectively, the material should sit flush with the skin. If you’re riding at a lower intensity or commuting, then a looser baggy fitting base layer may be fine, but for higher tempo cycling when you expect to produce a large amount of sweat, look for a close fitting base layer.

The more stretch a fabric is generally the better the fit. Also look for smartly placed seams to avoid discomfort, the base layer will dictate the comfort of your whole outfit so check the insides carefully.

Comfort is critical and it’s not just the material being soft next to the skin that is important, t’s also worth looking for a base layer flat seams and no labels or tags, anything that can cause irritation or discomfort.

Most base layers have low neck lines but some heavier duty base layers can have taller necks to provide more insulation on cold days. Some base layers have a zipped neck which can be useful to ventilation on longer climbs or if you find yourself overdressed.

Also check the length of the arms on a long sleeve base layer, you don’t want them coming up short on your wrist, but you also don’t want any material bunching up in the sleeves of your jersey or jacket.

Another thing to consider is length. Some base layers have more length so you can get a good overlap with your bib tights, providing a bit of extra insulation around your lower midriff. Some base layers are a bit lower at the back also to make sure there’s no chance of exposed skin when crouched over the handlebars.

Caring for your base layer

Most base layers these days can be chucked in the washing machine on a regular wash with your other cycling clothes. However, it is important to check the washing and care instructions with any base layer. Merino can shrink on a high temperature wash, but many merino base layers are fine at 40°C. With merino they'll usually tell you not to dry clean or tumble dry, and to dry away from direct heat, so no draping over your radiator.

There’s a trend towards lower temperature washes with modern washing machines but such washes don’t always deal so well with the buildup of bacteria on base layers, which causes the pongy smell.

19 of the best cycling base layers

As there's so much choice out there, we've picked some of the best base layers from the road.cc review archive to provide a good starting point, and demonstrate the variety of choice available. Most of these base layers are available for men and women.

Megmeister Drynamo Cycle Short Sleeve Base Layer — £54.95

The Megmeister Drynamo Cycle Short Sleeve Base Layer is ultra-comfortable, shifts moisture away from your body well, and doesn't get heavy with sweat, although it's expensive.

The lightweight Drynamo fabric is 44% polypropylene Dryarn, 44% nylon and 12% elastane. Large areas on the front and rear of this baselayer, and under the arms, are mesh so there's masses of opportunity for moist air to get out and fresh air to get in.

Read our review of the Megmeister Drynamo Cycle Short Sleeve Base Layer

Cycology 8 Days Men's Long Sleeve Base Layer — £40

Don't let that overwhelming design disconcert you: underneath the loud print Cycology's 8 Days men's baselayer is an excellent long-sleeve option for cold days in the saddle.

The 8 Days features a mid-weight fleece interior with 92% polyester, 8% spandex fabric. You'll notice that there's no mention of merino – this is synthetic materials only – but it certainly feels soft. While the fabric is significantly thinner than you'll find used for a typical jersey, it's still noticeably more substantial than summer-specific baselayers. Build quality appears very good, too, with seams looking sturdy enough for the long haul.

Read our review of the Cycology 8 Days

dhb Aeron women's SS Merino base layer — £28.50

The dbh Aeron women’s short sleeved merino base layer is a great shoulder-season underlayer that washes well, dries quickly and has a soft feel against the skin. It retains its shape well too, though it's on the thin side for serious winter use.

The dhb (from Wiggle) baselayer is made from 160gms merino (65% merino/35%polyester) which proves the perfect weight to slip under a long sleeved outer on coolish days, or with a long sleeve and a waterproof when it's raining hard.

There's a men's version too, for £30.40.

Read our review of the dhb Aeron women's SS Merino base layer

Alpkit Koulin Trail Tee — £19.99

At £19.99 the Koulin Trail Tee is a bargain baselayer, and ideal for use under a long sleeve jersey. The styling and the more opaque front section means it doesn’t look out of place when worn on its own either, which only helps its versatility.

The Koulin gets a close-fitting cut using two different types of fabric front and rear. The front is solid polyester, whilst the rear is polyester too but in a mesh, and slightly thinner, for maximum breathability.

There's a men's version too.

Read our review of the Alpkit Koulin Trail Tee

Chapeau Mesh Base Layer — £29.99

Chapeau's Mesh Base Layer is a light, close-fitting top that moves moisture away from your skin well to keep you feeling comfortable in summer temperatures.

It is made mostly from a polyester/elastane mesh that's pretty see-through when you hold it up to the light. More to the point, the structure shifts moisture from the surface of your skin well and allows damp, sweaty air to pass through.

Read our review of the Chapeau Mesh Base Layer

dhb Mesh Sleeveless Base Layer — £22

dhb's Mesh Sleeveless Baselayer is a no-frills lightweight top, but you get a lot for your money according to our reviewer Ash: "it does as good a job as more expensive ones, and just makes me ask: why would you spend more?" This is actually the latest version and has gone up a fiver since Ash reviewed it, but the materials used and performance have remained despite a colour change. It's got a very light mesh fabric and features Polygiene anti-odour treatment, with flatlock stitching throughout for extra comfort.

Read our review of the dhb mesh sleeveless base layer

Pearl Izumi Transfer Sleeveless Base Layer — £34.99

'Infused with crushed volcanic rock.' That's the blurb for the fabric used on the front panels of the Pearl Izumi Transfer Sleeveless Baselayer. With claimed properties of excellent moisture absorption, great wicking and odour elimination, it covers everything an underlayer needs to provide. And do you know what? It delivers.

The Transfer baselayer feels great in your hands even before you put it on, and you just know it is going to sit softly against the skin with no part itching or scratching as you ride.

Read our review of the Pearl Izumi Transfer Sleeveless Base Layer
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Lusso Race Base Mesh Base Layer — £24.99

Like many other tops of its kind, the Lusso Race Base Mesh Base Layer works really well in warm conditions, wicking away sweat and keeping you cool, but it's the overall design and fit that makes the Lusso stand out.

The cut is more like a race jersey than an undergarment, and you certainly feel ready for your ride when you put it on.

As with all of Lusso's kit, the Race Base is made here in the UK and it's good to see that homegrown goods can still compete on price: at £24.99 it's a good tenner cheaper than the recently tested Castelli Pro Issue and even less than the Hackney GT Bang.

Lusso hasn't achieved that price by scrimping on quality either. The overall construction is very neat and tidy – the whole thing just screams a top notch jersey, and it feels impressively durable too.

Read our review of the Lusso Race Base Mesh Base Layer

Ekoi Unisize — from £14.35

The Ekoi Morpho Senza Unisize is an excellent baselayer, shifting sweat really well to keep you dry and comfortable.

This top is made from Dryarn – 80% polypropylene and 20% polyester. Perhaps I've been doing this job for too long, but I know from experience that polypropylene makes excellent baselayers because it's very lightweight and doesn't absorb sweat. That's exactly the performance you get here, the fabric moving moisture away from your body quickly and effectively without getting waterlogged itself.

Read our review of the Ekoi Morpho Senza Unisize

Lusso Dryline Base Layer — £29.99

The Lusso Dryline Baselayer promises to be lighter and more insulating than merino. Performance is indeed very good and it fits like a glove.

When something only weighs 78g, arguing the toss about lightness is only relevant to the most weenie of weight watchers. That said, the Dryline Baselayer is indeed very light. It's made from Dryarn, an Italian fabric that's claimed to be lighter, more breathable and more insulating than pretty much anything else. I'm a huge fan of merino baselayers – mesh and normal – for warmth, cooling and moisture control, so approached the claims of the Lusso base with a sceptical eye. The bottom line is that the Dryarn fabric is indeed very good at keeping you warm, cool or dry, or a combination of the three.

Read our review of the Lusso Dryline

Craft Active Extreme 2.0 CN LS — £34

Tester George Hill says: "The Craft Active Extreme 2.0 CN LS is an excellent baselayer that manages heat better than almost any I have used. Having worn this in freezing and mid-range conditions, I can testify that not only does it keep you warm, it also has great wicking and breathability.

"Craft describes it as a baselayer for 'medium-cold to cold conditions'. This is fairly ambiguous and open to a wide range of interpretations, especially as Craft is a Swedish company, so its medium-cold is probably our hypothermia-inducing. I used it in temperatures varying from -3 to 10 for the duration of the review."

Read our review of the Craft Active Extreme 2.0 CN LS
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Castelli Pro Issue Short Sleeve Base Layer — £36.00

The Castelli Pro Issue SS Base Layer is a superlight, super-comfortable baselayer that performs brilliantly and has topped my list of go-to layering, writes tester Sean Lacey.​

Made from 100% polyester 3D mesh fabric, first impressions are that it doesn't seem to weigh anything, and if you are a bit prudish it is almost see-though. Lingerie it is not, though, and its credentials include a wider neck for a better fit under a tight collared or aero jersey, reduced seaming on the shoulders for comfort, and a flat hem so it doesn't create a point of irritation on the waist.

Read our review of the Castelli Pro Issue short sleeve Base Layer
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Altura Dry Mesh Base Layer — £28

Simple and effective, the Altura Dry Mesh Baselayer should be an essential part of every cycling wardrobe. The benefits of wearing a baselayer are well known among amateur and pro cyclists alike, which is why you'll see racing cyclists on Alpine climbs, jerseys open with a mesh layer on show. The thin open mesh approach to baselayer design allows for increased evaporative cooling when exposed or beneath a layer or two of clothing, cutting down on the time that perspiration sits next to the skin, creating more comfortable riding conditions.

Read our review of the Altura Dry Mesh Baselayer
Fined an Altura dealer

Hackney GT Bang Unisex Performance Base Layer — £28

Hackney GT's Bang Unisex Performance Base Layer is a functional and versatile piece of kit that has fast become one of our favourite 'essentials'. Its performance in both hot and cold weather is superb, making it a great all-year-round choice and even better value.

The vest is super-lightweight and very soft to the touch. It's made from a fabric called Aviatar, a perforated polyester designed to work in all seasons and weathers, with the side panels made of Lycra to offer a little more give.

Read our review of the Hackney GT Bang

Sportful 2nd Skin Long Sleeve T High Collar — ~£45

The skin tight Sportful 2nd Skin Long Sleeve T High Collar is comfortable, warm and copes well with sweat. It's a good investment for the winter. It's made from 60% polyproplyene, 27% polyester and 13% nylon. Sportful has used body mapping to add in mesh fabric in key areas, to help with temperature regulation.

Read our review of the Sportful 2nd Skin Long Sleeve T

Craft Extreme Windstopper short sleeve — £55.00

The Craft Zero Extreme Windstopper base layer adds superior wind protection for beating the chill. Craft add a Gore Windstopper membrane to the chest panel of this base layer, which adds impressive protection against the wind. With wind protection next to the skin, it frees you up from having to wear a windproof outer layer and gives you a little more versatility.

Read our review of the Craft Zero Extreme Windstopper base layer

Rapha Women's Long Sleeve Base Layer — £30

The Rapha Women's Long Sleeve Base Layer is a soft, breathable base layer made from merino wool that will prove useful time and time again, both on and off the bike. This lightweight top is made from 100% merino, which might head off some of the haters at the starting line.

Read our review of the Rapha Women's Long Sleeve Base Layer

X-Bionic Energy Accumulator V2.1 — £93.32

The X-Bionic Energy Accumulator V2.1 is a fantastic baselayer. And given the price, that's exactly what you should expect. You won't be disappointed, though, this one really delivers. It's among the very best winter baselayers we've tried, even if it does make some of us want to sing "I'll see you sometime later/When I'm through with my accumulator."

Read our review of the X-Bionic Energy Accumulator
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Rapha Base Layers — £27-£130

Rapha has a wide range of base layers from lightweight summer numbers to deep-winter Merino mix undershirts with windproof fronting to fight the chill. Their lightweight Merino base layer is a longstanding favourite, while the Winter Base Layer is a toasty merino offering with a unique design that'll help to keep you cosy.

Read our review of the Rapha Winter Base Layer

Explore the complete archive of reviews of base layers on road.cc

If you want to carry on cycling through the cold winter months, you're going to have to deal with rain, but the right legwear can help stop your rides turning into soaking-weat miseryfests. Here's a selection of the best waterproof cycling trousers and tights to keep your legs protected from the wet.

Leg muscles don’t work as well when they’re cold, and there are few ways of making them cold better than running water over them. Tights, trousers and overtrousers that fend off the wet are therefore a winter essential for many riders.

You have three main choices. Performance-orientated riders tend to go for tights, which take the basic idea of cycling shorts — they're close-fitting garments that move with you — and extend it down to your ankles; waterproof overtrousers fend off the rain so you arrive at the office with dry trousers; and cycling trousers look like regular trousers, but are shaped and detailed so they're comfortable for riding.

In this guide we're taking a look at waterproof and highly water-resistant winter legwear suitable for winter riding and training and also for getting to work without getting cold and wet because it's raining.

A note on water-resistance. It's just about impossible for a fabric to be totally water-resistant and remotely pleasant to cycle in, so there's always a degree of compromise here. We've found the garments in this guide fend off water well enough that we'll happily use them in the rain.

If you swerve wet weather, take a look at our guide to warm winter tights.

Waterproof cycling trousers and over-trousers

If you’re commuting or even touring or mountain biking, then waterproof cycling trousers might be a better option than tights. Their looser fit makes them useful for commuting and urban cycling, they can be more comfortable and they can be worn over casual clothing.

There are two types: overtrousers that are waterproof and roomy enough to be worn over normal clothing; or tailored cycling trousers that look like regular trousers, but with cycling-specific features like a gusset free crutch and stretchy fabric.

Overtrousers are handy if you want to pull something over your normal clothing for riding to the office. They can be waterproof and windproof so will keep you nice and dry. Velcro or zip adjustments at the waist and ankle will tailor in some of the fabric so they don’t flap about or risk getting caught in the chain. The level of bagginess can vary from brand to brand, so it’s always worth checking before you buy. Look for lots of reflectivity if you’re commuting.

A smarter option — sartorially — is cycling trousers, designed to look like regular trousers and more fitted than overtrousers. These are ideal if you don’t like the idea of skintight Lycra tights or baggy overtrousers, and for shorter commutes or dashing across the city, they’re a stylish choice. And, providing you stay dry, you can wear them all day in the office too.

Some are made from technical fabrics, like a soft shell or Epic Cotton, so they’re not only comfortable and warm, but also weatherproof.

You get normal pockets, an adjustable waist band and some have adjustable ankles that can be rolled up for that fixed chic look. The part of the trouser you sit on will be made from a hard-wearing fabric and the seams will be placed so that they don’t cause any discomfort. They won’t have any padding, but you can supply your own padded shorts if you want some extra comfort or are planning a longer ride. You’ll get a few reflective details on some trousers too, for increased about-town visibility.

One thing to check is the leg length. Cycle clothing is usually made in fairly short production runs by the standards of normal high street fashion or utility wear. That means there is often only one choice of leg length. Not a problem for those of reasonably average height, or leg length, but potentially a problem for anyone at either end of the spectrum.

Those with shorter legs in particular can find that overtrousers bunch at the ankles so that even when cynched in they can bulge out enough to snag in chainrings.

One other thing to bear in mind with any waterproof trousers is that while they may keep your legs dry all that water has to go somewhere and a large proportion of it is going to be heading for your shoes. So if you want to stay dry either combine with waterproof socks or with waterproof overshoes. Make sure that you put the trousers over the top of the over-shoes otherwise the water simply runs in to the tops of your overshoes and from there makes its way in to your shoes.

Cube Blackline Rain Pants — £109.99

Cube's Blackline Rain Pants do an excellent job of keeping your legs dry and the pedals turning relatively unencumbered. They're not quite so hot at keeping you free from chill breezes, though.

On warmer days you could get away with just wearing bib shorts or padded liner shorts underneath the Blackline Pants. However, I think viewing them as overtrousers – a waterproof outer layer – is the most sensible approach, especially if you're going to be wearing them for a fair while. In this case, it's also worth pointing out that breathability is very good – no sweaty legs here.

When the rain starts beating down, they are fantastically effective at keep you dry. I've tested them in everything from light drizzle to heavy downpours, and they haven't failed to work their magic. As I've said, there have been no self-made moisture problems, either, so you're guaranteed to arrive at your destination completely dry (bottom-half, at least).

Read our review of the Cube Blackline Rain Pants
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DU/ER Performance Denim Weatherproof Slim Jean Trousers — £158.95

For cycling short distances and not having to carry a spare change of clothes, the DU/ER Performance Denim Weatherproof Slim Jeans are ideal, being comfortable on and off the bike and keeping you dry and warm in the wind and rain thanks to a waterproof membrane. They also pack some useful reflective details when you roll the cuff up.

The best thing is they look like regular jeans. No more odd looks as you billow into the office/cafe with oversized waterproof overtrousers when you've cycled in the rain. Normal jeans aren't much cop for cycling any sort of distance, but these are stretchy and provide no restriction to pedalling, nor are there any nasty seams in the saddle area to cause discomfort.

The jeans are made from a cotton fabric infused with Lycra, for added stretch, and Coolmax technology, which ramps up the breathability and helps transport sweat away. But the real magic lies in the use of a waterproof membrane.

Ride in the rain and, put simply, the jeans don't get saturated like regular jeans. Arrive at the office and they quickly dry off so you don't need to get changed. I found the waterproofing adequate for most rain I encountered, from drizzle to heavy downpours.

Read our review of the DU/ER Performance Denim Weatherproof Slim Jean Trousers

Madison DTE Women's Waterproof Trousers — £96.99

The Madison DTE Waterproof Trousers are made for riding in the most terrible conditions, the sort of weather where one glance out of the window is enough to make you put your slippers back on and reach for the kettle. Don these trousers though and you’ll soon find, actually it’s not that bad to be out splashing down the road, gravel or trails, in fact it’s pretty fun!

Constructed from a 2.5 layer fabric with 3 layers on the rear panel, knees and ankles for more protection, which along with taped seams make the DTE’s fully waterproof. They are pretty breathable too, outings in these have been in both conditions of ‘raining cats and dogs’ and ‘dry skies but swamp like’. For the former the trousers have kept me dry while the rain batters down and for the latter they have defended us from the wet and crud whilst preventing us from overheating, thanks in no small part to the two zippered leg vents. Which do, in case you were wondering have waterproof zips for when they are closed.

There's a similarly excellent men's version too.

Read our review of the Madison DTE Women's Waterproof Trousers

Endura Hummvee Zip-off Cycling Trousers II — £69.99

You can tweak the popular Endura Hummvee Zip-off Cycling Trousers for a range of types of riding, from commuting to hitting the trails and dirt roads. They're compatible with Endura's Clickfast system so you can add liner shorts for longer rides too.

A DWR coating fends off the wet, and a seamless seat panel keeps you comfy. There are zipped hand pockets, cargo pockets and large rear map pockets, an elasticated waistband with adjustable belt and ankle length zips with Velcro ankle cinches to step them flapping into your chain

Find an Endura dealer

Proviz Nightrider Men's Waterproof Trousers — £52.99

We've not reviewed them, but our Liam swears by these overtrousers for wet-weather commuting. As well as being waterproof and breathable, they feature reflective trim and logos for visibility, a cycling-specific cut and ankle zips.

They're also length-adjustable, with poppers at the ankle providing a range of cuff positions so you can get the fit spot on.

See all trouser reviews here.

Tights

Tights are essentially long versions of regular shorts, and are often made from similar Lycra fabrics, though they're usually thicker for warmth. You have a choice of bib tights, with straps looping over the shoulders, or bibs with a waist band. Which you wear is down to personal preference, but bib tights are generally considered more comfortable as you don’t have a waist band to dig in, which can be annoying on longer rides.

Some tights have a water resistant or waterproof fabric, such as Castelli’s Nanoflex. These are good if you’re brave enough to venture out in the rain as they can stop the rain seeping through to your skin which will, given time, sap away at your warmth. Likewise, some manufacturers add windproof panels in key places to keep the wind chill out.

We discussed the features of winter tights in more depth in our guide to warm winter cycling tights

7Mesh TK1 Bib Tights — £150.00

The 7Mesh TK1 bib tights are very warm, technically loaded and can carry as much kit as a three-pocket jersey. As always, the pad fit may not be to everyone's liking, but if it does suit you these are excellent winter tights for on- or off-road riding.

Canadian firm 7Mesh's "warmest, most protective thermal legwear" has a pretty good pedigree to draw upon. Earlier this year Pat raved about the warmer-weather Mk3 Bib Shorts, praising their 'unique design' and 'incredible levels of comfort'. A key factor here was the 'hammock' design whereby the chamois can move independently from the outer skin of the shorts. Pat found this prevented the need to do the 'cyclist shuffle', whereby the pad needs rearranging, either on or off the bike, to afford comfort.

I can vouch for the comfort of the design, but it may not be for everyone, all the time. Over a few months' riding I did encounter one occasion where the pad seemed to bunch on one side, leading to a small amount of chafing. As this only happened the once, and otherwise I was a happy chap, I'll put this down to perhaps more need to pay attention to – ahem – strategic alignment at the start of a ride, shall we say.

Read our review of the 7Mesh TK1 Bib Tights

Rapha Women's Souplesse Shadow Tights — £270

With the Women's Shadow Tights, Rapha has combined its finest technologies to create "unparalleled" weather defence and performance – and added a price tag to match. Leaving no stone unturned from cosiness to safety, it has created a reliable and stylish pair of bib tights to keep you on the road, even when the mercury plummets.

The Shadow tech was developed for the Spring Classics. From Team Sky to Canyon//SRAM, Rapha's material has been ridden to World Tour level. The Shadow fabric is a blend of nylon and elastane finished with a hydrophobic DWR (durable water repellent) treatment made for staying dry whatever winter throws at you. The technology, Rapha claims, is 'an unbeatable force in weather protection'.

'Unbeatable force' is a strong statement, but hours from home with torrential rain setting in, I agreed. Water collects into satisfying little beads which brush away to reveal barely-wet fabric. Out on chilly, wet training rides I was able to stay dry, with no rain sinking through the fabric.

Read our review of the Rapha Women's Souplesse Shadow Tights

Pearl Izumi Pursuit Hybrid Cycling Bib Tights — £121.44 - £162.99

The latest version of Pearl Izumi's Pursuit Hybrid winter bib tights have had some subtle alterations, and with Mike raving about the previous versions, we were pleasantly surprised to find that, if anything, they've got even better. The added PI Dry technology on the back of the legs prevents you getting soaked from spray, they're super-stretchy and flexible so you can use them on hard training sessions too, and the padding is really comfortable – they're firmly among our very favourite bib tights.

Read our review of the Pearl Izumi Pursuit Hybrid Cycling Bib Tights
Find a Pearl Izumi dealer

Santini Vega 2 Aquazero Bib Tights — £105.99

As water-resistant foul-weather bib tights, Santini's Vega 2.0s are right on the money. They're reassuringly water resistant without losing a smooth fit against the skin. They're not quite warm enough for super-cold temperatures, but they're not as expensive as you might expect either.

Santini says that you can use the bib tights in temperatures ranging from 5-18°C. Now, I don't know about you, but 18°C is summer shorts weather for me on a bike, but the breathability in colder weather leads me to think that you could conceivably wear them to something approaching that upper temperature if you really did feel the cold.

The downside is that these aren't really bib tights for deep winter – when you're looking at frosts that hang around all day, for example. They're just not windblocking enough for that (although the fleece lining is very comfortable), and that positions them as tights that you'd be likely to use as your first pair through autumn, and your last pair through spring, with a 'hardier' pair for the really grim, freezing stuff in the middle.

Read our review of the Santini Vega 2 Aquazero Bib Tights
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Pearl Izumi Pro Pursuit Cycling Bib Tights — £63.99 (limited sizes)

 The Pearl Izumi Pro Pursuit Bib Tights represent excellent performance at a very good price (and, as usual, even better online – but make sure you're buying the right ones, they come with or without a pad). If you are after foul-weather, full-length bibs for going fast in, look no further.

Read our review of the Pearl Izumi Pro Pursuit Cycling Bib Tights
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Kalf Club Thermal Men’s Bib Tights — £70

The Kalf Club Thermal bib tights are supremely comfortable, nice and warm yet lightweight, and really well constructed. The reflectivity on the calves actually looks good, and the fit was near-perfection for tester Jack Sexty. They've been his go-to bib tights for winter, except for near-zero temperatures for which they're not quite warm enough.

Read our review of the Kalf Club Thermal Men’s Bib Tights
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Endura Pro SL Bib Tights — £119.99

Endura's Pro SL Biblongs are excellent: they're windproof, fit superbly, and the pad comes in three widths, offering a little customisation.

At the core of the longs is the four-way stretch windproof, breathable fabric with DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish front and seat panels. This panelling of fabrics gives the longs a very comfortable fit. On the bike, they fitted me perfectly with no bunching of material at the back of the knee.

The windproofing is very effective and kept me nice and toasty down below zero. The density of the fabric is brilliant and results in no cold spots where the material is stretched. With others, my knees can get quite stiff in the cold; no such problems here.

Read our review of the Endura Pro SL Bib Tights
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Castelli Nanoflex Pro bib tights — £190

The Castelli Nanoflex Pro Bibtights are a warm (but not windproof) and water resistant choice for the cold weather, offering great breathability and freedom of movement.

You might well have heard of Nanoflex before because Castelli uses it extensively across its range. It's the brand's fleecy, stretchy Thermoflex fabric, a warm polyamide/elastane mix that's given a coating of silicone 'nanofilaments'. This makes water roll off the surface rather than soaking in. It doesn't make the fabric waterproof – heavy rain will get through – but you'll stay dry in drizzle, and road spray won't soak in.

Read our review of the Castelli Nanoflex Pro bib tights
Find a Castelli dealer

Castelli Sanremo Thermosuit — ~£330

Special mention must go to the Thermosuit from Castelli. The Thermosuit is essentially a pair of tights and a long sleeve jersey stitched together at the waist around the back, with a full-length zip on the front. There's Gore Windstopper X-Lite Plus fabric on the chest panels, while a lighter weight Thermoflex Core Due fabric is used around the back and for the tights.

Read our review of the Castelli Thermosuit

See all tights reviews

A rear light is a legal requirement when cycling at night, and using one that's brighter than the legal minimum seems like a sensible way of helping drivers see you — or at least defanging 'but I didn't see them' excuses. The best bike rear lights have long run-times, can be seen from a good distance, and are sufficiently tough and waterproof to fend of day-to-day abuse.

• Cycling rear lights universally use one or more red LEDs to generate their light

• Rechargeable rear lights that take power from a USB source are popular, but battery-powered lights are still available

• Rear bike lights are increasingly intended as day-time safety lights too

• A flashing red light says 'bike' to most drivers; we recommend using a constant light as well so your position can be easily followed

• Need a front light too? Check out our guide to cycling front lights

17 of the best cycling rear lights

• Giant Recon TL 200 rear light — £28.99
• Exposure TraceR MK2 With ReAKT And Peloton — £62.00
• Oxford Ultratorch Slimline R50 — £19.99
• Blackburn DayBlazer 65 — £20.99
• Lezyne Zecto Drive Max — £37.99
• Moon Alcor — £13.00
• Oxford Ultratorch Pro R25 — £19.25
• Bontrager Flare R City — £30
• Brightside — £22.50
• Moon Gemini — £13.43
• Nite Rider Sentinel 250 — £42.99
• Knog Blinder Mob Kid Grid — £22.50
• Exposure Lights TraceR DayBright — £45
• Gemini Iris — £44.99
• Magicshine MJ-818 — ~£40
• See.Sense Icon 2 — £79.99
• Lupine Rotlicht Max — ~£95

Get yourself seen

A rear light has the proverbial one job: to get you seen, unlike a front light that has to be visible enough to stop inattentive drivers mowing you down while allowing you to see where you're going. Depending on where and how you ride, your priorities regarding brightness, flashing modes and battery life will be different.

The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations say:

Rear lamp
One is required, to show a red light, positioned centrally or offside, between 350mm and 1500mm from the ground, at or near the rear, aligned towards, and visible from, behind. If capable of emitting a steady light, it must be marked as conforming to BS3648, or BS6102/3, or an equivalent EC standard. If capable of emitting only a flashing light, it must emit at least 4 candela... the light shown by the lamp when flashing shall be displayed not less than 60 nor more than 240 equal times per minute and the intervals between each display of light shall be constant.

Given that every light we know of has a steady mode, that means you need a British Standard-approved light to comply with the law. To be fully compliant with the law your bike also needs a front light, front and rear reflectors, and amber pedal reflectors.

In practice, not many bike lights are Kitemarked. The specification for cycle lights dates back to 1986 and is written mostly with filament bulbs in mind; every single light we've been sent for the last few years is an LED. LED lights can meet the requirements but lots of them aren't specifically tested for the ageing British Standard, especially those that are sold worldwide.

Since the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations (RVLR) was amended to allow cyclists to fit flashing LEDs, we've heard very little about cyclists being stopped for having non-compliant lights. In theory running a non-approved light could be used as an argument for contributory negligence in the case of an accident, though we've not heard of such a case being brought as yet.

Things to consider

What kind of riding will I be doing?
If you're mostly just pootling to the shops and back then something basic will probably do the job. Simple flashers that use button cells or AAA batteries are cheap and effective these days, and they last ages before the battery needs replacing.

If your commute is on busier roads, or you plan to do longer rides at night, you'll probably want something brighter. There's a wealth of USB-rechargeable and brighter AAA-powered rear lights about that will catch a driver's attention from further afield. Many riders who spend a lot of time on the road after dark fit more than one rear light to increase their chances of being seen.

Some rear lights are bright enough to be used in daylight too. There's certain types of riding – racing a time trial on a fast A-road, for example – where you'd want to be running the brightest rear light you can buy. Plenty of city riders run their rear lights in daytime hours too.

Flashing or not?
In terms of the law, it's up to you. The law requires flashing modes to be between 1Hz and 4Hz (one to four flashes per second); as you'll see from the beam comparison engine below, actual modes vary considerably and some fall well outside that. Pulsing constant modes are a grey area.

Ask a rider why they have their light flashing and they'll often argue that it makes them visible from further away. Ask another rider why they have a constant light and you'll often hear that it makes distance easier to judge for following vehicles.

There's not a lot of scientific research to hang your choice on. Most people who run two lights will have one of them flashing. One thing to bear in mind is that if you're riding in a close group – be that a club run, sportive, Audax or anything else – having a bright light flashing in your eyes at close range is pretty annoying. Many lights have low-power steady modes for group riding.

All-round visibility
Most rear lights are nice and bright if you're standing directly behind them. But in many situations – and especially for urban riding – traffic may be approaching you from other directions, so it's good for a light to have a wide angle of visibility. Again, the type of riding you do will dictate how important side visibility is to you.

Battery life
Most rear lights will cope easily with the longest ride you're likely to throw at them, though not all USB-rechargeable ones can be fully trusted to last a whole night, especially on steady beam. If you're planning some big forays into the dark unknown – or if you're just a bit crap at remembering to charge your lights – pick something that has a long run time. AAA-powered lights tend to be the pick for that.

Recommended lights

Giant Recon TL 200 rear light — £28.99

Bike maker Giant might not be the first name that springs to mind when you're thinking about bike rear lights, but the Recon TL 200 is excellent. It has useful modes, and puts out plenty of light at decent run times. Tester David Arthur said: "It's become my favourite rear light for all rides, day and night."

On high mode it puts out 100 lumens for 2.5 hours, but the flash mode was favourite, delivering 6 hours using the full 200 lumens. The Recon TL 200 remembers the mode you were using last time, so once you find a favourite, you just turn it on and that's how it's set; no need to waste seconds cycling through the modes.

It withstood filthy weather, jet-washing and being dropped in a bucket of water.

Read our review of the Giant Recon TL 200 rear light

Exposure TraceR MK2 With ReAKT And Peloton — £62.00

Exposure's TraceR with ReAKT and Peloton rear light impressed us previously without the Peloton technology, but one year on it's gained this extra feature to help keep it near the top of the pile.

In this updated version, the recipe hasn't changed, it's just been added to. You still get a beaming 75-lumen max output, with six modes that dictate how much burn time you have, from 3 hours in the brightest static mode to 24 hours on the lowest flash mode, plus DayBright pulse mode.

ReAKT is probably the best feature of the lot, adapting to the light conditions at the time, and flaring up when it senses that the rider is braking. But now there's a new feature to add to the mix. It's called Peloton, and it recognises when there is a front bike light behind you and dims itself to save dazzling the following rider.

Oxford Ultratorch Slimline R50 — £19.99

Oxford's Ultratorch Slimline R50 rear light is a simple rear light that does the job of making sure you're well seen, with ample light output, good mode choices, and easy operation and fitting, in a conveniently sized package at a very good price. The R50's COB LED can put out an adequate 50 lumens in its high mode, with medium, low and eco modes available too. You cycle through these with a single click of the power button, and switch them off with a long press. You get 2hrs claimed burn time (mine tapped out at 1:52hrs) on the brightest static setting, and near-enough 6hrs if you have it on the highest flash setting.

Read our review of the Oxford Ultratorch Slimline R50
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Blackburn DayBlazer 65 — £20.99

If you want a small, well-made, easy-fitting rear light for your bike or bag that's bright and good value, look no further than the Blackburn DayBlazer 65. Its two LEDs pump out an impressive 65 lumens when in the disruptive 'high flash' mode, and 50 and 30 respectively in 'steady' and 'low strobe' settings. Burn times are claimed to be 1:30-6:00hrs depending on the mode, and we found those to be accurate to within around 5-10 minutes depending on how you use it. The single button doubles as an indicator of battery life when the unit has just been switched off, and the light naturally powers down a little when you get close to the end of its life.

Read our review of the Blackburn DayBlazer 65
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Lezyne Zecto Drive Max — £37.99

The Lezyne Zecto Drive Max 250 has a range of modes that start at sensible light output and increase to the ever so slightly insane with a mighty 250 lumens topping the bill. Each one has its use though and allows you to balance power with battery life whatever the conditions.

Lots of manufacturers are starting to include daytime modes to their lights and this is what Lezyne have done with the Max 250. The 250-lumen flash can be seen a good distance even in bright sunshine and for this reason I'd suggest never using it in the dark as it is downright antisocial for drivers sat behind.

Read our review of the Lezyne Zecto Drive Max
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Moon Alcor — £13.00

The Moon Alcor is simple, bright and has a nifty magnetic mount. I use a back light almost all the time, perhaps excepting on the finest of high summer days. Bright sunlight, especially when the sun is low and the roads are wet, is not the friend of the cyclist and an attention-grabbing strobe like that provided by the Moon Alcor is a valuable aid to daytime visibility.

That's how I've used this most of the time during the test period, and it was a bonus that the day-flash mode gives over 34 hours of battery life (I never did find out exactly how many hours because I had to go to bed). Moon reckons that on the low-power single-flash setting you should get 70 hours. That's still plenty bright enough for night riding on dark roads, by the way.

Read our review of the Moon Alcor
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Oxford Ultratorch Pro R25 — £19.25

The Oxford Ultratorch Pro R25 LED Tail Light is a strip rear light that performs the basics very well at a competitive price.

What do we want from a rear light? For me, there are only a few central criteria that it needs to fulfil to hit the spot: it needs to be bright, make you clearly visible, and fit securely to the rear of the bike. Next comes battery life – something easily taken care of usually, thanks to the lower power requirement of a tail light compared to a front beam – profile on the bike, and waterproofness.

The Ultratorch meets pretty much all these criteria. A single button atop the unit operates the light, in which you can cycle through four different settings with a single click – three static brightness settings of 25, 50 and 100 per cent of the 25-lumen maximum output, and a 12-lumen flash setting from the Cree LEDs.

Read our review of the Oxford Ultratorch Pro R25
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Bontrager Flare R City — £30

The Bontrager Flare R City rear light is a small yet mighty cube-shaped model bristling with sensors and similar tech to deliver optimum light intelligently, whatever the conditions, day, or night.

The tail light has a 100-lumen front sibling, and together they could be all some urban commuters will need. At 26g apiece, they're arguably ideal clutter-free options for summer/time trial builds, or companions for a trainer/audax bike's main lighting.

Read our review of the Bontrager Flare R City
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Brightside — £22.50

Brightside's eponymous light is a well-built double-ended side light at a good price that attaches easily to your frame, and gives you an extra dimension of visibility to other road users approaching you from the side. Bright 15-lumen Cree LEDs at each end attract attention.

The Brightside has filled a gap in the market (a quick internet search only unearthed the Brightside and the Cateye Orbit Spoke lightset) in a bid to reduce the instances of SMIDSY (sorry mate I didn't see you) incidents. With too many accidents happening at junctions and roundabouts, the light is designed to give you all-round visibility to motorists approaching from your side – Brightside, not broadside.

Read our review of the Brightside

Cateye TL-LD610 — £14.99

A classic that's still going strong, the TL-LD610 has five decently bright LEDs and runs off a pair of AAA batteries. It excels as a round-town attention-grabber because of the mode in which the lit LED scans across the panel: think Knight Rider or Cylon Centurion.

Find a Cateye dealer

Moon Gemini — £13.43

Moon's Gemini is a featherweight USB rechargeable rear light that clips on easily and is bright enough for urban commuting. The small single button is surprisingly easy to find in big gloves.

The Gemini benefits from many of the features of its more expensive big brothers. It has a spot angle of 95 degrees at 10 metres, giving an effective span of 22m. The total angle is helped by the two single LEDs, resulting in a full 360 degrees, very useful for urban riding. The brightest 20-lumen constant is also perfect for partially lit commutes; I prefer a slightly brighter rear for my unlit rides, but this also works well here as a backup or secondary light.

Read our review of the Moon Gemini
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Nite Rider Sentinel 250 — £42.99

Dr Evil would love it. As well as powerful LEDs, the Sentinel shows riders how much space you'd like them to leave when they pass by drawing a virtual bike lane on the road with frickin' laser beams. Shark not included.

Read our review of the Niterider Sentinel

Knog Blinder Mob Kid Grid — £22.50

The Knog Blinder Mob Kid Grid Rear Light is a well designed and strong performing rear light. It pumps out enough light to keep you visible and has a really good variety of placement options while also having a good battery life, so it can just be left for weeks until it needs charging.

The light pumps out 44 lumens to keep you well lit without blinding the person riding/driving behind you. In recent years I have come to realise that being stuck behind somebody pumping out 100 lumens from their seatpost is one of my real pet peeves. Sure you can be seen mate, but the only other things I can see are blue dots. I'd say 44 lumens is about the right balance between good visibility and annoying the person behind you.

Read our review of the Knog Blinder Mob Kid Grid
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Exposure Lights TraceR DayBright — £45

This super-bright and tough little USB rear light from UK illuminati Exposure pumps out plenty of light and will last for a week's medium-distance commuting (4-5 miles) between charges. It's not cheap, but it is excellent.

We've also been really impressed with the £59.96 Exposure TraceR Mk2; its ReAKT feature adjusts the brightness of the light based on braking forces and light conditions.

If you want more light and longer run time, the Exposure Blaze MK2 Reakt (£84.95) packs a 1,500mAh battery for roughly twice the life.

Read our review of the Exposure Lights TraceR DayBright
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Gemini Iris — £44.99

Gemini's Iris rear light claims to pump out a retina-melting 180 lumens of red. That's enough to get you seen in any conditions, and there are plenty of lower-power modes for general riding too. And it's well made.

First things first: ye gods, this thing is bright. You know when you turn a light on, and you think, "MY EYES!"? Well I did that with the Iris, only to find out it wasn't even on the brightest setting.

Read our review of the Gemini Iris rear light
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Magicshine MJ-818 — ~£40

This is the standalone version of the MJ-818 which uses a 3-watt LED for maximum visibility with nine smaller emitters to cover a wide range of angles. In this package it's paired with a 8.4V 4.4Ah battery. If you already have a Magicshine light, then you can get the light and a cable splitter for £31.94

Read our review of the Magicshine MJ-818

See.Sense Icon 2 — £79.99

We loved the clever speed-sensing function and incredible brightness of the original See.Sense light. The Icon includes a plethora of extra features linked to a free app so you can control the light on your smartphone. This nifty little blazer will also tell your loved ones if you have a crash, and alert you if someone tries to make off with your bike when it's parked up.

The Icon uses super-bright Cree LEDs putting out a total of 300, which certainly count as bright enough for the old joke 'do not look at laser with remaining eye'. This is not a light to turn on while looking at it – it is ferociously bright.

Read our review of the See.Sense Icon

Lupine Rotlicht Max — ~£95

Another light with value-added smart functions, the Rotlicht acts as a brake light, brightening when you decelerate, and has a light sensor so it can adjust its output to the conditions. Clever stuff.

The latest version, the Rotlicht Max, has twice the run-time of the original Rotlicht.

Read our review of the Lupine Rotlicht

Explore the complete archive of reviews of rear lights on road.cc

If you want to carry on cycling through the cold winter months, you're going to have to deal with rain, but the right legwear can help stop your rides turning into soaking-weat miseryfests. Here's a selection of the best waterproof cycling trousers and tights to keep your legs protected from the wet.

Leg muscles don’t work as well when they’re cold, and there are few ways of making them cold better than running water over them. Tights, trousers and overtrousers that fend off the wet are therefore a winter essential for many riders.

You have three main choices. Performance-orientated riders tend to go for tights, which take the basic idea of cycling shorts — they're close-fitting garments that move with you — and extend it down to your ankles; waterproof overtrousers fend off the rain so you arrive at the office with dry trousers; and cycling trousers look like regular trousers, but are shaped and detailed so they're comfortable for riding.

In this guide we're taking a look at waterproof and highly water-resistant winter legwear suitable for winter riding and training and also for getting to work without getting cold and wet because it's raining.

A note on water-resistance. It's just about impossible for a fabric to be totally water-resistant and remotely pleasant to cycle in, so there's always a degree of compromise here. We've found the garments in this guide fend off water well enough that we'll happily use them in the rain.

If you swerve wet weather, take a look at our guide to warm winter tights.

Waterproof cycling trousers and over-trousers

If you’re commuting or even touring or mountain biking, then waterproof cycling trousers might be a better option than tights. Their looser fit makes them useful for commuting and urban cycling, they can be more comfortable and they can be worn over casual clothing.

There are two types: overtrousers that are waterproof and roomy enough to be worn over normal clothing; or tailored cycling trousers that look like regular trousers, but with cycling-specific features like a gusset free crutch and stretchy fabric.

Overtrousers are handy if you want to pull something over your normal clothing for riding to the office. They can be waterproof and windproof so will keep you nice and dry. Velcro or zip adjustments at the waist and ankle will tailor in some of the fabric so they don’t flap about or risk getting caught in the chain. The level of bagginess can vary from brand to brand, so it’s always worth checking before you buy. Look for lots of reflectivity if you’re commuting.

A smarter option — sartorially — is cycling trousers, designed to look like regular trousers and more fitted than overtrousers. These are ideal if you don’t like the idea of skintight Lycra tights or baggy overtrousers, and for shorter commutes or dashing across the city, they’re a stylish choice. And, providing you stay dry, you can wear them all day in the office too.

Some are made from technical fabrics, like a soft shell or Epic Cotton, so they’re not only comfortable and warm, but also weatherproof.

You get normal pockets, an adjustable waist band and some have adjustable ankles that can be rolled up for that fixed chic look. The part of the trouser you sit on will be made from a hard-wearing fabric and the seams will be placed so that they don’t cause any discomfort. They won’t have any padding, but you can supply your own padded shorts if you want some extra comfort or are planning a longer ride. You’ll get a few reflective details on some trousers too, for increased about-town visibility.

One thing to check is the leg length. Cycle clothing is usually made in fairly short production runs by the standards of normal high street fashion or utility wear. That means there is often only one choice of leg length. Not a problem for those of reasonably average height, or leg length, but potentially a problem for anyone at either end of the spectrum.

Those with shorter legs in particular can find that overtrousers bunch at the ankles so that even when cynched in they can bulge out enough to snag in chainrings.

One other thing to bear in mind with any waterproof trousers is that while they may keep your legs dry all that water has to go somewhere and a large proportion of it is going to be heading for your shoes. So if you want to stay dry either combine with waterproof socks or with waterproof overshoes. Make sure that you put the trousers over the top of the over-shoes otherwise the water simply runs in to the tops of your overshoes and from there makes its way in to your shoes.

Cube Blackline Rain Pants — £109.99

Cube's Blackline Rain Pants do an excellent job of keeping your legs dry and the pedals turning relatively unencumbered. They're not quite so hot at keeping you free from chill breezes, though.

On warmer days you could get away with just wearing bib shorts or padded liner shorts underneath the Blackline Pants. However, I think viewing them as overtrousers – a waterproof outer layer – is the most sensible approach, especially if you're going to be wearing them for a fair while. In this case, it's also worth pointing out that breathability is very good – no sweaty legs here.

When the rain starts beating down, they are fantastically effective at keep you dry. I've tested them in everything from light drizzle to heavy downpours, and they haven't failed to work their magic. As I've said, there have been no self-made moisture problems, either, so you're guaranteed to arrive at your destination completely dry (bottom-half, at least).

Read our review of the Cube Blackline Rain Pants
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DU/ER Performance Denim Weatherproof Slim Jean Trousers — £158.95

For cycling short distances and not having to carry a spare change of clothes, the DU/ER Performance Denim Weatherproof Slim Jeans are ideal, being comfortable on and off the bike and keeping you dry and warm in the wind and rain thanks to a waterproof membrane. They also pack some useful reflective details when you roll the cuff up.

The best thing is they look like regular jeans. No more odd looks as you billow into the office/cafe with oversized waterproof overtrousers when you've cycled in the rain. Normal jeans aren't much cop for cycling any sort of distance, but these are stretchy and provide no restriction to pedalling, nor are there any nasty seams in the saddle area to cause discomfort.

The jeans are made from a cotton fabric infused with Lycra, for added stretch, and Coolmax technology, which ramps up the breathability and helps transport sweat away. But the real magic lies in the use of a waterproof membrane.

Ride in the rain and, put simply, the jeans don't get saturated like regular jeans. Arrive at the office and they quickly dry off so you don't need to get changed. I found the waterproofing adequate for most rain I encountered, from drizzle to heavy downpours.

Read our review of the DU/ER Performance Denim Weatherproof Slim Jean Trousers

Madison DTE Women's Waterproof Trousers — £96.99

The Madison DTE Waterproof Trousers are made for riding in the most terrible conditions, the sort of weather where one glance out of the window is enough to make you put your slippers back on and reach for the kettle. Don these trousers though and you’ll soon find, actually it’s not that bad to be out splashing down the road, gravel or trails, in fact it’s pretty fun!

Constructed from a 2.5 layer fabric with 3 layers on the rear panel, knees and ankles for more protection, which along with taped seams make the DTE’s fully waterproof. They are pretty breathable too, outings in these have been in both conditions of ‘raining cats and dogs’ and ‘dry skies but swamp like’. For the former the trousers have kept me dry while the rain batters down and for the latter they have defended us from the wet and crud whilst preventing us from overheating, thanks in no small part to the two zippered leg vents. Which do, in case you were wondering have waterproof zips for when they are closed.

There's a similarly excellent men's version too.

Read our review of the Madison DTE Women's Waterproof Trousers

Endura Hummvee Zip-off Cycling Trousers II — £69.99

You can tweak the popular Endura Hummvee Zip-off Cycling Trousers for a range of types of riding, from commuting to hitting the trails and dirt roads. They're compatible with Endura's Clickfast system so you can add liner shorts for longer rides too.

A DWR coating fends off the wet, and a seamless seat panel keeps you comfy. There are zipped hand pockets, cargo pockets and large rear map pockets, an elasticated waistband with adjustable belt and ankle length zips with Velcro ankle cinches to step them flapping into your chain

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Proviz Nightrider Men's Waterproof Trousers — £52.99

We've not reviewed them, but our Liam swears by these overtrousers for wet-weather commuting. As well as being waterproof and breathable, they feature reflective trim and logos for visibility, a cycling-specific cut and ankle zips.

They're also length-adjustable, with poppers at the ankle providing a range of cuff positions so you can get the fit spot on.

See all trouser reviews here.

Tights

Tights are essentially long versions of regular shorts, and are often made from similar Lycra fabrics, though they're usually thicker for warmth. You have a choice of bib tights, with straps looping over the shoulders, or bibs with a waist band. Which you wear is down to personal preference, but bib tights are generally considered more comfortable as you don’t have a waist band to dig in, which can be annoying on longer rides.

Some tights have a water resistant or waterproof fabric, such as Castelli’s Nanoflex. These are good if you’re brave enough to venture out in the rain as they can stop the rain seeping through to your skin which will, given time, sap away at your warmth. Likewise, some manufacturers add windproof panels in key places to keep the wind chill out.

We discussed the features of winter tights in more depth in our guide to warm winter cycling tights

7Mesh TK1 Bib Tights — £150.00

The 7Mesh TK1 bib tights are very warm, technically loaded and can carry as much kit as a three-pocket jersey. As always, the pad fit may not be to everyone's liking, but if it does suit you these are excellent winter tights for on- or off-road riding.

Canadian firm 7Mesh's "warmest, most protective thermal legwear" has a pretty good pedigree to draw upon. Earlier this year Pat raved about the warmer-weather Mk3 Bib Shorts, praising their 'unique design' and 'incredible levels of comfort'. A key factor here was the 'hammock' design whereby the chamois can move independently from the outer skin of the shorts. Pat found this prevented the need to do the 'cyclist shuffle', whereby the pad needs rearranging, either on or off the bike, to afford comfort.

I can vouch for the comfort of the design, but it may not be for everyone, all the time. Over a few months' riding I did encounter one occasion where the pad seemed to bunch on one side, leading to a small amount of chafing. As this only happened the once, and otherwise I was a happy chap, I'll put this down to perhaps more need to pay attention to – ahem – strategic alignment at the start of a ride, shall we say.

Read our review of the 7Mesh TK1 Bib Tights

Rapha Women's Souplesse Shadow Tights — £270

With the Women's Shadow Tights, Rapha has combined its finest technologies to create "unparalleled" weather defence and performance – and added a price tag to match. Leaving no stone unturned from cosiness to safety, it has created a reliable and stylish pair of bib tights to keep you on the road, even when the mercury plummets.

The Shadow tech was developed for the Spring Classics. From Team Sky to Canyon//SRAM, Rapha's material has been ridden to World Tour level. The Shadow fabric is a blend of nylon and elastane finished with a hydrophobic DWR (durable water repellent) treatment made for staying dry whatever winter throws at you. The technology, Rapha claims, is 'an unbeatable force in weather protection'.

'Unbeatable force' is a strong statement, but hours from home with torrential rain setting in, I agreed. Water collects into satisfying little beads which brush away to reveal barely-wet fabric. Out on chilly, wet training rides I was able to stay dry, with no rain sinking through the fabric.

Read our review of the Rapha Women's Souplesse Shadow Tights

Pearl Izumi Pursuit Hybrid Cycling Bib Tights — £121.44 - £162.99

The latest version of Pearl Izumi's Pursuit Hybrid winter bib tights have had some subtle alterations, and with Mike raving about the previous versions, we were pleasantly surprised to find that, if anything, they've got even better. The added PI Dry technology on the back of the legs prevents you getting soaked from spray, they're super-stretchy and flexible so you can use them on hard training sessions too, and the padding is really comfortable – they're firmly among our very favourite bib tights.

Read our review of the Pearl Izumi Pursuit Hybrid Cycling Bib Tights
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Santini Vega 2 Aquazero Bib Tights — £105.99

As water-resistant foul-weather bib tights, Santini's Vega 2.0s are right on the money. They're reassuringly water resistant without losing a smooth fit against the skin. They're not quite warm enough for super-cold temperatures, but they're not as expensive as you might expect either.

Santini says that you can use the bib tights in temperatures ranging from 5-18°C. Now, I don't know about you, but 18°C is summer shorts weather for me on a bike, but the breathability in colder weather leads me to think that you could conceivably wear them to something approaching that upper temperature if you really did feel the cold.

The downside is that these aren't really bib tights for deep winter – when you're looking at frosts that hang around all day, for example. They're just not windblocking enough for that (although the fleece lining is very comfortable), and that positions them as tights that you'd be likely to use as your first pair through autumn, and your last pair through spring, with a 'hardier' pair for the really grim, freezing stuff in the middle.

Read our review of the Santini Vega 2 Aquazero Bib Tights
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Pearl Izumi Pro Pursuit Cycling Bib Tights — £63.99 (limited sizes)

 The Pearl Izumi Pro Pursuit Bib Tights represent excellent performance at a very good price (and, as usual, even better online – but make sure you're buying the right ones, they come with or without a pad). If you are after foul-weather, full-length bibs for going fast in, look no further.

Read our review of the Pearl Izumi Pro Pursuit Cycling Bib Tights
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Kalf Club Thermal Men’s Bib Tights — £70

The Kalf Club Thermal bib tights are supremely comfortable, nice and warm yet lightweight, and really well constructed. The reflectivity on the calves actually looks good, and the fit was near-perfection for tester Jack Sexty. They've been his go-to bib tights for winter, except for near-zero temperatures for which they're not quite warm enough.

Read our review of the Kalf Club Thermal Men’s Bib Tights
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Endura Pro SL Bib Tights — £119.99

Endura's Pro SL Biblongs are excellent: they're windproof, fit superbly, and the pad comes in three widths, offering a little customisation.

At the core of the longs is the four-way stretch windproof, breathable fabric with DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish front and seat panels. This panelling of fabrics gives the longs a very comfortable fit. On the bike, they fitted me perfectly with no bunching of material at the back of the knee.

The windproofing is very effective and kept me nice and toasty down below zero. The density of the fabric is brilliant and results in no cold spots where the material is stretched. With others, my knees can get quite stiff in the cold; no such problems here.

Read our review of the Endura Pro SL Bib Tights
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Castelli Nanoflex Pro bib tights — £190

The Castelli Nanoflex Pro Bibtights are a warm (but not windproof) and water resistant choice for the cold weather, offering great breathability and freedom of movement.

You might well have heard of Nanoflex before because Castelli uses it extensively across its range. It's the brand's fleecy, stretchy Thermoflex fabric, a warm polyamide/elastane mix that's given a coating of silicone 'nanofilaments'. This makes water roll off the surface rather than soaking in. It doesn't make the fabric waterproof – heavy rain will get through – but you'll stay dry in drizzle, and road spray won't soak in.

Read our review of the Castelli Nanoflex Pro bib tights
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Castelli Sanremo Thermosuit — ~£330

Special mention must go to the Thermosuit from Castelli. The Thermosuit is essentially a pair of tights and a long sleeve jersey stitched together at the waist around the back, with a full-length zip on the front. There's Gore Windstopper X-Lite Plus fabric on the chest panels, while a lighter weight Thermoflex Core Due fabric is used around the back and for the tights.

Read our review of the Castelli Thermosuit

See all tights reviews

Hands have a hard time on winter rides. They're stuck out in front of you with nothing much to do beyond braking and shifting, spending long periods of time largely still but bearing the brunt of cold winds, not to mention rain and spray. It's no wonder that they tend to get cold. Good winter cycling gloves are a must for comfortable cold weather riding – here's what to look for.

What to look for

The goal of winter cycling gloves is to keep your hands warm. Fighting back against the cold is a two-pronged attack. First your gloves need to keep potentially chilling outside factors out, which essentially means wind and rain. Second they need to prevent heat escaping.

>>Read more: the full road.cc long-fingered gloves review archive

Fabrics

You'll find the usual range of wind- and waterproof fabrics on offer in the glove market, including Gore-Tex and other waterproof/breathable fabrics. Much as with jackets, windproof fabrics with water-resistant coatings are becoming more popular thanks to lower bulk and a softer feel. Gloves often have reinforced areas of heavier-duty fabric at key points – between thumb and forefinger, on the palm, at the fingertips. Inside, some form of synthetic insulating fabric is the norm, although you'll also find natural materials like Merino wool and silk.

Fit

Winter cycling gloves present a particular challenge to designers. Layers of insulation and heavy-duty waterproof fabrics tend to be bulky, but gloves have to permit you enough finger mobility to shift and change gear. These demands mean that glove shape is more critical on a winter glove – there's more fabric to potentially bunch up.

Full winter gloves generally have long cuffs to make sure there are no gaps before your jersey or jacket sleeves arrive. Have a think about how well these are going to work with the tops you're likely to be wearing – ideally they'll be generous enough to fit over snug-fitting jersey sleeves but sufficiently low-profile to tuck neatly inside jacket sleeves.

Many winter cycling gloves have insulated liners that are only stitched in at the cuff. This is handy when you want to turn them inside out to dry but can be annoying when the whole thing prolapses out of the glove when you take your hand out and then has to be persuaded back in – potentially tricky if it stuck to your hand enough to come out in the first place.

Features

Adjustable Velcro cuffs are pretty much de rigeur with gloves, and full-on long-cuffed winter gloves will often have adjustable drawcords at the base of the cuffs too. These can be useful (pull in for extra snugness, let out for ventilation) but can get tangled up with jacket sleeves. You'll often find gloves that concentrate insulation and weatherproofing on the back and keep the palm thin.

This works well for dexterity. Most manufacturers have their own variant on ergonomically-designed padding, with pads positioned to align with common pressure points. Watch out for gloves designed for flat bars, though – different bits of your hands take the weight on drops and you can find that what would be a useful pad on flats becomes a slightly annoying lump on drops.

Choosing gloves: Things to consider

How wintery is my winter?

Even if we're just looking at the UK, winter varies quite a lot. On any given day the weather in Banff is likely to be somewhat different to that in Bournemouth. But even in one place the British winter is not a consistent beast. While some parts of the world will reliably deliver many weeks of sub-zero temperatures, in the UK it could be wind and driving rain, or precipitation-free but frosty, or actually quite moderate. Have a good think about the conditions that you're going to be riding in – across a lot of the country you can get away with surprisingly lightly-insulated gloves for quite a lot of the winter.

How warm are my hands?

Not all extremities are created equal. Some people are naturally warmer than others and this is particularly noticeable when it comes to hands and feet. For a given ambient temperature and degree of exertion one rider might be happy in thin, lightly-insulated full finger gloves while another is going numb in thick Arctic explorer gauntlets.

Only you know how much the cold gets to you, and this will inform your glove choice. If you run hot then you'll be wanting to go for less insulation and better breathability, while the cold-fingered will be able to sacrifice breathability for the sake of warmth. Keeping the wind out is always a good idea, though.

How many gloves am I willing to buy?

Given the huge variation in what constitutes “winter”, it's easy to end up with a whole bunch of slightly different gloves and the associated decision-making headache every time you want to go for a ride. Some people revel in having just the right bit of kit for all occasions – if that's you then feel free to go crazy. If you prefer to keep your gear cupboard under some sort of control, though, then think carefully about the range of conditions that you're actually going to be riding in, look at what you've already got and then see what's out there that'll cover the rest. There's a fair chance that a single pair of gloves will do the job.

A feast of fingers

There's a lot of choice in gloves. Here's a look at the full spectrum:

Thin or liner gloves

If it's merely a bit chilly out, you may need no more than a full-fingered summer-weight glove – it's amazing how much difference just covering your fingertips can make. Moving a step beyond that is a whole range of thin, lightweight insulated gloves that typically lack much in the way of weatherproofing but will keep fingers warmer than summer gloves in autumn or spring conditions.

While some thin gloves feature closely-woven fabric and a water-resistant coating to extend their capabilities, usually they're overfaced by strong winds and proper rain. But they're useful things to have in your glove armoury for less chilly days. Some gloves can double as (or are marketed specifically as) an extra insulating layer under a wind- or waterproof pair. If you're looking for gloves to do only this job, the thinner the better – silk is a good option.

Windproof gloves

The advantage of windproof gloves over fully waterproof ones is that they usually breathe a bit better, keeping your hands from getting all clammy. They're also often less bulky and with a softer feel than full waterproof gloves.

The obvious disadvantage is that rain can get in, although most windproof gloves have a water-resistant coating that keeps rain at bay up to a point. A good choice for cold but dry days, and the naturally warm-handed will benefit from the better breathability.

Waterproof gloves

Waterproof gloves come with varying amounts of insulation, with that being a trade-off between warmth and bulk.

Many riders will find that keeping wind and water out means that they can get away with less insulation, while others will need all the help they can get. Bear in mind that you can always boost the warmth of gloves by adding liners, but it's usually trickier to cool them down.

Two-part gloves

Two-part gloves are exactly what they sound like, with an outer shell glove to ward off wind and rain and an inner liner glove contributing thermal insulation.

You can of course assemble a glove “system” like this from separate bits, but an off-the-shelf two-part glove will have components that are designed to work together – you can be sure that there'll be enough room inside the shell for the liner and that the shapes of the two layers are complementary.

Two-part gloves are a great, versatile choice but if you're a warm-handed person then you may be paying for extra insulation that you'll rarely need.

The best winter cycling gloves

Now you know what to look for, and hopefully you have a clearer idea of what type of glove is right for you, here are some of the best winter cycling gloves we've reviewed and rated highly over the last few years.

Galibier Barrier Deep Winter Gloves — £24.85

With a few clever details that really help them do their job well, Galibier's Barrier Deep Winter Gloves ensure toasty hands when temperatures drop to low single figures and below, and at a very very reasonable price.

The warmth comes from the combination of a fleece internal glove and windproof layers over the top to keep out the chill. That's enough to keep your hands toasty even if things get a bit damp. The softshell outer layer resists water for a while, but if it's really bucketing down it eventually gets through.

Read our review of the Galibier Barrier Deep Winter Gloves

Specialized Element 1.0 gloves — £48

Among the most comfortable deep winter gloves you'll ever wear, Specialized's Element 1.0s are fully up to the task of keeping your hands warm and dry in winter, so long as it's not absolutely chucking it down.

If you're after a pair of deep winter gloves to see you through the worst weather, seemingly without compromise, then Specialized has you covered with the Element 1.0s.

Let's start with the warmth, which comes via Primaloft insulation, sandwiched between a Gore Windstopper outer fabric shell and a super-soft thermal liner. It's brilliantly warm in everything touching freezing and a little beyond, while there's a fair amount of breathability maintained through the technical textiles.

Read our review of the Specialized Element 1.0 gloves
Find a Specialized dealer

Dissent 133 Ultimate Cycling Glove Pack — £95

The Dissent 133 Ultimate Glove Pack really is just that, and will easily see you through an autumn, winter and spring of road and commuter riding. We never found conditions where these couldn't be used, making them excellent value compared with the three sets of gloves you'd otherwise buy.

You get a silk liner glove, knitted thermal layer, a windproof shell layer and finally a waterproof shell layer. All these layers can be worn individually, and Dissent 133 provides a guide of what to wear in specific conditions.

Read our review of the Dissent 133 Ultimate Cycling Glove Pack

Endura Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof glove — £49.99

Endura's Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof Gloves are warm enough even for freezing temperatures without being bulky, and they live up to their billing by keeping the rain out. Tester Mat Brett made these his favourite gloves last winter; they were the gloves he used day in and day out and they never let him down.

For a start, they're warm, and you really don't want to make any compromises there. You know that person who always gets cold on a ride before everyone else? That's our Mat, but he suffered no numb fingers in these gloves and his hands only felt the slightest bit cold in freezing temperatures. Being waterproof, they're also windproof so cold air can't blow through, and Primaloft Gold insulation keeps the warmth in.

Read our review of the Endura Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof glove
Find an Endura dealer

Mavic Essential Thermo Gloves — £20

Mavic's Essential Thermo gloves are impressive winter warmers, which manage to provide great protection and a comfortable, low-profile fit for anything but the very coldest weather.

There's always a balance to be struck with winter gloves, and inevitably there's a trade-off involved. You can go for thicker, chunkier, insulated gloves that arguably offer more protection from the cold but sacrifice feel and dexterity in the fingers, or go down the softshell route which can yield a more supple glove, but with a little less protection.

The Essential Thermo gloves are of the second type, but don't let that sway you into thinking they're going to come unstuck at the first sign of cold easterly winds or rainfall. The windproof fabric Mavic has used here is seriously impressive at keeping out penetrating winds, while it's well backed up by the quality of the stitching, which has seemingly been cleverly positioned away from direct wind when sat either on the hoods or the drops.

Read our review of the Mavic Essential Thermo Gloves
Find a Mavic dealer

Giro Proof Freezing Weather Cycling Gloves — £59.99

Giro's Proof 'freezing weather' cycling gloves provide windproofing, comfortable palms, decent dexterity and, most importantly, warmth down to below zero. They are pretty much perfect for winter riding.

My issues this winter have occurred on my sub-one-mile ride to work. The issue is, it's all downhill and my hands have frozen on any day that isn't above 5°C. So when, on my first ride in the Giro Proof gloves, I arrived at the office with working hands, I was rather impressed.

Read our review of the Giro Proof Gloves
Find a Giro dealer

Altura Micro Fleece Gloves — £18.95

Altura's Micro Fleece Gloves feature a very simple design that works very well. There's fantastic grip, a windproof back and soft fabric. I've used these for road riding, cyclo-cross and mountain biking. They've impressed me every time.

Altura seem to have gone back to basics with the Micro Fleece gloves. The cheapest in Altura's glove range, they come in at £16.99 and they Just Work™. There's no fancy frills to be found here. That's not to say that they felt cheap, or poorly constructed. I've put these through some very muddy abuse causing no issues with premature wear.

Link above is for extra-extra-large gloves. Sizes small to extra-large are £15.99.

Read our review of the Altura Micro Fleece Gloves
Find an Altura dealer

Giro 100 Proof gloves — £69.99

If total thermal comfort is the name of the game for you when temperatures dip below freezing, the Giro 100 Proof gloves have to be right up there on your shortlist.

You'll notice from our images that the glove is lobster-like, grouping two fingers together into each compartment. The design has a clear advantage over individually fingered gloves, allowing the circulation and resulting heat that gets to your fingers to build more effectively in a closed system.

Of course, this comes with the obvious downside of loss of dexterity, although with these it's still fairly easy to actuate mechanical shifts, as long as you're not in a hurry to get them. Spend a split second longer to find the shifter, and 99 times out of 100 you shift slickly and relatively precisely. Electronic shifting is another matter, though.

Read our review of the Giro 100 Proof gloves
Find a Giro dealer

Gore Universal Gore-Tex Thermo Gloves — £45.55

When the temperature reaches freezing the Gore Universal Gore-Tex Thermo Gloves keep on going, keeping out the best that Mother Nature can throw at them. Truly awesome!

It was -6°C according to my Garmin, and my evening's ride was being cut short as my leg muscles, feet and face weren't really feeling the love. My hands, though, they were toasty as hell. Normally at this temperature I'd be using a pair of liners but the Gore Thermos weren't even struggling.

Read our review of the Gore Universal Gore-Tex Thermo Gloves
Find a Gore Bike Wear dealer

Sportful Sotto Zero Gloves — £54.95

Providing excellent insulation without the bulk, these Sportful Sotto Zero Gloves will keep you warm right through the winter. When the temperature plummets these gloves keep your hands warm without fail.

For me, there's nothing much worse than freezing cold hands. Cold feet I can manage, but lose the feeling in your fingers halfway into a ride... well, that's not much fun. Traditionally, cold winter gloves, while they might keep your hands warm, would be massively bulky and seriously compromise your ability to operate the controls of the bike.

Sportful has managed to produce a glove that can provide impressive warmth for the coldest winter rides, but without the bulk. That means you maintain good control of the handlebar and can operate the gears and brakes easily, while remaining warm. They're like the size of a mid-weight glove but provide the warmth of much chunkier designs.

Read our review of the Sportful Sotto Zero Gloves
Find a Sportful dealer

DeFeet Duragloves — £13.00

DeFeet's Duragloves are simple, hardwearing gloves with a good amount of grip, for those days when it's not cold enough to need a windproof option. The latest version has fingertips that work with touchscreen phones.

Read our review of the DeFeet Duragloves
Find a DeFeet dealer

Craft Siberian gloves — £27

The Craft Siberians are well-made mid-weight gloves that provide decent warmth without being too bulky.

Read our review of the Craft Siberian gloves
Find a Craft dealer

Galibier Roubaix Vision Gloves — £16.00

The Galibier Roubaix Vision gloves fill that gap in your cycling wardrobe between winter gloves and short fingered mitts, around the 8-15°C range for me.

Read our review of the Galibier Roubaix Vision gloves

Madison Avalanche Men’s Gloves — £32.99

The Madison Avalanche Men's Gloves do the basics well. It would be nice to have the touchscreen element work a bit better, but for keeping your hands warm and dry in showers, if not heavy rain, they don't disappoint.

The primary function of any full-finger winter glove is to keep your hands warm. To help with this, the Avalanche gloves have a micro-fleece lining and a fully windproof upper. This combination creates a good barrier against the cold.

Although not totally waterproof, the Avalanches have a decent level of protection against rain – Madison describes them 'shower proof'. They kept our hands dry in moderate rain, and it was only really in driving rain that we noticed anything getting through, and even then it was only after about 20 minutes or so.

Read our review of the Madison Avalanche Men’s Gloves

Find a Madison dealer

Altura Thermastretch gloves — £19.99-£25.49

Altura's Thermostretch gloves take a simplified approach to winter hand protection. Made from a single material - neoprene - and with no layering, they a worthy addition to your wardrobe.

Read our review of the Altura Thermastretch gloves
Find an Altura dealer

GripGrab Insulator Long Finger Gloves — £22.99 - £31.49

GripGrab's Insulator gloves are a great option for layering – they can be used on their own but are still slim enough to be worn inside most winter gloves for when it gets really cold.

Read our review of the GripGrab Insulator Long Finger Gloves

Craft Storm Gloves — £25.99

Craft's Storm gloves lack the bulk of heavier duty winter gloves but despite that provide impressive insulation, striking a good balance that makes them pretty much spot on for most typical British winter days.

Read our review of the Craft Storm Gloves
Find a Craft dealer

SealSkinz Ultra Grip Gauntlets — £33

SealSkinz Ultra Grip Gauntlets have been designed to cope with cold and wet conditions, offering protection from water and wind as well as being breathable, all in a knit, stretch glove. They deal with the elements competently, keeping your hands protected and dry. They can get a little warm on the inside but rather that than cold, wet hands.

Read our review of the SealSkinz Ultra Grip Gauntlets
Find a SealSkinz dealer

GripGrab Windster Gloves — £39.72

GripGrab's Windsters are good quality, wind and water proof gloves that allow for lever grip combined with smartphone usability.

Read our review of the GripGrab Windster Gloves

Pearl Izumi ELITE Softshell Gloves — £44.99

Excellent gloves for really cold weather, with a great fit and padded palm. Pearl Izumi ELITE Softshell Gloves are stupendously warm thanks to the Primaloft insulation, which provides good insulation for sub-zero temperatures without being too bulky.

Read our review of the Pearl Izumi ELITE Softshell Gloves
Find a Pearl Izumi dealer

Showers Pass Men's Crosspoint Softshell WP gloves — £69

Showers Pass Crosspoint Softshell WP gloves will keep your hands dry and toasty even in a hard winter, but if it's mild they might be a shade too warm.

Read our review of the Showers Pass Crosspoint Softshell WP gloves
Find a Showers Pass dealer​

Rapha Deep Winter Gloves (£140) and Merino Liners (£40)

If you really struggle with poor circulation, and keeping your hands from getting cold on a ride is a perennial challenge, then you'll be very interested in Rapha's Deep Winter Gloves. Yes they're very expensive but they're among the warmest winter cycling gloves we've ever tested.

Read our review of the Rapha Deep Winter Gloves and Merino Liners

Essential for some, an instrument of torture for others, an indoor trainer can be preferable to heading outdoors when it's thundering down with rain or the roads are covered in ice.

• By simulating riding, but out of the cold and dark, a turbo trainer or indoor trainer lets you keep fit when it's too nasty to ride outside.

• The latest magnetic resistance trainers give a reasonable facsimile of riding on the road.

• 'Smart' trainers incorporate electronics to measure your power output and remotely control the resistance, making for very precise training and enabling on-line virtual racing.

• Rollers improve balance and pedalling smoothness, and feel more road-like, but usually don't have more resistance than is necessary to turn the wheels.

• Many riders now use an indoor trainer year-round to get the most out of limited training time and hone fitness away from the traffic.

14 of the best home trainers for 2020

• Elite Zumo —£449
• Tacx Neo 2T Smart — £1,199.00
• Saris H3 — £730
• Elite Qubo Digital Smart B+ — (eBay)
• Elite Novo Force — £165
• Tacx Booster — ~£225.00
• Saris Fluid2 — £280
• Kinetic Road Machine II Smart — £291.43
• Elite Turbo Muin Smart B+ — Search eBay
• Tacx Flux S — £543.63
• Wahoo Kickr Smart — £999.99
• Tacx Neo Bike Smart — £2,299
• Wattbike Atom – £1,899
• Minoura LR700 Rollers — £217.31

There's nothing quite like getting out there on the open road, but sometimes it can be too treacherous and a turbo trainer allows you to focus on your training through the winter months so you don't miss a ride. And if you're racing or planning to race, a turbo is a perfect way to do really high effort interval sets.

Many people swear by turbo trainers. If you're serious about your training and do a lot of competitive cycling, or are planning to, a turbo trainer is an excellent way of doing very specific and targeted training sessions. With heart rate monitors and power measuring devices to help you, it's possible to train very effectively on a turbo .

Turbo trainers aren't just for winter. Many use them for warming up before races and they can be used throughout the year to brush up on your top-end with sprint and high intensity training, without traffic or junctions getting in the way.

The advent of online training and racing apps like Zwift, The Sufferfest and TrainerRoad has added a new dimension to indoor riding. You can ride in virtual landscapes, following the provided training programs or ones you enter yourself, and there are group rides and races to help with your motivation. Most recent turbo trainers will work, but to get the most out of these apps, you want a smart trainer that can be controlled by the app so its resistance changes with the virtual slope you're riding.

>Read more: Turbo training tips — get the most from your home trainer

Resistance unit

A turbo trainer is a relatively simple device. With a whee-on trainer the rear wheel is suspended in an A-frame and the tyre butts up against a roller connected to a resistance unit. A direct drive trainer replaces your wheel with the resistance unit directly. This is the heart of the turbo trainer and is really where your money is going – the more expensive trainers have more advanced resistance units. If you're planning to use a turbo a lot of the coming winter, it can be worth paying a little more but, that said, we've found simple trainers fine for occasional use.

'Dumb' resistance units come in three main varieties; air, fluid and magnetic. Air resistance turbos are usually more affordable due to their simplicity while fluid types offer a smoother and more realistic feel. Here's a brief explanation of each.

Air resistance: A fan generates wind resistance. These aren't the quietest option, however, and don't offer the best ride experience, but they are cheap. They're not adjustable, so the only way to change the resistance is to change gear on your bike. Technically speaking only an air resistance unit, which uses a turbofan, is really a 'turbo' trainer, but the name is ubiquitous now.

Magnetic resistance: These are very popular at low to mid price points. A metal plate spins inside a magnetic field so they're simple to produce. You can buy magnetic trainers with adjustable resistance so you can tailor your workout. Spend a bit more and electro-magnetic units offer more control.

Fluid resistance: Usually more expensive because of the complex internals, these offer a quieter and much smoother ride. Inside the resistance unit an impeller revolves in oil and they can offer plenty of adjustment via handlebar mounted levers.

Smart trainers

There's been an explosion in the last few years of 'smart' trainers that hook up to your computer or television and display 3D or real world video so you can ride your favourite Alpine mountain or Belgian pavé. They automatically adjust the resistance based on the virtual terrain and can make time spent on a turbo trainer a lot more fun.

You can also use a smart trainer to carry out a programmed training session. The trainer takes care of providing the right resistance so that you work at a planned power output. This makes training on a turbo very time-efficient.

Most smart trainers communicate on both ANT+ and Bluetooth and are compatible with nearly any device that'll run the training software.

Get started with Zwift and make your home trainer sessions more fun with virtual races and rides

Frame

A turbo trainer needs to have a sturdy frame that won't flex or bend under your riding. A larger footprint and heavier frame will ensure it's more stable, which you do want if you're doing maximum-effort intervals in your kitchen.

Space can be a premium in many households and many turbos fold flat, but how much space they take up when folded down differs greatly from brand to brand.

Many trainers have adjustable legs or feet, so you can ensure you get the trainer perfectly level on uneven floors.

Wheel mount

A wheel-on turbo fixes to the quick release of the rear wheel, and often a quick release is be supplied with the turbo that is specifically compatible with the model. A cam locking system adjusts two cones that clamp around the skewer.

The better models get ergonomic levers that make setting up a breeze. Most trainers also accommodate various sizes of wheels, and some feature a latch to bring the roller up against the wheel, saving you from having to set the roller each time you begin a session.

Direct drive trainers allow you to fit your bike to the trainer; most come with the necessary hardware to fit either quick release or through-axle frames.

Noise

Perhaps the least attractive aspect of a turbo trainer is the noise they can make. It can sound like a plane taking off and that can pose problems if you live in close proximity to your neighbours. The more you spend, the less of an issue it's likely to be: modern direct drive trainers are very quiet and well-balanced.

Special turbo trainer tyres use a harder rubber compound that can decrease the noise (and wear out more slowly) if you have a wheel-on turbo. You can get mats to go under the turbo to stifle the noise; dedicated mats are expensive but a £10 yoga mat does the job and will stop you sweating all over your carpet.

Accessories

As well as a turbo trainer, there are a couple of other accessories that you might want to consider, but they're not essential. One is a riser for the front wheel. As the frame of the trainer holds the back wheel a couple of inches in the air, it's worth propping the front wheel up. An appropriately sized book does the trick, but you can buy a purpose-made block that lifts the front wheel in the air.

A turbo's roller is usually made of metal, and the heat generated by its friction with the tyre can accelerate the tyre's wear and eventually flatten the profile of the once round tyre. For that reason you don't want to be using your best tyres if you do plan to do a lot of time on a trainer. A good idea is to fit an old tyre or dedicated training tyre to your wheel, or even better a spare wheel. A specific turbo trainer wheel and tyre might seem an unnecessary expense, but turbo training tyres are made from a harder compound rubber so they don't wear out as quickly, and should keep the noise down a bit too.

Direct drive

The problems of tyre wear, and to a certain extent noise, are avoided or reduced with a direct drive trainer. You simply remove the rear wheel and hook the chain over the trainer's own sprockets. The resistance unit is often enclosed in a housing that helps keep the noise down and direct drive turbos often have very large flywheels for a smooth pedalling feel.

The turbo trainer choice

So what can you expect for your money? How much you should spend on an indoor trainer is a difficult question to answer; you need to be honest with yourself about how much you think you might actually use the trainer. There are lots of dusty trainers hidden away at the backs of garages or stashed in lofts.

If it's just for occasional use then one of the cheaper trainers will be just fine, but if you plan to log many weekly hours on a trainer that you will appreciate the better ride quality, stability and resistance levels of a more expensive trainer. Generally the more expensive trainers with fluid resistance units are quieter, and so better suited to using in the house or a flat, if you're concerned about annoying the neighbours.

>Read more: Six weeks to fitness with our turbo training program

When to buy

Trainer prices rise in the autumn and are lowest in the early summer. If you're planning a winter programme of indoor training, plan well ahead and shop accordingly.

14 of the best indoor trainers

There are far too many good turbos to recommend them all here, but we've tested a broad selection over the years, and used many others, so here is our selection of 14 of the best across a range of prices.

A note on availability: The Covid-19 lockdown sent cyclists everywhere flocking to Zwift and other online indoor training platforms. As a result, indoor trainers sold out in days back in late March, and supply still isn't quite back to normal. Where we've linked to retailers below we've tried to find ones that either have stock or have estimates of availability this side of the heat death of the universe. We've also included links to eBay searches.

Elite Zumo —£449 | Search eBay

The Elite Zumo is one of the cheapest interactive smart trainers on the market and performs well above its price tag. The power data is acceptable and the impressive ride feel makes racing that bit more realistic. The price makes this a great option for occasional indoor smart training.

> Read our review of the Elite Zumo
> Find an Elite dealer

Tacx Neo 2T Smart — £1,199.00 | Search eBay

At the top of the turbo trainer pile sits the Tacx Neo 2T. It's a super-capable smart trainer that has a resistance unit able to simulate road surfaces by altering the resistance hundreds of times a second. If you want the best direct-drive trainer, this is currently it.

The Neo 2T revision offers more powerful resistance at low speeds and is capable of very quick ERG power changes. It's quiet and capable, with accurate power numbers, and continues the trend of NEO trainers being excellent, although the ERG mode is a bit hardcore compared to some.

> Read our review of the Tacx Neo 2T Smart
> Find a Tacx dealer

Saris H3 — £730 | Search eBay

The newest of the range of trainers that started as the CycleOps Hammer, the H3 is very quiet and very accurate. It's a smart trainer that's great for serious indoor training

> Read our review of the Saris H3

Elite Qubo Digital Smart B+ — (eBay)

Elite's Qubo Digital Smart B+ has been around a while now, and that means you can hop into smart training for only just over £200. If you're not sure it's for you this is an excellent unit to try.

> Read our review of the Elite Qubo Digital Smart B+
> Find an Elite dealer

Elite Novo Force — £165 | Search eBay

Elite's Novo is a good quality classic trainer. It features a remote lever to vary the resistance and the Elastogel roller should make it a bit quieter if you're worried about annoying the neighbours.

> Find an Elite dealer

Tacx Booster — ~£225.00 | Search eBay

If you're looking for a trainer that's easy to pack away – if you don't have room to leave your training set up set up – then the Tacx Booster is easy to set up and strike when you're done.

> Read our review of the Tacx Booster

Saris Fluid2 — £280 | Search eBay

The Saris (ex CycleOps) Fluid2 has been around for a long time, and its sealed fluid resistance unit has stood the test of time: it's one of the best classic trainers out there and will last for ever.

> Read our review of the Saris Fluid2
> Find a Saris dealer

Kinetic Road Machine II Smart — £291.43 | Search eBay

Kinetic's Road Machine Smart trainer is a classic fluid trainer that comes with Kinetic's inRide sensor technology installed, for app-based power training. The ride feel is excellent and the fluid resistance unit uses a magnetic coupling so there are no seals to wear.

> Read the full review of the Kinetic Road Machine II Smart
> Find a Kinetic dealer

Elite Suito — £616.60 | Search eBay

Direct drive smart trainers are getting cheaper, and the Suito shows that you don't need to spend the best part of a thousand quid to get really good performance. It's a solid unit that's pretty accurate.

> Read the full review of the Elite Suito

Elite Turbo Muin Smart B+ — Search eBay

If you want a smart direct drive trainer then the Elite Turbo Muin Smart B+ is about the cheapest you'll find. If you want to use an app like Zwift (and trust us, you do) then you'll need the more recent Smart B+ version, not the older versions you'll find cheaper.

> Read more about the Elite Turbo Muin trainer
> Find an Elite dealer

Tacx Flux S — £543.63 | Search eBay

Another mid-priced direct drive trainer, the Tacx Flux S gets a 7kg flywheel and can simulate a maximum resistance of 1,500W, so it should be plenty capable enough for your sprint intervals unless you're an elite level rider.

There's also another version of the Flux — the £795 Flux 2— with higher maximum resistance and other improvements.

> Read our review of the Tacx Flux S
> Find a Tacx dealer

Wahoo Kickr Smart — £999.99 | Search eBay

The Kickr is one of the best direct drive trainers currently on the market, and it's designed to be compatible with the Kickr Climb, which can move the front of your bike up and down to simulate climbing and descending.

> Read our review of the Wahoo Kickr
> Find a Wahoo dealer

Smart bikes

Taking it to the next level, smart bikes are a fully-intergrated solution with plenty of adjustability so that more than one rider can easily use them. Obviously you're paying a bit more for all that tech...

Tacx Neo Bike Smart — £2,299

Using the excellent Neo 2 resistance unit from its smart trainers, Tacx has created a gym-standard smart bike that uses a configurable system of electronic gears. It's a real piece of work, if you have somewhere to put it!

> Read our review of the Tacx Neo Bike Smart

Wattbike Atom – £1,899

Wattbike's Atom trainer is the first fully connected smart bike trainer that's designed for interactive training on platforms such as Zwift, TrainerRoad and The Sufferfest. It features controllable resistance via ANT+ and Bluetooth, 22 virtual gears, a big flywheel for a realistic road feel and a fully adjustable gym bike setup that makes it easy for more than one member of the family to use it regularly. Wattbike's own app offers in-depth pedalling analysis and the option to try your hand at famous climbs such as Alpe d'Huez.

> Read our review of the Wattbike Atom

>Read more: Is it okay to use your bike on a turbo trainer?

The alternative: Rollers

If you watch track cycling, you'll have seen the athletes using rollers to warm up and cool down on. Rollers are simple metal frames with three rollers, or drums. Two of the drums are attached with a band so that when you're cycling, both wheels rotate.

It takes a lot of skill to ride rollers comfortably though and you need a good deal of patience as there's nothing clamping the bike in place. Most rollers don't offer any resistance adjustment, but there are now rollers with integrated resistance adjustment, such as the Elite Real E-Motion rollers. People like rollers because they can feel a lot closer to actually riding a bike on the road.

They can be a lot more fun too. A major benefit of using rollers is they hone your balance and bike handling skills, and many say they improve the smoothness of your pedalling style. They're much easier to set up than a turbo.

Minoura LR700 Rollers — £217.31 | Search eBay

The LR700 rollers have a simple design that doesn't falter on usability. With a standard three roller design, they manage to be small enough to store away at 554mm width and 766mm when compacted. They can be kept down the side of the tumble dryer, under a table or just tucked into a corner.

> Read our review of the Minoura LR700 Rollers
> Find a Minoura dealer

Roodol Folding track rollers — £199 | Search eBay

Roodol's folding track rollers are simple and easy to use, and they can be used with Roodol's Bluetooth roller which allows you to transmit power data to apps such as Zwift

> Read our review of the Roodol folding track rollers

Explore the complete archive of reviews of indoor trainers on road.cc

When the the nights draw in (or you get tempted by warm summer evenings to ride into the dark), you need to make sure you've got a set of lights on your bike. It's the law in the UK to run them after dark, and they're a major safety aid about town as well as letting you see where you're going in the dark lanes.

• The days of feeble incandescent lights are long gone. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have taken over as the source of bike illumination. They're robust, efficient and very cheap to run.
• Smaller lights are plenty bright enough to get you seen at night. Need to see where you're going? Look for output of about 500 lumens and up.
• All but the cheapest lights are rechargeable, usually via a micro-USB port so you can use a common charger or your office computer
• Our lights comparison engine shows you the all-important differences in where the light ends up, showing that total lumens aren't the only measure of a good light.
• Want lighting that's truly ever ready? Take a look at a dynamo system: no recharging needed and you can't leave them at home.

If you're in the market for some bike lights there's a bewildering array to choose from, at prices ranging from a few quid to nearly a grand, so what's the best bet for your riding? To help you choose here's road.cc's quick guide to the technology and the options available for your front light.

The light beam comparison engine

Our beam test comparison data contains beam shots and data for over 40 of this year's cycling front lights, as well as all our historical data going back to 2015. So you can directly compare one with another. After it, we take a look at the various options in lighting technology and recommend some of our favourite lights.

If you have a nice big screen you can click here for the widescreen version (1400x1000px)

About the beam comparison engine

We've collected lots of beam data so you can compare and contrast the different lights. Light manufacturers use a number of different metrics to describe light output. We've used lux here, but measured at a number of points across the width of the beam. That gives an indication of the brightness of the beam at the centre, the amount of peripheral light and the throw of the beam. We think that's the most useful measurement to directly compare. Specifically, we measured the lux value of the beam at two metres distance, in 10cm increments from the centre of the beam to 1m from the centre, giving eleven readings.

We've also included data on the shape of the beam. We've tried a number of different approaches to this in the past, but this year we've taken a picture of each beam with the camera in the same position and using the same exposure. Wider beams should appear wider, and brighter beams brighter.

Most of the lights we tested still had a more-or-less round beam. For riding on the road a more horizontal or squared-off beam has advantages. You're not wasting your battery lighting up the tree canopy, and you're less likely to dazzle oncoming traffic. Such beams are widely used in Europe, and in Germany they're the only lights legal for use on the road. Only one of our 2018 lights (the Infini Saturn 300) has a StVZO (the German standard) compliant beam, although other manufacturers such as Lezyne do produce the lights, but don't sell them over here. We'd like to see more of them: they work well for a lot of road riding.

To get a good idea of what each beam looks like, we set up a bike on a rig so that we could photograph the beams of all the different lights in a comparable way. Each of the beam shots was taken using the same settings on the camera: 28mm (effective 45mm), shooting for 1s at f29 on ISO6400. If you fancy doing some of your own. So as much as they can be, they're directly comparable to one another. If one looks brighter than another, that's because it was. Matt the Aldi-coat-sporting model is at 10m (the cones are 2m apart) and the car is 20m away.

A word about logs

The graph displaying the beam data uses a logarithmic scale to display the output of the lights. If you understand or care about such things, here's why:

Firstly, light beams follow an inverse square law regarding the strength of the light at increasing distance, because they're illuminating a two-dimensional plane. So at twice the distance, the light beam is spread over four times the area. Consequently, a light that is measured as twice as bright at its centre won't let you see twice as far. The logarithmic scale produces a more realistic visual comparison because of this.

Secondly, the variations in the amount of peripheral light, though much smaller than the variations in the centre, make a big difference to how much peripheral vision you get. The logarithmic scale amplifies these differences relative to the centre of the beam, so it's easier to see which unit is putting out more light at the sides.

Light sources: It's LEDs, LEDs or LEDs these days

A few years ago you had a choice of different bulb options to consider, but LED lights have improved to such an extent – and come down in price too – that there really isn't a choice any more. LEDs tick all the boxes for a bike light. They're tiny, they cost tuppence to make, they last for ever, they're rugged, they run fairly cool and they're easy on the juice. No wonder that everyone's using them these days.

There's LEDs and there's LEDs though. The bulbs in a cheap flasher that look like the ones out of your old 100-in-1 science set are a long way removed from the high-spec emitters in top-dollar off-road lamps. Outputs have shot up in the last couple or three years as well, with the brightest lights claiming outputs of several thousand lumens, more than a car headlight. More general purpose lights range from 200 to about 800 lumens, with basic commuter lights and emergency lights weaker than that; they're mostly to be seen by, though, not to see with.

Setting the standard

Technically, all bike lights must be fitted to comply with the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations (RVLR). For the record, here's what those regs say:

Front Lamp
One is required, showing a white light, positioned centrally or offside, up to 1500mm from the ground, aligned towards and visible from the front. If capable of emitting a steady light it must be marked as conforming to BS6102/3 or an equivalent EC standard. If capable of emitting only a flashing light, it must emit at least 4 candela.

Rear Lamp
One is required, to show a red light, positioned centrally or offside, between 350mm and 1500mm from the ground, at or near the rear, aligned towards and visible from behind. If capable of emitting a steady light it must be marked as conforming to BS3648, or BS6102/3, or an equivalent EC standard. If capable of emitting only a flashing light, it must emit at least 4 candela.

You also need a rear reflector and four pedal reflectors to fully comply with the RVLR.

In practice, not all bike lights are kitemarked. The specification for lights dates back to 1986 and is designed to apply to lights with filament bulbs. That doesn't mean that LED lights can't meet the requirements – many do – but lots of them aren't specifically tested for the ageing British Standard, especially those that are for the worldwide market. Since the RVLR were amended to allow cyclists to fit flashing LEDs we've heard very little about cyclists being stopped for having non-compliant lights.

Choosing a light: things to consider

What am I going to use the light for?
Are you going to be pootling down to the shops, or do you detour through the woods on the way home? You need to consider how much light you need, and where you need it to be put. Brighter is often better, but look for lights with good side visibility if you're riding a lot in town: side visibility is very important when coming out of a junction.

If you're solely riding on the road, look for a light with a beam pattern that's not going to dazzle oncoming traffic. Narrow beams and German-style cutoff beams (designed to comply with German road lighting regulations, where 95% of the available light must be directed downwards) are ones to look out for, although the German-style lights are still quite rare in the UK. If you're mixing up your road riding with paths and singletrack, a light with a wide beam that has lower-power modes for use in traffic may be the one to go for.

If you're going to be doing a lot of swapping between bikes, consider how easy that's going to be. Are the mounts quick release? Are there lots of wires to deal with?

How regularly will I use the light, and how long per day?
If your commute is an hour and your light gives out after 50 minutes then you're in trouble. If it has a proprietary charger rather than batteries or a USB charge option, then it needs to last to where you're going and back again. Think about when you'll recharge the light and how long that will take.

Many lights have low-power options that will extend battery life, so it's important to work out if these will give you enough output for certain sections of your ride. Many lights have fuel gauge displays to let you know the state of the battery, these can be very useful if you ride regularly and aren't good at remembering to charge your lights.

What conditions will I use the light in?
If you're riding every day, come what may, your lights will take a beating. They're very exposed to rain and spray at the front of your bike. Generally the more expensive lights are better constructed with more effective seals, so spend as much as you can afford. If you think you might break your lights from using them in all conditions, check what the warranty is like.

The gamut of glare

Okay, so you've got to buy some lights. What kind of lights do you need? Here's a quick run down of the basic types you can get your hands on, and who they're aimed at. We've mostly recommended lights for which we have a full review. For brand new models, take a look at the beam comparison engine, above.

Emergency lights

Small enough to leave in your bag for when you need them, emergency lights normally attach with a stretchy band to the bars or frame and are powered by CR2032 button cells. They don't put out a great deal of light but as an get-you-home solution if you get caught out or your main lights fail, they're a lot better than nothing.

USB-rechargeable lights have dropped in price over the last couple of years, so if you don't fancy paying for a pair of CR2032s every now and then, you can get tiny lights that'll plug into your office computer to charge, like Cateye's Orb.

Recommended lights

Cateye Orb — £7.49 (rechargeable £13.59)
Knog Frog — £9.99 (read review)
Lezyne Femto Drive — £8.99

Small torches

The next step up is a more powerful bar-mounted lamp. These are still lights to be seen by rather than for seeing, though most put out enough light that you can still make slow progress along unlit, well-surfaced trails and towpaths. There's almost always a flashing mode on offer too, though we'd advise discretion in its use. The pulse from even a low-power light can be bright enough to be aggravating to other cyclists, so best stick to steady mode on two-way bike paths and trails.

Of the latest batch of lights we've beam-tested only the Oxford Ultra Torch runs off separate batteries; almost all front lights in this category are now USB-rechargeable. That means the running cost is effectively zero, but it does mean that if you run out of juice you can't just nip into a service station and grab replacement AAAs.

Recommended lights

Vel 300 — £27.00 (read review)
Exposure Sirius DayBright — £80 (read review)
Exposure Diablo MK11 — £169.00 (read review)
Exposure Joystick MK13 — £135 (read review)
Cateye HL-EL135 — £17.99
Lezyne KTV Drive 200 — £24.99 (read review)
Moon Meteor-X Auto Pro — £28.99 (read review)
Magicshine Allty 300 — £29.99
Cateye Volt 200 XC — £18.82

Torches

There's lots and lots of choice when it comes to larger torch-style cycling front lights. Powered either by either built-in rechargeable batteries or a swappable battery pack, they put out a bit more light. If your riding takes you anywhere you need to see – rather than just be seen – you'll need at least one of these.

Often manufacturers will bundle a torch-style front light with a rear flasher, seeing to both ends of your bike and scoring you a bit of a discount in the process.

Rechargeable units sometimes come with a mains adaptor but USB chargers are the majority, allowing you to juice up your light at your desk or just use another of your collection of wall-warts.

The brightest torch-style lights now kick out over 1,000 lumens, which is more than you'll ever need for road riding, but on lower settings the best ones will run all night.

Recommended lights

Magicshine Allty 1000 — £69.99 (read review)
Lezyne Micro Drive Pro 800XL — £54.80 (read review)
ETC Kochab 1000 — £80 (read review)
Ravemen PR1600 — £107.22 (read review)
Giant Recon HL1600 — £84.99 (read review)
Moon Meteor Storm Lite with Nebula rear — £69.99 (read review)
Cateye Volt 800 — £80.99 (read review)
Light And Motion Urban 1000 — £94.99 (read review)
Lezyne Macro Drive 1300XXL — £73.99 (read review)
Blackburn DayBlazer 1100 — £67.30 (read review)
Cateye Volt 1300 — £89.49 (read review)
Cateye Volt 1700 — £149.99 (Read review)
Exposure Strada — £155 (Read review)

Battery pack systems

The most powerful cycling front lights tend to be characterised by a separate battery pack attached to a smaller head unit that's a lot more powerful than a standard torch. They start at around £20 for a CREE-powered eBay light but you can pay the best part of a grand for the really high end stuff. The big advantage of these systems is that you can swap the battery pack if you're doing a very long ride, and some manufacturers offer a range of battery packs. If you want to go out regularly and train after dark on the lanes, or venture off-road, then a battery pack system may be your best bet.

Recommended lights

'eBay Special' Cree XML system — from £12.99 (read review)
Magicshine MJ-906 — £129.99
Lumicycle Apogee — £249.99 (read review)

Dynamo lights

If you want your lights to be a permanent fixture and never worry about batteries then you can't do better than a dynamo. Hub dynamos are the pick for low maintenance and decent output; most will supply 2.4-3W which is plenty for a bright light front and rear. Pick a system that stores some of the energy from the dynamo so you don't go dark when you're stopped at the traffic lights. Many riders leave their dynamo lights on for daylight running too, as they draw very little energy from the bike.

Recommended lights

Shutter Precision 8-series hub dynamo — £84.99 - £149.99 (Read review)
Exposure Revo Mk1 light — £223.96 (Read review)
Supernova E3 Pro 2 light — £119.99 (Read review)

Head torches

Fitting a light to your helmet means you can point the beam where you want it, making the light a lot more useful. Some of the smaller rechargeable systems come with a helmet mount, or you could go for a more general use headband-type light and ziptie it on. Bear in mind that you should also have a fixed light on your bike if you want to comply with the law.

Recommended lights

Lupine Neo 2 helmet light — ~£170.00 (read review)

Top lights deals

Hands have a hard time on winter rides. They're stuck out in front of you with nothing much to do beyond braking and shifting, spending long periods of time largely still but bearing the brunt of cold winds, not to mention rain and spray. It's no wonder that they tend to get cold. Good winter cycling gloves are a must for comfortable cold weather riding – here's what to look for.

What to look for

The goal of winter cycling gloves is to keep your hands warm. Fighting back against the cold is a two-pronged attack. First your gloves need to keep potentially chilling outside factors out, which essentially means wind and rain. Second they need to prevent heat escaping.

>>Read more: the full road.cc long-fingered gloves review archive

Fabrics

You'll find the usual range of wind- and waterproof fabrics on offer in the glove market, including Gore-Tex and other waterproof/breathable fabrics. Much as with jackets, windproof fabrics with water-resistant coatings are becoming more popular thanks to lower bulk and a softer feel. Gloves often have reinforced areas of heavier-duty fabric at key points – between thumb and forefinger, on the palm, at the fingertips. Inside, some form of synthetic insulating fabric is the norm, although you'll also find natural materials like Merino wool and silk.

Fit

Winter cycling gloves present a particular challenge to designers. Layers of insulation and heavy-duty waterproof fabrics tend to be bulky, but gloves have to permit you enough finger mobility to shift and change gear. These demands mean that glove shape is more critical on a winter glove – there's more fabric to potentially bunch up.

Full winter gloves generally have long cuffs to make sure there are no gaps before your jersey or jacket sleeves arrive. Have a think about how well these are going to work with the tops you're likely to be wearing – ideally they'll be generous enough to fit over snug-fitting jersey sleeves but sufficiently low-profile to tuck neatly inside jacket sleeves.

Many winter cycling gloves have insulated liners that are only stitched in at the cuff. This is handy when you want to turn them inside out to dry but can be annoying when the whole thing prolapses out of the glove when you take your hand out and then has to be persuaded back in – potentially tricky if it stuck to your hand enough to come out in the first place.

Features

Adjustable Velcro cuffs are pretty much de rigeur with gloves, and full-on long-cuffed winter gloves will often have adjustable drawcords at the base of the cuffs too. These can be useful (pull in for extra snugness, let out for ventilation) but can get tangled up with jacket sleeves. You'll often find gloves that concentrate insulation and weatherproofing on the back and keep the palm thin.

This works well for dexterity. Most manufacturers have their own variant on ergonomically-designed padding, with pads positioned to align with common pressure points. Watch out for gloves designed for flat bars, though – different bits of your hands take the weight on drops and you can find that what would be a useful pad on flats becomes a slightly annoying lump on drops.

Choosing gloves: Things to consider

How wintery is my winter?

Even if we're just looking at the UK, winter varies quite a lot. On any given day the weather in Banff is likely to be somewhat different to that in Bournemouth. But even in one place the British winter is not a consistent beast. While some parts of the world will reliably deliver many weeks of sub-zero temperatures, in the UK it could be wind and driving rain, or precipitation-free but frosty, or actually quite moderate. Have a good think about the conditions that you're going to be riding in – across a lot of the country you can get away with surprisingly lightly-insulated gloves for quite a lot of the winter.

How warm are my hands?

Not all extremities are created equal. Some people are naturally warmer than others and this is particularly noticeable when it comes to hands and feet. For a given ambient temperature and degree of exertion one rider might be happy in thin, lightly-insulated full finger gloves while another is going numb in thick Arctic explorer gauntlets.

Only you know how much the cold gets to you, and this will inform your glove choice. If you run hot then you'll be wanting to go for less insulation and better breathability, while the cold-fingered will be able to sacrifice breathability for the sake of warmth. Keeping the wind out is always a good idea, though.

How many gloves am I willing to buy?

Given the huge variation in what constitutes “winter”, it's easy to end up with a whole bunch of slightly different gloves and the associated decision-making headache every time you want to go for a ride. Some people revel in having just the right bit of kit for all occasions – if that's you then feel free to go crazy. If you prefer to keep your gear cupboard under some sort of control, though, then think carefully about the range of conditions that you're actually going to be riding in, look at what you've already got and then see what's out there that'll cover the rest. There's a fair chance that a single pair of gloves will do the job.

A feast of fingers

There's a lot of choice in gloves. Here's a look at the full spectrum:

Thin or liner gloves

If it's merely a bit chilly out, you may need no more than a full-fingered summer-weight glove – it's amazing how much difference just covering your fingertips can make. Moving a step beyond that is a whole range of thin, lightweight insulated gloves that typically lack much in the way of weatherproofing but will keep fingers warmer than summer gloves in autumn or spring conditions.

While some thin gloves feature closely-woven fabric and a water-resistant coating to extend their capabilities, usually they're overfaced by strong winds and proper rain. But they're useful things to have in your glove armoury for less chilly days. Some gloves can double as (or are marketed specifically as) an extra insulating layer under a wind- or waterproof pair. If you're looking for gloves to do only this job, the thinner the better – silk is a good option.

Windproof gloves

The advantage of windproof gloves over fully waterproof ones is that they usually breathe a bit better, keeping your hands from getting all clammy. They're also often less bulky and with a softer feel than full waterproof gloves.

The obvious disadvantage is that rain can get in, although most windproof gloves have a water-resistant coating that keeps rain at bay up to a point. A good choice for cold but dry days, and the naturally warm-handed will benefit from the better breathability.

Waterproof gloves

Waterproof gloves come with varying amounts of insulation, with that being a trade-off between warmth and bulk.

Many riders will find that keeping wind and water out means that they can get away with less insulation, while others will need all the help they can get. Bear in mind that you can always boost the warmth of gloves by adding liners, but it's usually trickier to cool them down.

Two-part gloves

Two-part gloves are exactly what they sound like, with an outer shell glove to ward off wind and rain and an inner liner glove contributing thermal insulation.

You can of course assemble a glove “system” like this from separate bits, but an off-the-shelf two-part glove will have components that are designed to work together – you can be sure that there'll be enough room inside the shell for the liner and that the shapes of the two layers are complementary.

Two-part gloves are a great, versatile choice but if you're a warm-handed person then you may be paying for extra insulation that you'll rarely need.

The best winter cycling gloves

Now you know what to look for, and hopefully you have a clearer idea of what type of glove is right for you, here are some of the best winter cycling gloves we've reviewed and rated highly over the last few years.

Galibier Barrier Deep Winter Gloves — £24.85

With a few clever details that really help them do their job well, Galibier's Barrier Deep Winter Gloves ensure toasty hands when temperatures drop to low single figures and below, and at a very very reasonable price.

The warmth comes from the combination of a fleece internal glove and windproof layers over the top to keep out the chill. That's enough to keep your hands toasty even if things get a bit damp. The softshell outer layer resists water for a while, but if it's really bucketing down it eventually gets through.

Read our review of the Galibier Barrier Deep Winter Gloves

Specialized Element 1.0 gloves — £48

Among the most comfortable deep winter gloves you'll ever wear, Specialized's Element 1.0s are fully up to the task of keeping your hands warm and dry in winter, so long as it's not absolutely chucking it down.

If you're after a pair of deep winter gloves to see you through the worst weather, seemingly without compromise, then Specialized has you covered with the Element 1.0s.

Let's start with the warmth, which comes via Primaloft insulation, sandwiched between a Gore Windstopper outer fabric shell and a super-soft thermal liner. It's brilliantly warm in everything touching freezing and a little beyond, while there's a fair amount of breathability maintained through the technical textiles.

Read our review of the Specialized Element 1.0 gloves
Find a Specialized dealer

Dissent 133 Ultimate Cycling Glove Pack — £95

The Dissent 133 Ultimate Glove Pack really is just that, and will easily see you through an autumn, winter and spring of road and commuter riding. We never found conditions where these couldn't be used, making them excellent value compared with the three sets of gloves you'd otherwise buy.

You get a silk liner glove, knitted thermal layer, a windproof shell layer and finally a waterproof shell layer. All these layers can be worn individually, and Dissent 133 provides a guide of what to wear in specific conditions.

Read our review of the Dissent 133 Ultimate Cycling Glove Pack

Endura Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof glove — £49.99

Endura's Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof Gloves are warm enough even for freezing temperatures without being bulky, and they live up to their billing by keeping the rain out. Tester Mat Brett made these his favourite gloves last winter; they were the gloves he used day in and day out and they never let him down.

For a start, they're warm, and you really don't want to make any compromises there. You know that person who always gets cold on a ride before everyone else? That's our Mat, but he suffered no numb fingers in these gloves and his hands only felt the slightest bit cold in freezing temperatures. Being waterproof, they're also windproof so cold air can't blow through, and Primaloft Gold insulation keeps the warmth in.

Read our review of the Endura Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof glove
Find an Endura dealer

Mavic Essential Thermo Gloves — £20

Mavic's Essential Thermo gloves are impressive winter warmers, which manage to provide great protection and a comfortable, low-profile fit for anything but the very coldest weather.

There's always a balance to be struck with winter gloves, and inevitably there's a trade-off involved. You can go for thicker, chunkier, insulated gloves that arguably offer more protection from the cold but sacrifice feel and dexterity in the fingers, or go down the softshell route which can yield a more supple glove, but with a little less protection.

The Essential Thermo gloves are of the second type, but don't let that sway you into thinking they're going to come unstuck at the first sign of cold easterly winds or rainfall. The windproof fabric Mavic has used here is seriously impressive at keeping out penetrating winds, while it's well backed up by the quality of the stitching, which has seemingly been cleverly positioned away from direct wind when sat either on the hoods or the drops.

Read our review of the Mavic Essential Thermo Gloves
Find a Mavic dealer

Giro Proof Freezing Weather Cycling Gloves — £59.99

Giro's Proof 'freezing weather' cycling gloves provide windproofing, comfortable palms, decent dexterity and, most importantly, warmth down to below zero. They are pretty much perfect for winter riding.

My issues this winter have occurred on my sub-one-mile ride to work. The issue is, it's all downhill and my hands have frozen on any day that isn't above 5°C. So when, on my first ride in the Giro Proof gloves, I arrived at the office with working hands, I was rather impressed.

Read our review of the Giro Proof Gloves
Find a Giro dealer

Altura Micro Fleece Gloves — £18.95

Altura's Micro Fleece Gloves feature a very simple design that works very well. There's fantastic grip, a windproof back and soft fabric. I've used these for road riding, cyclo-cross and mountain biking. They've impressed me every time.

Altura seem to have gone back to basics with the Micro Fleece gloves. The cheapest in Altura's glove range, they come in at £16.99 and they Just Work™. There's no fancy frills to be found here. That's not to say that they felt cheap, or poorly constructed. I've put these through some very muddy abuse causing no issues with premature wear.

Link above is for extra-extra-large gloves. Sizes small to extra-large are £15.99.

Read our review of the Altura Micro Fleece Gloves
Find an Altura dealer

Giro 100 Proof gloves — £69.99

If total thermal comfort is the name of the game for you when temperatures dip below freezing, the Giro 100 Proof gloves have to be right up there on your shortlist.

You'll notice from our images that the glove is lobster-like, grouping two fingers together into each compartment. The design has a clear advantage over individually fingered gloves, allowing the circulation and resulting heat that gets to your fingers to build more effectively in a closed system.

Of course, this comes with the obvious downside of loss of dexterity, although with these it's still fairly easy to actuate mechanical shifts, as long as you're not in a hurry to get them. Spend a split second longer to find the shifter, and 99 times out of 100 you shift slickly and relatively precisely. Electronic shifting is another matter, though.

Read our review of the Giro 100 Proof gloves
Find a Giro dealer

Gore Universal Gore-Tex Thermo Gloves — £45.55

When the temperature reaches freezing the Gore Universal Gore-Tex Thermo Gloves keep on going, keeping out the best that Mother Nature can throw at them. Truly awesome!

It was -6°C according to my Garmin, and my evening's ride was being cut short as my leg muscles, feet and face weren't really feeling the love. My hands, though, they were toasty as hell. Normally at this temperature I'd be using a pair of liners but the Gore Thermos weren't even struggling.

Read our review of the Gore Universal Gore-Tex Thermo Gloves
Find a Gore Bike Wear dealer

Sportful Sotto Zero Gloves — £54.95

Providing excellent insulation without the bulk, these Sportful Sotto Zero Gloves will keep you warm right through the winter. When the temperature plummets these gloves keep your hands warm without fail.

For me, there's nothing much worse than freezing cold hands. Cold feet I can manage, but lose the feeling in your fingers halfway into a ride... well, that's not much fun. Traditionally, cold winter gloves, while they might keep your hands warm, would be massively bulky and seriously compromise your ability to operate the controls of the bike.

Sportful has managed to produce a glove that can provide impressive warmth for the coldest winter rides, but without the bulk. That means you maintain good control of the handlebar and can operate the gears and brakes easily, while remaining warm. They're like the size of a mid-weight glove but provide the warmth of much chunkier designs.

Read our review of the Sportful Sotto Zero Gloves
Find a Sportful dealer

DeFeet Duragloves — £13.00

DeFeet's Duragloves are simple, hardwearing gloves with a good amount of grip, for those days when it's not cold enough to need a windproof option. The latest version has fingertips that work with touchscreen phones.

Read our review of the DeFeet Duragloves
Find a DeFeet dealer

Craft Siberian gloves — £27

The Craft Siberians are well-made mid-weight gloves that provide decent warmth without being too bulky.

Read our review of the Craft Siberian gloves
Find a Craft dealer

Galibier Roubaix Vision Gloves — £16.00

The Galibier Roubaix Vision gloves fill that gap in your cycling wardrobe between winter gloves and short fingered mitts, around the 8-15°C range for me.

Read our review of the Galibier Roubaix Vision gloves

Madison Avalanche Men’s Gloves — £32.99

The Madison Avalanche Men's Gloves do the basics well. It would be nice to have the touchscreen element work a bit better, but for keeping your hands warm and dry in showers, if not heavy rain, they don't disappoint.

The primary function of any full-finger winter glove is to keep your hands warm. To help with this, the Avalanche gloves have a micro-fleece lining and a fully windproof upper. This combination creates a good barrier against the cold.

Although not totally waterproof, the Avalanches have a decent level of protection against rain – Madison describes them 'shower proof'. They kept our hands dry in moderate rain, and it was only really in driving rain that we noticed anything getting through, and even then it was only after about 20 minutes or so.

Read our review of the Madison Avalanche Men’s Gloves

Find a Madison dealer

Altura Thermastretch gloves — £19.99-£25.49

Altura's Thermostretch gloves take a simplified approach to winter hand protection. Made from a single material - neoprene - and with no layering, they a worthy addition to your wardrobe.

Read our review of the Altura Thermastretch gloves
Find an Altura dealer

GripGrab Insulator Long Finger Gloves — £22.99 - £31.49

GripGrab's Insulator gloves are a great option for layering – they can be used on their own but are still slim enough to be worn inside most winter gloves for when it gets really cold.

Read our review of the GripGrab Insulator Long Finger Gloves

Craft Storm Gloves — £25.99

Craft's Storm gloves lack the bulk of heavier duty winter gloves but despite that provide impressive insulation, striking a good balance that makes them pretty much spot on for most typical British winter days.

Read our review of the Craft Storm Gloves
Find a Craft dealer

SealSkinz Ultra Grip Gauntlets — £33

SealSkinz Ultra Grip Gauntlets have been designed to cope with cold and wet conditions, offering protection from water and wind as well as being breathable, all in a knit, stretch glove. They deal with the elements competently, keeping your hands protected and dry. They can get a little warm on the inside but rather that than cold, wet hands.

Read our review of the SealSkinz Ultra Grip Gauntlets
Find a SealSkinz dealer

GripGrab Windster Gloves — £39.72

GripGrab's Windsters are good quality, wind and water proof gloves that allow for lever grip combined with smartphone usability.

Read our review of the GripGrab Windster Gloves

Pearl Izumi ELITE Softshell Gloves — £44.99

Excellent gloves for really cold weather, with a great fit and padded palm. Pearl Izumi ELITE Softshell Gloves are stupendously warm thanks to the Primaloft insulation, which provides good insulation for sub-zero temperatures without being too bulky.

Read our review of the Pearl Izumi ELITE Softshell Gloves
Find a Pearl Izumi dealer

Showers Pass Men's Crosspoint Softshell WP gloves — £69

Showers Pass Crosspoint Softshell WP gloves will keep your hands dry and toasty even in a hard winter, but if it's mild they might be a shade too warm.

Read our review of the Showers Pass Crosspoint Softshell WP gloves
Find a Showers Pass dealer​

Rapha Deep Winter Gloves (£140) and Merino Liners (£40)

If you really struggle with poor circulation, and keeping your hands from getting cold on a ride is a perennial challenge, then you'll be very interested in Rapha's Deep Winter Gloves. Yes they're very expensive but they're among the warmest winter cycling gloves we've ever tested.

Read our review of the Rapha Deep Winter Gloves and Merino Liners

If you want to carry on cycling through the cold winter months, you're going to have to deal with rain, but the right legwear can help stop your rides turning into soaking-weat miseryfests. Here's a selection of the best waterproof cycling trousers and tights to keep your legs protected from the wet.

Leg muscles don’t work as well when they’re cold, and there are few ways of making them cold better than running water over them. Tights, trousers and overtrousers that fend off the wet are therefore a winter essential for many riders.

You have three main choices. Performance-orientated riders tend to go for tights, which take the basic idea of cycling shorts — they're close-fitting garments that move with you — and extend it down to your ankles; waterproof overtrousers fend off the rain so you arrive at the office with dry trousers; and cycling trousers look like regular trousers, but are shaped and detailed so they're comfortable for riding.

In this guide we're taking a look at waterproof and highly water-resistant winter legwear suitable for winter riding and training and also for getting to work without getting cold and wet because it's raining.

A note on water-resistance. It's just about impossible for a fabric to be totally water-resistant and remotely pleasant to cycle in, so there's always a degree of compromise here. We've found the garments in this guide fend off water well enough that we'll happily use them in the rain.

If you swerve wet weather, take a look at our guide to warm winter tights.

Waterproof cycling trousers and over-trousers

If you’re commuting or even touring or mountain biking, then waterproof cycling trousers might be a better option than tights. Their looser fit makes them useful for commuting and urban cycling, they can be more comfortable and they can be worn over casual clothing.

There are two types: overtrousers that are waterproof and roomy enough to be worn over normal clothing; or tailored cycling trousers that look like regular trousers, but with cycling-specific features like a gusset free crutch and stretchy fabric.

Overtrousers are handy if you want to pull something over your normal clothing for riding to the office. They can be waterproof and windproof so will keep you nice and dry. Velcro or zip adjustments at the waist and ankle will tailor in some of the fabric so they don’t flap about or risk getting caught in the chain. The level of bagginess can vary from brand to brand, so it’s always worth checking before you buy. Look for lots of reflectivity if you’re commuting.

A smarter option — sartorially — is cycling trousers, designed to look like regular trousers and more fitted than overtrousers. These are ideal if you don’t like the idea of skintight Lycra tights or baggy overtrousers, and for shorter commutes or dashing across the city, they’re a stylish choice. And, providing you stay dry, you can wear them all day in the office too.

Some are made from technical fabrics, like a soft shell or Epic Cotton, so they’re not only comfortable and warm, but also weatherproof.

You get normal pockets, an adjustable waist band and some have adjustable ankles that can be rolled up for that fixed chic look. The part of the trouser you sit on will be made from a hard-wearing fabric and the seams will be placed so that they don’t cause any discomfort. They won’t have any padding, but you can supply your own padded shorts if you want some extra comfort or are planning a longer ride. You’ll get a few reflective details on some trousers too, for increased about-town visibility.

One thing to check is the leg length. Cycle clothing is usually made in fairly short production runs by the standards of normal high street fashion or utility wear. That means there is often only one choice of leg length. Not a problem for those of reasonably average height, or leg length, but potentially a problem for anyone at either end of the spectrum.

Those with shorter legs in particular can find that overtrousers bunch at the ankles so that even when cynched in they can bulge out enough to snag in chainrings.

One other thing to bear in mind with any waterproof trousers is that while they may keep your legs dry all that water has to go somewhere and a large proportion of it is going to be heading for your shoes. So if you want to stay dry either combine with waterproof socks or with waterproof overshoes. Make sure that you put the trousers over the top of the over-shoes otherwise the water simply runs in to the tops of your overshoes and from there makes its way in to your shoes.

Cube Blackline Rain Pants — £109.99

Cube's Blackline Rain Pants do an excellent job of keeping your legs dry and the pedals turning relatively unencumbered. They're not quite so hot at keeping you free from chill breezes, though.

On warmer days you could get away with just wearing bib shorts or padded liner shorts underneath the Blackline Pants. However, I think viewing them as overtrousers – a waterproof outer layer – is the most sensible approach, especially if you're going to be wearing them for a fair while. In this case, it's also worth pointing out that breathability is very good – no sweaty legs here.

When the rain starts beating down, they are fantastically effective at keep you dry. I've tested them in everything from light drizzle to heavy downpours, and they haven't failed to work their magic. As I've said, there have been no self-made moisture problems, either, so you're guaranteed to arrive at your destination completely dry (bottom-half, at least).

Read our review of the Cube Blackline Rain Pants
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DU/ER Performance Denim Weatherproof Slim Jean Trousers — £158.95

For cycling short distances and not having to carry a spare change of clothes, the DU/ER Performance Denim Weatherproof Slim Jeans are ideal, being comfortable on and off the bike and keeping you dry and warm in the wind and rain thanks to a waterproof membrane. They also pack some useful reflective details when you roll the cuff up.

The best thing is they look like regular jeans. No more odd looks as you billow into the office/cafe with oversized waterproof overtrousers when you've cycled in the rain. Normal jeans aren't much cop for cycling any sort of distance, but these are stretchy and provide no restriction to pedalling, nor are there any nasty seams in the saddle area to cause discomfort.

The jeans are made from a cotton fabric infused with Lycra, for added stretch, and Coolmax technology, which ramps up the breathability and helps transport sweat away. But the real magic lies in the use of a waterproof membrane.

Ride in the rain and, put simply, the jeans don't get saturated like regular jeans. Arrive at the office and they quickly dry off so you don't need to get changed. I found the waterproofing adequate for most rain I encountered, from drizzle to heavy downpours.

Read our review of the DU/ER Performance Denim Weatherproof Slim Jean Trousers

Madison DTE Women's Waterproof Trousers — £96.99

The Madison DTE Waterproof Trousers are made for riding in the most terrible conditions, the sort of weather where one glance out of the window is enough to make you put your slippers back on and reach for the kettle. Don these trousers though and you’ll soon find, actually it’s not that bad to be out splashing down the road, gravel or trails, in fact it’s pretty fun!

Constructed from a 2.5 layer fabric with 3 layers on the rear panel, knees and ankles for more protection, which along with taped seams make the DTE’s fully waterproof. They are pretty breathable too, outings in these have been in both conditions of ‘raining cats and dogs’ and ‘dry skies but swamp like’. For the former the trousers have kept me dry while the rain batters down and for the latter they have defended us from the wet and crud whilst preventing us from overheating, thanks in no small part to the two zippered leg vents. Which do, in case you were wondering have waterproof zips for when they are closed.

There's a similarly excellent men's version too.

Read our review of the Madison DTE Women's Waterproof Trousers

Endura Hummvee Zip-off Cycling Trousers II — £69.99

You can tweak the popular Endura Hummvee Zip-off Cycling Trousers for a range of types of riding, from commuting to hitting the trails and dirt roads. They're compatible with Endura's Clickfast system so you can add liner shorts for longer rides too.

A DWR coating fends off the wet, and a seamless seat panel keeps you comfy. There are zipped hand pockets, cargo pockets and large rear map pockets, an elasticated waistband with adjustable belt and ankle length zips with Velcro ankle cinches to step them flapping into your chain

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Proviz Nightrider Men's Waterproof Trousers — £52.99

We've not reviewed them, but our Liam swears by these overtrousers for wet-weather commuting. As well as being waterproof and breathable, they feature reflective trim and logos for visibility, a cycling-specific cut and ankle zips.

They're also length-adjustable, with poppers at the ankle providing a range of cuff positions so you can get the fit spot on.

See all trouser reviews here.

Tights

Tights are essentially long versions of regular shorts, and are often made from similar Lycra fabrics, though they're usually thicker for warmth. You have a choice of bib tights, with straps looping over the shoulders, or bibs with a waist band. Which you wear is down to personal preference, but bib tights are generally considered more comfortable as you don’t have a waist band to dig in, which can be annoying on longer rides.

Some tights have a water resistant or waterproof fabric, such as Castelli’s Nanoflex. These are good if you’re brave enough to venture out in the rain as they can stop the rain seeping through to your skin which will, given time, sap away at your warmth. Likewise, some manufacturers add windproof panels in key places to keep the wind chill out.

We discussed the features of winter tights in more depth in our guide to warm winter cycling tights

7Mesh TK1 Bib Tights — £150.00

The 7Mesh TK1 bib tights are very warm, technically loaded and can carry as much kit as a three-pocket jersey. As always, the pad fit may not be to everyone's liking, but if it does suit you these are excellent winter tights for on- or off-road riding.

Canadian firm 7Mesh's "warmest, most protective thermal legwear" has a pretty good pedigree to draw upon. Earlier this year Pat raved about the warmer-weather Mk3 Bib Shorts, praising their 'unique design' and 'incredible levels of comfort'. A key factor here was the 'hammock' design whereby the chamois can move independently from the outer skin of the shorts. Pat found this prevented the need to do the 'cyclist shuffle', whereby the pad needs rearranging, either on or off the bike, to afford comfort.

I can vouch for the comfort of the design, but it may not be for everyone, all the time. Over a few months' riding I did encounter one occasion where the pad seemed to bunch on one side, leading to a small amount of chafing. As this only happened the once, and otherwise I was a happy chap, I'll put this down to perhaps more need to pay attention to – ahem – strategic alignment at the start of a ride, shall we say.

Read our review of the 7Mesh TK1 Bib Tights

Rapha Women's Souplesse Shadow Tights — £270

With the Women's Shadow Tights, Rapha has combined its finest technologies to create "unparalleled" weather defence and performance – and added a price tag to match. Leaving no stone unturned from cosiness to safety, it has created a reliable and stylish pair of bib tights to keep you on the road, even when the mercury plummets.

The Shadow tech was developed for the Spring Classics. From Team Sky to Canyon//SRAM, Rapha's material has been ridden to World Tour level. The Shadow fabric is a blend of nylon and elastane finished with a hydrophobic DWR (durable water repellent) treatment made for staying dry whatever winter throws at you. The technology, Rapha claims, is 'an unbeatable force in weather protection'.

'Unbeatable force' is a strong statement, but hours from home with torrential rain setting in, I agreed. Water collects into satisfying little beads which brush away to reveal barely-wet fabric. Out on chilly, wet training rides I was able to stay dry, with no rain sinking through the fabric.

Read our review of the Rapha Women's Souplesse Shadow Tights

Pearl Izumi Pursuit Hybrid Cycling Bib Tights — £121.44 - £162.99

The latest version of Pearl Izumi's Pursuit Hybrid winter bib tights have had some subtle alterations, and with Mike raving about the previous versions, we were pleasantly surprised to find that, if anything, they've got even better. The added PI Dry technology on the back of the legs prevents you getting soaked from spray, they're super-stretchy and flexible so you can use them on hard training sessions too, and the padding is really comfortable – they're firmly among our very favourite bib tights.

Read our review of the Pearl Izumi Pursuit Hybrid Cycling Bib Tights
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Santini Vega 2 Aquazero Bib Tights — £105.99

As water-resistant foul-weather bib tights, Santini's Vega 2.0s are right on the money. They're reassuringly water resistant without losing a smooth fit against the skin. They're not quite warm enough for super-cold temperatures, but they're not as expensive as you might expect either.

Santini says that you can use the bib tights in temperatures ranging from 5-18°C. Now, I don't know about you, but 18°C is summer shorts weather for me on a bike, but the breathability in colder weather leads me to think that you could conceivably wear them to something approaching that upper temperature if you really did feel the cold.

The downside is that these aren't really bib tights for deep winter – when you're looking at frosts that hang around all day, for example. They're just not windblocking enough for that (although the fleece lining is very comfortable), and that positions them as tights that you'd be likely to use as your first pair through autumn, and your last pair through spring, with a 'hardier' pair for the really grim, freezing stuff in the middle.

Read our review of the Santini Vega 2 Aquazero Bib Tights
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Pearl Izumi Pro Pursuit Cycling Bib Tights — £63.99 (limited sizes)

 The Pearl Izumi Pro Pursuit Bib Tights represent excellent performance at a very good price (and, as usual, even better online – but make sure you're buying the right ones, they come with or without a pad). If you are after foul-weather, full-length bibs for going fast in, look no further.

Read our review of the Pearl Izumi Pro Pursuit Cycling Bib Tights
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Kalf Club Thermal Men’s Bib Tights — £70

The Kalf Club Thermal bib tights are supremely comfortable, nice and warm yet lightweight, and really well constructed. The reflectivity on the calves actually looks good, and the fit was near-perfection for tester Jack Sexty. They've been his go-to bib tights for winter, except for near-zero temperatures for which they're not quite warm enough.

Read our review of the Kalf Club Thermal Men’s Bib Tights
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Endura Pro SL Bib Tights — £119.99

Endura's Pro SL Biblongs are excellent: they're windproof, fit superbly, and the pad comes in three widths, offering a little customisation.

At the core of the longs is the four-way stretch windproof, breathable fabric with DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish front and seat panels. This panelling of fabrics gives the longs a very comfortable fit. On the bike, they fitted me perfectly with no bunching of material at the back of the knee.

The windproofing is very effective and kept me nice and toasty down below zero. The density of the fabric is brilliant and results in no cold spots where the material is stretched. With others, my knees can get quite stiff in the cold; no such problems here.

Read our review of the Endura Pro SL Bib Tights
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Castelli Nanoflex Pro bib tights — £190

The Castelli Nanoflex Pro Bibtights are a warm (but not windproof) and water resistant choice for the cold weather, offering great breathability and freedom of movement.

You might well have heard of Nanoflex before because Castelli uses it extensively across its range. It's the brand's fleecy, stretchy Thermoflex fabric, a warm polyamide/elastane mix that's given a coating of silicone 'nanofilaments'. This makes water roll off the surface rather than soaking in. It doesn't make the fabric waterproof – heavy rain will get through – but you'll stay dry in drizzle, and road spray won't soak in.

Read our review of the Castelli Nanoflex Pro bib tights
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Castelli Sanremo Thermosuit — ~£330

Special mention must go to the Thermosuit from Castelli. The Thermosuit is essentially a pair of tights and a long sleeve jersey stitched together at the waist around the back, with a full-length zip on the front. There's Gore Windstopper X-Lite Plus fabric on the chest panels, while a lighter weight Thermoflex Core Due fabric is used around the back and for the tights.

Read our review of the Castelli Thermosuit

See all tights reviews

If you want to carry on cycling through the cold winter months, it pays to get properly wrapped up; keeping your legs insulated is essential if you want to ride in any sort of comfort. Whether you're commuting every day, heading out for a training ride after work, or joining the weekly club run, here's a selection of the best gear to keep your legs protected from the cold.

Cycling can be enjoyable through the winter, but the leg muscles don’t work as well when they’re cold, so it’s a sensible idea to keep them wrapped up. Fortunately there is a wide choice of leg wear available designed to cope with different temperatures ranges, as well as riding style from road training to commuting.

You have three main choices. Performance-orientated riders tend to go for tights, which take the basic idea of cycling shorts — they're close-fitting garments that move with you — and extend it down to your ankles. Commuting and utility riders in particular favour waterproof overtrousers that fend off the rain so you arrive at work with dry trousers. In between are cycling trousers that look like regular trousers, but are shaped and detailed so they're comfortable for riding.

In this guide we're looking at winter legwear that provides insulation and wind-resistance to keep you warm, which mostly means insulated winter tights. Some of these tights also provide a bit of water-resistance in the form of a Durable Water-Repellent (DWR) coating, but they don't claim to be highly water-resistant and we haven't found them to be so.

Tights are essentially long versions of regular shorts, and are often made from similar Lycra fabrics, though they're usually thicker for warmth. You have a choice of bib tights, with straps looping over the shoulders, or bibs with a waist band. Which you wear is down to personal preference, but bib tights are generally considered more comfortable as you don’t have a waist band to dig in, which can be annoying on longer rides.

You can get tights with or without a padded insert that sits against your skin. You wear unpadded tights over your regular shorts, which can be a good option for really cold days, because you get two layers of fabric over the top of the legs and around the lower torso, to provide more warmth. If you’re cycling daily, you can sometimes get a couple of wears out of them before they need a wash. Some riders prefer the simplicity of padded tights, though. With fewer layers there's less to move and rub, too.

There's a vast range of fabrics available. Most tights are made from some sort of stretch fabric, with good old Elastane/Lycra bringing the stretchiness. That includes thicker, more insulating fabrics, like Roubaix and Super Roubaix and there are fleece-backed fabrics and windproof materials too. Double layer fabric over the knees can help add insulation where it’s needed most. I’ve known people to wear three-quarter bib tights under full-length tights on the very coldest winter days, but that is extreme. Most tights will provide enough warmth for a typical British winter.

Some tights have a water resistant or waterproof fabric, such as Castelli’s Nanoflex. These are good if you’re brave enough to venture out in the rain as they can stop the rain seeping through to your skin which will, given time, sap away at your warmth. Likewise, some manufacturers add windproof panels in key places to keep the wind chill out.

The straps on bib tights can vary a lot, but a wide seamless strap will provide the best comfort, and avoid any irritation across the top of the shoulders. Some bib tights can have a full back panel and come up very high on the chest, which almost acts like another base layer, making such designs good for the coldest days.

The fit of tights is important. Manufacturers generally take two approaches to ensure tights are comfortable around the legs and don’t impede pedalling. They can either go with a multi-panel design, with pre-bent legs, or they can simply use a very stretchy fabric that conforms to the leg through the entire range of pedalling. Either way, you want a good fit that is comfortable with no restriction around the knee. As I always recommend, trying cycle clothing on in a shop, if possible, is a really good idea. Sizing and length of tights can vary hugely from one manufacturer to the next.

At the ankles tights will either have a short zip, to make pulling them on and off easier, or just a high degree of stretch. Some tights will have a stirrup, a band of material that loops under the foot, to not only stop the tights riding up, but also form a very good seal around the ankle.

Want more protection from rain and spray? Check out our guide to waterproof tights and trousers.

14 of the best warm winter tights

7Mesh TK1 Bib Tights — £150.00

The 7Mesh TK1 bib tights are very warm, technically loaded and can carry as much kit as a three-pocket jersey. As always, the pad fit may not be to everyone's liking, but if it does suit you these are excellent winter tights for on- or off-road riding.

Canadian firm 7Mesh's "warmest, most protective thermal legwear" has a pretty good pedigree to draw upon. Earlier this year Pat raved about the warmer-weather Mk3 Bib Shorts, praising their 'unique design' and 'incredible levels of comfort'. A key factor here was the 'hammock' design whereby the chamois can move independently from the outer skin of the shorts. Pat found this prevented the need to do the 'cyclist shuffle', whereby the pad needs rearranging, either on or off the bike, to afford comfort.

I can vouch for the comfort of the design, but it may not be for everyone, all the time. Over a few months' riding I did encounter one occasion where the pad seemed to bunch on one side, leading to a small amount of chafing. As this only happened the once, and otherwise I was a happy chap, I'll put this down to perhaps more need to pay attention to – ahem – strategic alignment at the start of a ride, shall we say.

Read our review of the 7Mesh TK1 Bib Tights

Santini Giove Bib Tights — £170

Santini has come up with the goods with its Giove Bib Tights. They're superbly comfortable for all-day wear with excellent cold weather properties; if you're keen to ride whatever the weather then the price might not seem too eyewatering, though they're certainly not cheap. We also found the pad oddly small, but it didn't affect long-ride comfort.

The Giove tights quickly became a favourite, mainly down to one thing – those windproof panels at the front. The fleece-backed fabric used throughout the rest of the tights is warm but breathable and super-soft, but when the cold wind blows – and we have no shortage of that in the UK – they perform superbly. The windproofing starts from the top of the stomach and runs all the way down the legs to below the knee, just where it's needed. It does a fine job of keeping the chill off your thighs and nether regions, which suffer with normal tights.

Read our review of the Santini Giove Bib Tights
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Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad II — £168

The Rapha Pro Team Bib Tights II with Pad take the excellent DNA of the Pro Team II Bib Shorts and add warmth, water resistance and a performance-orientated fit to create an exceptional winter garment, though it comes at some cost.

With Rapha's second generation Pro Team bib shorts, Dave was impressed with the performance and quality, and these full-length versions repeat a winning formula for the performance cyclist, while keeping you comfortable and warm.

The features under the skin are a bit of a repetition: a size-specific Cytech chamois provides all-day comfort in the saddle, while the new seam structure is carried over too. That means if you're used to the feel of any of Rapha's Pro Team II bib garments, then you immediately feel the familiarity.

Read our review of the Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad II

Gore C3 Women Thermo Bib Tights+ — £59.99 - £64.99

The Gore C3 Women Thermo Bib Tights+ really do perform well in cold, dry conditions and are exceptionally comfortable. The two-zip system at the rear is also great for speedy, hassle-free pee-stops.

With their double layer protection at the knee, exceptional comfort and brilliant bio-break zip system, the Gore C3 Thermos are an ideal piece of kit for anyone who is committed to getting outdoors throughout the winter and maximise their riding time in dry, cold conditions.

Read our review of the Gore C3 Women Thermo Bib Tights+
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Castelli Sorpasso 2 bib tights — £112.49

Castelli's Sorpasso 2 Men's bib tights are said to be the Italian brand's best-sellers, and after my time with them it's not hard to see why. Aside from the price tag and one nuance in the fit, they're almost the perfect cold weather winter bib tights.

Castelli's Sorpasso 2 bib tights are outstanding performers, and worthy of place in any keen winter cyclist's wardrobe.

It starts with a performance-orientated cut that's been engineered to support your muscles, and the distinctive 'under-the-hood' red fabric that reveals itself through the black nylon outer at stretch points. If you didn't know, that quite-common sight at the local cycling club meet point is as a result of the red thermal layer (or, Thermoflex, if you ask Castelli) which provides insulation against cold winter air while allowing excess moisture to escape thanks to its hollow fibre construction.

Read our review of the Castelli Sorpasso 2 bib tights
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Rapha Explore Cargo Winter Tights With Pad — £180

Warm and comfortable tights are a winter essential and these Rapha Explore Cargo Winter Tights are great in both areas. They also include four pockets and boost night-time visibility, but you pay handsomely for them.

Many laughed when Rapha launched the Cargo Bib Shorts, but mountain bikers have been wearing similar shorts (hidden under baggy shorts) for years, and the cargo pockets proved invaluable for longer rides and riding over rough terrain when jersey/jacket pockets can easily eject their contents.

With pockets loaded, there's no discomfort or annoyance when pedalling. Their size, particularly the leg-mounted ones, limits the bulk and weight of items you can store anyway. The pockets can be used in addition to regular jersey and jacket pockets, or as an alternative – useful if you're wearing a backpack, say, commuting or bikepacking.

The tights are made from a fleece-backed fabric that feels luxuriously soft against the skin, and insulates well against very cold temperatures, coping with the recent cold snap down to a degree or two above zero. A water-repellent treatment keeps out rain for longer than regular tights and copes fine with short showers, but like most DWR treated garments, a sustained downpour will breach their limits.

Read our review of the Rapha Explore Cargo Winter Tights With Pad

Attacus Thermal Bib Tights — £130

The Attacus Thermal Bib Tights are a very warm and practical set of bib tights that perform well in the coldest conditions. Their price puts them up against some established high-quality competition, but they hold their own – although it would be good to have stronger stitching on the reflective strips on the leg.

They were tested in the beast of the east parts 1 and 2, so warmth was always going to be a key factor and we were not disappointed with how they performed. Attacus has used a windproof, showerproof thermal stretch fabric which managed to keep the elements at bay even when we were riding around on frozen roads. We may not have been able to feel our feet, but our legs were well insulated.

Read our review of the Attacus Thermal Bib Tights

Shutt VR Team Bib Tights — £99

UK brand Shutt VR has delivered a very well designed and thought pair of bib tights with this Team model. Everything from the fabric selection, panel positioning and the custom designed chamois pad is spot on and they are a joy to wear, whether out for a quick blast or one of those off-season base mile epics.

Read our review of the Shutt VR Team Bib Tights

Rapha Women's Core Winter Tights With Pad — £110

The Rapha Women's Core Winter Tights are excellent for cold days on the bike. Designed simply to 'keep you warm while you train or commute on cold winter roads', they don't do anything especially fancy, but they do their job extremely well. The men's ones are very good too.

Read our review of the Rapha Women's Core Winter Tights With Pad

Lusso Termico Repel Bib Tights — £99.99

If you want a pair of tights that'll protect you from pretty much everything the winter can throw at you, then the Lusso Termico Repel Bibtights are a very good option. Thermal, water repellent, with a comfortable pad and blocks of subtle reflectives, they're ideal for dark, dank rides throughout the off season, and you can take 15% off that price in January with code JAN15 at the checkout.

Read our review of the Lusso Termico Repel Bib Tights

Assos LL.habuTights_s7 — £265

Winter cycling is made much easier with high-quality clothing that provides excellent insulation and comfort, and the LL.habuTights_s7 from Swiss masters of cycle clothing Assos are a case in point. With a thermal fabric and double layer over the knees they'll keep your legs toasty warm meaning you're fresh out of excuses to cancel a ride because it's too cold.

Read our review of the Assos LL.habuTights_s7
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Lusso Full Monty Warm Up Thermal Tights — £64.99

The Lusso Full Monty Warm Up Tights are a great investment if you're competing in the winter. The thermal stretchy fabric does an excellent job of keeping the legs warm before the start. They're also easy to whip off in seconds and put on again after the racing is done, and you can take 15% off that price in January with code JAN15 at the checkout.

Read our review of the Lusso Full Monty Warm Up Thermal Tights

dhb Aeron FLT Roubaix Bib Tights — £42.50 (XS only)

Wiggle's house brand, dhb offers these top-of-the line winter tights in brushed Roubaix fabric with reflective patches for night-time visibility. There are ankle zips to make it easier to get in and out of them, and a Cytech Elastic Interface seat pad.

We've been impressed by all the dhb tights we've tested. If you want something a bit less snug than the ASVs, look at the£80 Aeron Roubaix tights which are also available in a women's version, and if you want something even warmer take a look at the Aeron Deep Winter tights. We reviewed those here. For just £55, the dhb Classic Roubaix Bib Tights are superb value.

Read our review of the dhb Vaeon Roubaix Pro Bib Tights

Vermarc Antivento PRR bib tights — ~£150

From mild to downright foul weather the Antiventos are outstanding. Well fitting and with a comfortable pad they are able to stand up to most conditions. The material is fleece lined for a comfortable feeling against the skin, while the fabric features a windproof membrane to help keep the heat in. With rides in these down to as low as -6 °C we've been really impressed with how well they have kept the chill at bay.

Read our review of the Vermarc Antivento PRR bib tights
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See all tights reviews

More about road.cc buyer's guides.

Do you feel the cold in your feet on a ride? Unless you have exceptionally good circulation, you’re bound to feel the cold in your feet at some point during the winter. Your feet don’t have to work hard when you’re cycling, and the body can very quickly divert blood away from your toes to other parts of your body that need it more.

And when your feet get so cold that it hurts, there’s no chance of them getting any better until you finish your ride and get home. If you have any hope of putting in the miles over the winter, it’s essential to make sure you can cycle in relative comfort when the mercury is dipping below zero degrees.

Some people don't have a problem with cold feet at all during the winter, but some people can suffer very badly with painful and numb feet, turning a ride into a miserable experience. I count myself in the latter camp. My circulation is so bad that after just an hour, or even sooner, my feet and hands have had enough. Keeping them warm isn't easy.

There are many measures you can take to delay the onset of cold toes and feet, so here are a few tips for keeping them warm. We'd like to hear your tips too, so feel free to comment at the bottom of the article.

Socks

Your first layer of insulation is the most important, so good socks are vital and a very important investment. There’s a good selection of chunky socks that offer a bit more insulation than thin summer socks. Importantly, they should be thin enough not to squeeze your feet in your shoes.

Cram three pairs of socks into shoes that fit and all of a sudden they don't fit anymore. Plus, squeezing them in your shoes makes them tight so your circulation suffers, defeating the object.

Socks can either be made from synthetic or naturally occurring fabrics like Merino wool, one of our favourite sock materials.

Merino wool offers very good warmth and insulation and is very comfortable. The addition of synthetic fabrics can give socks better moisture management, keeping your feet drier for longer. Merino has the benefit of not only keeping your feet warm but also being very soft next to the skin, giving a little added luxury.

Winter socks can generally be a little longer than summer ones, providing an increased overlap with tights and overshoes. And as you’ll be wearing them with tights, it really doesn’t matter what they look like or what colour they are. Here are a few we really like.

Castelli Quindici Soft Sock — £16

These socks from Castelli aren’t cheap but they are comfortable and provide a good level of insulation for chilly off-season rides.

They’re made mostly from Merino wool – with acrylic, nylon, Lycra and elastic thrown into the mix – and are noticeably warmer than most synthetic socks of a similar weight. Plus, the wool naturally wicks moisture away from your skin to keep your feet feeling fresh when you work up a sweat.

Read our review of the Castelli Quindici socks
Find a Castelli dealer

DeFeet Woolie Boolie 2 — £18.16

The latest, higher-cuff version of the popular Merino Woolie Boolies are extremely comfortable and fairly priced; excellent winter socks. Without doubt, they will keep your feet warm in winter, but they're definitely thicker than 'normal' cycling socks, so you may find them a bit of a jam in your shoes (unless, like many wise cyclists, your winter shoes are a tad bigger than your summer shoes).

Read our review of the DeFeet Woolie Boolie 2 Merino socks
Find a DeFeet dealer

Sealskinz Thin Ankle Length Socks — £25

Read our review of the Sealskinz Thin Ankle Length Socks
Find a Sealskinz dealer

dhb Aeron Winter Weight Merino Socks — £13

The latest version of some socks we tested and rated highly back in 2011, these are thin enough to fit under your usual cycling shoes without shutting off your circulation, and made from a Merino mix that helps keep you warm. There are mid-weight and light-weight versions too for weather that's cool but not frigid.

Read our review of the dhb Merino Socks

View the sock review archive

Overshoes

The next obvious line of defence is overshoes. As well as keeping cold wind out, overshoes will protect your feet from spray from front wheel and other road muck getting into your shoes. If you can stop the wind and rain getting at your shoes and then your feet, you shouldn’t suffer quite as much.

Overshoes are made from various materials including neoprene and various windproof and waterproof fabrics. Some are general purpose and some are designed specifically to keep out wind or water.

An overshoe needs to fit well, so correct sizing is important. The fewer openings there are on the shoe and around the back, the less cold air can sneak inside.

In extreme conditions, I’ve resorted to wearing two pairs of overshoes. A popular trick is to wear a neoprene toe warmer over the shoe and underneath your overshoes. Let's look at some of our favourites.

Caratti Neoprene Windproof Toe Warmers — £5

These brilliantly simple stretchy toe covers that are worth a tenner any day of the week. Made from 3mm neoprene these toe covers provide a lot of warmth for heavily vented summer shoes on a chilly ride. You've got an upper and a lower section stitched together at shoe sole height which makes for a good fit when they are on the shoe.

Read our review of the Caratti Neoprene Windproof Toe Warmers

SealSkinz Neoprene Halo Overshoes — £26.50

SealSkinz Neoprene Halo Overshoes incorporate a powerful LED light in the heel, a clever idea that I'm surprised has never been done before. Don't discount them as being a gimmick, they really do work well and are ideal for regular after dark cyclists, and at this price they're an absolute steal.

Read our review of the SealSkinz Neoprene Halo Overshoes
Find a SealSkinz dealer

Lusso Windtex Stealth Over Boots — £30

The Lusso Windtex Stealth overboots offer a large working temperature range across a myriad of different weather conditions. And don't let that Windtex name fool you – these booties will also keep the rain at bay for way longer than you'd expect of a fabric this light and thin.

Read our review of the Lusso Windtex Stealth Over Boots

Want more options? See our buyer's guide to overshoes and full archive of reviews of overshoes.

Winter boots

The alternative option to wrapping your cycling shoes with overshoes is to invest in some winter boots. Essentially, they are shoes with integrated overshoes. With all the vents closed up and lots of insulating and weather protecting materials, they provide the ultimate protection when the weather turns bad.

If you’re going to spend two or three months cycling through the winter, it does seem ever so slightly mad to do so in shoes that are really designed for the summer. There isn't a vast amount of choice in winter boots, so let's take a look at our favourites.

Shimano MW7 Gore-Tex MTB Winter Boots — ~£139.96

The windproof construction, insulated liner, and fleece insole of Shimano's MW7 Winter Boots all really help to keep the heat in. The Gore-Tex liner keeps out water, but your feet don't get overly sweaty thanks to its breathable properties.

Read our review of the very similar Shimano MW81 Winter Boots
Find a Shimano dealer

Northwave Extreme Winter Road GTX Boots — £169.99

The latest version of these lightweight, fully waterproof and well-insulated boots is very much the luxury option in winter foot protection. We tested and liked the mountain bike version back in 2013 and first impressions of the 2016 version we currently have on test are very favourable. The full price of £230 is a bit ouchy, but if you’re wearing them your feet won’t be, and they can be found quite a bit cheaper.

Read our review of the Northwave Extreme Winter GTX Boots

Find a Northwave dealer​

Lake MXZ303 Winter Boots — £207.89

The successor to the broadly similar MXZ302s, these are not strictly road orientated winter cycling boots; they have a two-bolt mountain bike sole. Tackling icy road surfaces with smooth road type soles is a dicey activity anyway, so the rugged Vibram outsole is definitely not a negative feature. The downside of this is that the MXZ303s are only suited to use with SPD cleats rather than road style cleats. Again though, if you’re a multi-cycle household (and let’s face it who isn’t?) then a boot you can pop on for road riding, touring or mountain biking has got to be a good thing, provided you run SPD pedals on all of them.

Read our review of the Lake MXZ302 Winter Boots
Find a Lake dealer

Heated overshoes, insoles and inserts

If none of the above is enough, then maybe what you need is an actual heat source against your feet. There aren’t that many cycling brands offering them, though Italian brand Sidi did release a heated insole a couple of years ago, but they’ve since been discontinued.

Ekoi Heat Concept Overshoes — £80.14

Ekoi's Heat Concept overshoes use a system of integrated heating elements and lithium polymer batteries to achieve the aim of stopping your toes  from freezing in the cold. And do you know what? They work.

I mean, it's not like having your feet in a warm bath while you cycle around in sub-zero temperatures all day, or anything like that, but the heating elements in the overshoes certainly do make a noticeable difference to the warmth of your feet on a cold ride. It was pretty easy to confirm this, simply by turning one of the overshoes on and leaving the other one off. At the end of two hours' riding in temperatures not far north of zero, it wasn't hard to remember which foot had been heated. It was the difference between losing feeling in your toes, and being cold, but comfortable.

Read our review of the Ekoi Heat Concept Overshoes

Most of your other options are heated insoles of one sort or another. The cheapest ones we've found are the Warmawear Battery-Heated Insoles, above, currently on special for just a tenner. They run on six AA batteries, so they'll be a shade expensive to run unless you use rechargeables.

There are loads of rechargeable heated insoles and even rechargeable socks on Amazon. These insoles are just £32.99, for example. Caveat emptor: a lot of cheaper heated insoles are marked as rechargeable when they actually need a power supply. Read the spec carefully.

And another left field solution to cold feet could be Hothands foot warmers. Available from outdoor shops, these self-activating small foot warmers are slim enough to go inside your shoes and provide up to eight hours of heat. We’ve only ever used them snowboarding, but we're guessing that they should work on the bike too.

How do you tackle the problem of cold feet? We'd love to hear your tips.

There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing, goes the old saying that always does the rounds at this time of year. After incredible developments in textiles over the past decade, there's no reason to wear the wrong cycling clothing any more and there's a large selection of winter cycling jackets that'll keep you warm, dry and comfortable.

A winter cycling jacket not only has to protect you from the elements, it has to cope with the heat and sweat that you produce when you ride at a decent pace. Producing materials that are highly protective and breathable at the same time is the key challenge facing fabric engineers.

The right clothing is more important than those fancy wheels yo have your eyes on, a 20g lighter saddle, or any other bling. If you really want to get out and ride your bike this winter then invest your money in good clothing. It’ll transform your winter cycling.

Jackets for the conditions

First, you need to decide what type of winter cycling jacket you need; there is a jacket designed specifically for every type of weather you might encounter. The most common conditions you’re likely to face in a typical British winter are rain, wind and cold down to freezing point or just below.

Winter cycling jackets can be broadly distilled into three types: waterproof, windproof, and soft shell. Add in variations on those and cross-over jackets and you’re suddenly looking at a huge choice.

Keeping dry: waterproof jackets

A waterproof jacket will keep the rain out but all but the very best ones (that is, the most expensive) compromise on breathability. It's practically impossible for a waterproof fabric to allow out as much sweat as a hard-working cyclist can produce, so you can get very hot and sweaty if you're going hard. Nevertheless, a good waterproof jacket is crucial for those days when it’s pouring heavily for the entirety of your ride.

It’s easy to make a fabric waterproof, but waterproof and breathable is tricky. You can keep the water out, but you need to allow the moisture that your body generates to escape somewhere, otherwise you’ll end up in a sweaty mess. Manufacturers are able to produce fabrics with pores that are big enough to let the small water molecules in the moist air escape, but small enough to keep water droplets outside.

Fabrics are getting better all the time, and there’s a wide choice.The more expensive the jacket, the more likely it is that a branded fabric like eVent or Gore-Tex will be used. Gore-Tex is one of the most common fabrics you’ll see used on higher end jackets. Gore-Tex is created by laminating a PTFE (polyetrafluoroethylene) membrane, with pores 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet, in the fabric. This makes it completely waterproof.

Some manufacturers make full use of the latest fabrics offered by companies like Gore but some go their own way and produce their own fabrics that aim to offer the same technical merits. DWR (durable water repellent) is a finish used in conjunction with waterproof membrane fabrics that encourages water to bead up and roll off, preventing the material from becoming saturated with water.

How the jacket is constructed is important, and for a jacket to be properly waterproof the seams have to be taped to prevent leaks. For the best possible breathability, some vents are a must, and these have to be designed so they let sweat out, but don't let water in. They're usually under the armpits, or conclealed under flaps round the body.

Keeping out the wind: windproof jackets

If you’re not planning to ride in the rain, then a windproof jacket is a good option. Windproof jackets are commonly made from a fabric that's lighter than a waterproof one and much more breathable. They are usually designed only to be a little water resistant making them fine only for a light shower. This makes them a good choice for many conditions, especially if you get to pick when you ride, but not necessarily the best choice if you have to head out come what may, like if you're commuting.

Keeping the cold out: soft shells

And then there's the soft shell, a relatively new style of jacket. Waterproof and windproof jackets are sometimes referred to as hard shells, because they’re designed solely to keep the weather out, not keep you warm. That’s the idea behind a layering approach to clothing, using multiple layers to provide warmth and comfort.

Soft shells turn this idea on its head and essentially combine an outer and mid-layer, providing insulation and keeping the elements out. They’re softer and more flexible than hard shells so are more comfortable, and they're comfortable next to the skin. You can wear one over just a short sleeve base layer and feel fine.

Hard shell v soft shell

In the last few years soft shells have risen in popularity among cyclists. The greatest appeal of a soft shell is that, unlike a hard shell, you can wear it most of the time, even when it's not raining. A soft shell isn’t waterproof, instead it is water resistant and much more breathable so it copes with a far wider range of typical British winter conditions.

A hard shell provides the ultimate protection against prolonged rain but the compromise is that it doesn't provide the best breathability so you can get sweaty inside. A hard shell needs to be worn as part of a layering system and deciding how many layers for any given ride can take some experience and trial and error to get right.

Soft shells, on the other hand, can simply be worn over a base layer of your choice when it’s not too cold. Add a thicker long sleeve mid-layer for really cold days and you begin to see that soft shells are the best solution for cyclists looking for a do-everything winter cycling jacket. Paired with a lightweight, packable waterproof jacket, it’s a good combination.

Features

Generally, the more features a jacket has, the more it costs, but good features can improve the performance considerably.

Well-designed pockets are useful and many winter cycling jackets come with three rear pockets or variations on this theme. For more versatility, chest pockets and side pockets can be useful for things like keys and phones, or keeping your hands warm when you’re not riding. Some people like lots of pockets, some don’t — it's up to you.

A decent full-length front zip is a must, with a good size puller that you can use even with thick winter gloves on. Some zips will have a storm flap behind to stop draughts, and a zip garage (a fold of fabric at the top) will prevent the zip snagging the soft skin of your neck.

Velcro cuffs will keep baggy sleeves in order and drawcords at the waist will help tailor the fit. Hoods are occasional options and can be useful for dual-purpose commuting jackets, but separate headwear is typically a preferred option.

Most winter cycling jackets will have a dropped tail, the rear section extending lower than the front. This is so that when you're on the bike the jacket keeps your bum covered and the front doesn't bunch up around your stomach. The more race orientated a jacket, the more extreme this cut will be.

Many jackets will feature some sort of ventilation. Of course, there’s the full-length front zip that is an almost universal feature. Extra zipped ports on the chest and under the arms can help deal with any excess heat when you’re riding. The more breathable a fabric is, the less it’ll need extra vents.

Fit

Like any garment, a winter cycling jacket needs to fit well. One key consideration is the arms. They need to be long enough to cover your wrists when you stretch to the handlebars.

The fit of the jacket can range from loose for casually style jackets, popular with leisure and commuting cyclists, to more snugly fitted jackets with an emphasis on aerodynamics that are suited to more performance-driven cyclists. When trying on a jacket it’s vital you consider how many layers you could be wearing underneath and allow a bit of space for, say, two long sleeve layers.

Some jackets, especially those lightweight shells designed for occasional emergency use, skimp on the features in pursuit of lightness, so don’t expect pockets or other extras from this style of jacket.

Choices, choices, choices

Now you know your waterproof jackets from your windproof shells, let’s take a look at some of the options out there. We’ve picked a few of each type to present the choices currently available.

Soft shells

Lusso Aqua Pro Extreme — 164.99

Warm, comfortable and water repellent enough to withstand all but the worst of days, the Lusso Aqua Pro Extreme Jacket does a lot of very sensible things very well indeed. Throw in a flattering fit and enough reflectivity and colour to make it highly visible without tipping over into garishness, and it's a real winner.

Stu tested the Lusso Aqua Extreme Repel V2 jacket last year and gave it full marks. The Aqua Pro Extreme costs a little more, but I'm similarly impressed.

The Aqua Pro Extreme's Windtex Storm Shield membrane is categorised as 'water repellent'– which is typically considered to be a step down from fully waterproof, but a step up from merely water resistant. The material boasts a 10,000mm waterproof rating, which is enough for moderate rain and it certainly lives up to this. The seams aren't taped, as they are on a number of jackets, and so given long enough in heavy enough rain this is presumably where water would make its way in – but nothing got through in testing, and I'd say it'll serve you well the vast majority of the time.

Read our review of the Lusso Aqua Pro Extreme

Assos Mille GT Jacket Spring/Fall — £136.99

The Assos Mille GT Jacket Spring Fall is a cracking choice for riding hard in the cooler seasons, where changeable weather is the norm. With beautifully engineered technical features, it doesn't put a foot wrong. Just be aware that it expects you to work, and keep working.

Assos of Switzerland has the tagline 'sponsor yourself'. It isn't afraid to price accordingly pro, and you pretty much get what you pay for. Anecdotally, the gear lasts and lasts – friends have Assos kit that's over a decade old, that's ridden hard year in, year out. But longevity wouldn't amount to a hill of beans if it weren't comfortable and functional to boot. Fortunately, in the Mille GT Spring Fall jacket, it's nailed both.

The Mille GT Spring Fall is classed as a jacket, not a jersey. At the front the triple-layer high-vis chest panel (other colours are available – with a blue panel and, for £170, black-fronted) is rated at 10,000mm of water head – i.e. waterproof, and it's windproof too.

Read our review of the Assos Mille GT Jacket Spring/Fall
Find an Assos dealer

Sportful Fiandre Pro — £170.00

Sportful's Fiandre Pro jacket commands a big price but it offers big performance for tackling horrible weather, protecting you from rain and wind well beyond the point other jackets would have succumbed to the elements, wrapped up with fit and comfort that has been refined over the years.

The key to the Fiandre Pro's performance when it's cold and wet is the use of Polartec Neoshell, a fabric Sportful first used in the Fiandre Extreme Neoshell jacket a few years ago, and updated last winter. Neoshell is a fabric that offers the protection of a rain jacket with the breathability and comfort of a softshell.

Neoshell really is very good. It is near-perfect for dealing with the sort of weather the UK is subjected to over the winter, constantly changing and wildly unpredictable. Rain, from drizzle through to thunderstorms, brisk winds, higher temperatures when the sun breaks through the clouds or you're putting in some effort – it tackles it all well. It keeps you dry, and breathes well enough to prevent overheating.

Read our review of the Sportful Fiandre Pro

Kalf Club Men's Softshell Jersey — £80

You can buy a lot of softshell tops these days, most of which claim to be weather resistant, and good across a range of temperatures. I'll wager you can't buy many better than this Kalf Club Men's Softshell Jersey, though. It really does do an excellent job and we can highly recommend it.

The eVent membrane within the jersey is charged with stopping the wind, keeping the external moisture (rain and spray) out, and letting the internal moisture (sweat) through. A lot of the time those all seem like mutually exclusive goals, so it's always a wonder to me that membrane fabrics work at all, let alone so well. We've had good experiences of eVent membrane fabrics in the past and this is no exception: the Kalf Club jersey is really impressive in its ability to regulate moisture and temperature.

Read our review of the Kalf Club Men's Softshell Jersey

dhb Aeron LAB All Winter Polartec Jacket — £180

LAB is the high-performance range from dhb and this new Aeron LAB All Winter Polartec Jacket is designed for you to continue racing and riding hard throughout the winter months. A trio of fabrics keeps the elements at bay really well; it's not the perfect winter softshell, but it's pretty close.

dhb has chosen fabrics from Polartec to deliver the kind of properties needed for exercising hard through the winter weather. The front, shoulders and the outer arms (basically all of the blue bits) are made from NeoShell, which is a waterproof and windproof softshell material. It's placed in the positions on your body that are most likely to take a battering from the rain when you are crouched over in a race position.

It works really well, keeping the coldest of winds from penetrating, and water simply beads off the fabric as you ride. It'll get overwhelmed eventually, but only after hours of riding in the rain. Its performance s genuinely impressive.

Read our review of the dhb Aeron LAB All Winter Polartec Jacket

Endura Pro SL Thermal Windproof II — £142.49

The Endura Pro SL II is a warm, very slim-fitting and extremely protective winter cycling jacket that looks built to last - and an absolute godsend on horrible winter days. It features an excellent high collar, intelligent use of panels and a sleek yet stretchy fit that will never slow you down.

Endura recommend this as an outer layer on dry days between -5 and 12C, and a mid-layer beneath a waterproof once it worsens. That seems accurate, though you won't find much room beneath it for baselayers unless you size up. We didn't want to fit more than two (one tee, one long sleeve), and that combo was warm enough down to around zero. Any lower and we'd recommend an outer layer, however.

Read our review of the Endura Pro SL Thermal Windproof II
Find a Endura dealer

Pactimo Vertex WX-D Jacket — £185

Pactimo's Vertex WX-D has proved to be a top performer in the cold and wet British weather. It's warm, dry and light while being breathable enough to wear all day in comfort.

It can be hard at this time of year to gauge what to wear – how cold is it, will it rain, blow a gale? The usual response seems to be layers and extra clothing in your pockets, but you end up looking like the Michelin man or without the bits you need. A jacket that claims to cover all aspects is a tantalising prospect, then, but can it deliver? The Vertex W-XD claims warmth down to -17°C, windproofing and waterproofing too, with its three-layer outer fabric providing the weatherproofing with taped seams (reflective on the outside) and waterproofed zips, and brushed fleece grid providing the warmth.

It's reasonably thin and light for a cold weather outer – not quite enough to fold up into a jersey pocket, but you shouldn't need to as breathability is good and it has two small zipped vents for fresh air if needed.

Read our review of the Pactimo Vertex WX-D Jacket

Galibier Mistral Foul Weather Jacket — £72.79

Galibier's Mistral foul weather jacket will cover off nearly all of your winter rides if you like to work up a sweat. It's windproof, waterproof, breathable, close fitting and exceptional value. Only the pockets let it down.

The Mistral has a three-layer membrane with a waterproof rating of 8,000mm and a breathability rating of 10,000gr/m2/day. That's both more breathable and more waterproof than the previous version, and it's also treated with a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) coating to help it shed water. The seams aren't taped, and it's not as waterproof as a full hardshell, but it's plenty waterproof to be a good choice on rides where you know you're going to get wet, especially if it's cold and showery and you don't want to be pulling a rain cape on and off. On a long ride some water will make it inside, normally around the shoulders. But not much.

Read our review of the Galibier Mistral Foul Weather Jacket

Assos Mille GT Ultraz Winter Jacket — £265

The Assos Mille GT Ultraz Winter Jacket offers fabulous cold weather performance, requiring very little to be worn underneath, with the inner being exceptionally soft. The attached snood is perhaps more hinder than help, but overall this is an excellent bit of kit.

The Mille GT Ultraz has been designed to let you tackle the worst that winter can throw at you, but at a more affordable price point than Assos' Bonka jacket. When we say affordable, this is still £260 (the Bonka is £370!). If you've not got that kind of cash, there are plenty of great alternatives at a much lower price, but if you can afford the Mille GT Ultraz then it's worth every penny.

If you don't need protection against the most extreme weather, the Assos Mille GT Winter Jacket is the toned-down and slightly cheaper version at £225.

Read our review of the Assos Mille GT Ultraz Winter Jacket

Read our review of the Assos Mille GT Winter Jacket

Castelli Alpha RoS Jacket — £280

As an all-in-one winter jacket, the Castelli Alpha RoS is hard to beat. The Italian brand really means it when it calls it the 'Rain or Shine' (RoS – geddit?) jacket, and there's plenty of insulation for when the mercury falls.

After living with the Alpha RoS jacket for the past month or so when temperatures have dropped well into single figures at times, it has shaken up our perception of how we should dress for this coming winter.

There's a similarly excellent 'Light' version too, for £210.

Read our review of the Castelli Alpha RoS Jacket

Read our review of the Castelli Women’s Alpha RoS Light jacket

Madison Sportive men's softshell jacket — £79.99

The Madison Sportive Men's Softshell Jacket offers a good fit, generous warmth for the chilliest winter rides, looks smart and is reasonably priced.

Read our review of the Madison Sportive Men's Softshell Jacket
Find a Madison dealer

Bontrager Velocis S1 Softshell — £79.99

The Bontrager Velocis S1 Softshell Jacket keeps the cold off your front, lets the heat out at the back and provides an impressive level of winter protection.

Bontrager has chosen to use windproofing only on the chest and side panels. The back, using Cocona's Patented 37.5 technology, is aimed at getting heat and moisture away from the body. Cocona says 'patented active particles permanently embedded at the fiber level capture and release moisture vapor.' The idea is to keep the humidity inside your clothing to around 37.5%, where, it claims, your body is most comfortable.

Read our review of the Bontrager Velocis S1 Softshell
Find a Bontrager dealer

Pearl Izumi Elite Pursuit Softshell Jacket — £49.99

This softshell jacket provides very good windproofing in a rather stylish jacket.

When Neil tested it in... well... testing conditions, he said; "I thought this was an excellent garment that made the prospect of venturing out in some premature winter conditions a lot less off-putting. And anything that encourages me to ride more is a good thing."

Read our review of the Pearl Izumi Elite Pursuit Softshell Jacket
Find a Pearl Izumi dealer

Sportful Fiandre Light WS Jacket — £120.00

In designing clothing for Flandrian weather, Sportful have created clothing that is perfectly suited to typical UK weather conditions: lots of rain, rapidly changing conditions, fluctuating temperatures during the course of a ride. It's difficult to know what to wear sometimes. This Light WS Jacket makes it all a bit easier, as it copes with all of that weather with ease.

Read our review of the Sportful Fiandre Light WS Jacket

Lusso Aqua Extreme Repel V2 — £149.99

The Lusso Aqua Extreme Repel Jacket V2 is made in the UK, and it's one of the best waterproof jackets on the market. Made in Manchester, the Lusso Aqua Extreme Repel Jacket V2 keeps serious rain out without creating that boil in the bag sensation found with many others on the market. A huge amount of reflective detailing makes this jacket perfect for night rides too.

Made from waterproof, windproof yet breathable Windtex Storm Shield fabric, with a 10,000mm hydrostatic head and breathability of 10,000ml of moisture per square metre per day, it's good technically. Not as breathable as some fabrics, but certainly equal to most at the price – you can pay over twice as much for a jacket with similar-spec fabric.

The seams aren't sealed but it doesn't seem to matter. On a ride that involved two and a half hours of heavy rain and temperature a few degrees above freezing it fought off the elements with aplomb. Unlike many materials found on waterproof garments with various coatings, water doesn't bead off the Storm Shield fabric. Instead, it quickly looks sodden and we were waiting for that feeling of the rain starting to seep though but it never came. The membrane clearly does its job very well indeed.

Read our review of the Lusso Aqua Extreme Repel V2
Find a Lusso dealer​

Lightweight windproof shells

Rapha Women's Lightweight Shadow Jacket — £97.50

The Rapha Women's Lightweight Shadow Jacket gained tester Ashia many a compliment from fellow riders while she was out testing it. It has a simple, classic design and excellent fit and it performs brilliantly... with a price tag to match.

Ashia adds: "I put the jacket on for the first time to model it for the photos you see in this review, and immediately mentioned what a lovely fit it was. There is room for a jersey and light layer or two underneath on colder days, but no unnecessary flapping or extra material hanging around.

"It is surprisingly stretchy for such a water-resistant and windproof layer, which also allows it to fit over well-filled pockets at the start of a long day's riding. In fact, with the right layering underneath, I can see myself wearing this most of the year in the UK."

Read our review of the Rapha Women's Lightweight Shadow Jacket

Proviz Reflect360 Men's Performance Cycling Jacket — £79.99 - £99.99

Made almost entirely from highly effective Reflect360 material, the Proviz Performance jacket is probably the best way to stay visible on your bike without looking like a French economic activist.

Save for areas of black mesh at the top of the back, sides and under the arms – the Proviz Reflect360 jacket is constructed entirely from the Reflect360 wonder material. This looks like fairly demure grey fabric in daylight conditions – old-school lurid high-vis yellow it ain't – but it reflects like a beacon with just a bit of light at night-time.

The great advantage of Reflect360 fabric is that you can wear this jacket during daylight without looking like a high-vis road warrior. That said, with this 'Performance' version you can't hide the fact that you're a cyclist. It's cut perfectly for road riding or fast commuting, with a nice balance of form fitting, stretch and a deep drop tail. The fitted waist is very effective for keeping it in place and it's very comfortable without being too roomy. Essentially, you can wear it when you want to get somewhere fast without feeling like you're making too much of compromise in the safety-to-speed stakes.

Read our review of the Proviz Reflect360 Men's Performance Cycling Jacket

Van Rysel RC 500 UltraLight Windproof Jacket — £22.49

The Ultralight Wind Jacket from Van Rysel (Decathlon's in-house cycling brand) is a low-priced lightweight jacket designed to give you some protection when the weather catches you out. It stuffs into its own tiny pocket, about the size of a fist, and weighs very little, so it's no chore to keep it in your bag or pannier for when it's needed. As you might expect, it's aimed more at the casual cyclist than those wanting highly technical cycling wear, but it does a decent job especially at this price.

Read our review of the Van Rysel RC 500 UltraLight Windproof Jacket
Find a Decathlon store

Polaris RBS Pack Me Jacket — £19.99

RBS stands for Really Bright Stuff, and you're certainly going to get noticed with this on. It's a packable light weight windproof that's just right autumn and milder winter days. Its windproof qualities keep the morning chill at bay. The 100% polyester fabric is thin but is a good barrier against the wind and will stand up to a bit of light drizzle too.

Read our review of the Polaris RBS Pack Me Jacket
Find a Polaris dealer

Showers Pass Ultralight Wind Jacket — £65

The Showers Pass Ultralight Wind Jacket ticks every box for staying warm while dodging showers in the shoulder seasons. Light, trim-fitting, tiny when packed and budget-friendly, it's hard to see how it could be improved on.

Read our review of the Showers Pass Ultralight Wind Jacket
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Waterproof jackets

Howies Herald Waterproof Jacket — £139.00

The Howies Herald is a fantastic waterproof jacket that's ideal for commuters. A little more reflectivity for night riding would make it nigh-on faultless.

Howies makes some really great, practical cycling kit that has the added advantage of not being overtly cycling-styled. We recently tested the rather fun Drizzler blazer and was impressed by its surprisingly impressive performance on the bike.

The Herald is a more obviously jacket for active wear, even if it's not clearly cycling-specific. It's made from a two-layer, matt waterproof and breathable nylon shell, with a mesh polyester lining. Seams are double taped for added water protection while the lightweight fleece collar is there for a spot of comfort.

Perhaps more exciting than the Herald's fabric is its practical design. There are two typical zipped hand pockets, a subtle zipped chest pocket, a zipped internal pocket and – my personal fave – a zipped forearm pocket with fitted bungee cord and clip for secure holding of your front door key.

Read our review of the Howies Herald Waterproof Jacket

Galibier Tempest Pro Jacket — £59.30

The Galibier Tempest Pro Jacket has an impressive ability to shrug off the heaviest of rain for ages without soaking you from the inside out, and when you don't need it, just stuff it in your rear pocket. There's a bit of a plasticky feel to the fabric, but it works really well.

Using a HydraStop membrane, the Tempest Pro delivers factory results of 9,000mm when it comes to waterproofing; that means it can resist 9,000mm of water from a hydrostatic head (tube of water) before it can't hold any more and it leaks through. In the real world that means heavy rain and downpours.

There have been plenty of chances to get out and test it too, especially in prolonged heavy rain. Depending on how heavy it was falling, I could head out for at least three hours without getting drenched, with the rainwater just beading off the surface.

Read our review of the Galibier Tempest Pro Jacket

Rapha Pro Team Lightweight Gore-Tex Jacket — £220.00

The new Rapha Pro Team Lightweight Gore-Tex jacket offers all the performance of the unique Gore-Tex Shakedry fabric with a few Rapha details, at a price that isn't excessive compared to other Shakedry jackets. It's totally waterproof, very breathable and impressively packable.

You're essentially getting the stunning performance of Shakedry with Rapha branding. Rapha fans will love it! Rapha has until now sought out its own fabrics, but it has clearly been unable to look past Gore-Tex's stunning Shakedry waterproof fabric and so this winter launches two new jackets built around it, the Pro Team Insulated and the Pro Team Lightweight tested here.

There's a similarly impressive women's version. You can read our review of the Women's Pro Team Lightweight Gore-Tex here.

Read our review of the Rapha Pro Team Lightweight Gore-Tex Jacket

Findra Stroma Technical Jacket — £159

One of the most immediately interesting things about the Findra Stroma Technical Jacket is that the fabric uses repurposed coffee grounds alongside recycled plastic bottles in its creation. The clever eco-fabric has four-way stretch and a 10,000mm waterproof rating, and the resulting jacket is very light and stretchy. Just bear in mind that it's designed to be an all-round outdoor waterproof rather than cycling-specific, and therefore lacks a few cycling-specific features such as a dropped tail and reflectivity.

Because of the level of stretch, the fit of the jacket is reasonably forgiving – worth bearing in mind when selecting your size. If you're likely to want to wear it with multiple layers underneath then I'd say go for your usual size, but for a sleek fit maybe consider going down a size. (Tass is modelling a 12, her usual size, but reckons a 10 would probably be a better fit.) It's available in sizes 8-16, and in 'Nine Iron' grey as well as this lovely teal.

Read our review of the Findra Stroma Technical Jacket

Resolute Bay Reflective Cycling Jacket — £200

The Resolute Bay Reflective Cycling Jacket is impressive. It's a high-quality design, offering superb protection against the weather, excellent breathability, and some strong cyclist-specific features, and the fit works really well both on and off the bike.

One thing that tends to plague commuter cycling jackets is that they're either too cycling-specific or not cycling-specific enough. The Reflective Cycling jacket aims to balance the two – and succeeds.

As with all foul weather jackets, waterproofing is one of the most important elements, and the Resolute Bay has stood up to all of the rain that the British spring has thrown at it. I tested it on some torrentially rainy rides and it performed admirably, not letting in a drop. The only slight downside was that when wearing it with the hood down (if you have a helmet on), you can get water caught in the hood.

Read our review of the Resolute Bay Reflective Cycling Jacket
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Metier Beacon Rain Jacket — £200

The Metier Beacon Rain Jacket performs brilliantly in foul conditions and can also pack down small and compactly into a jersey pocket. Its USP, the flashing LEDs, work really well too, although if you're thinking it'd be great for everyday commuting with a backpack, they're not ideally placed. This isn't your typical commuter jacket, though, it's a piece of high-performance kit – with a price tag to match.

The idea of incorporating flashing lights within clothing isn't new, but can be a little garish and needs to be done subtly in order that the wearer doesn't look like a walking traffic light. Metier has managed this well with slim strips of LEDs, one set of white lights on the front of each shoulder, and a set of red lights on the bottom hem at the back of the jacket.

Read our review of the Metier Beacon Rain Jacket

dhb Aeron Lab Ultralight Waterproof Jacket — £150

dhb has created an excellent bad weather top layer with its Aeron Lab Ultralight waterproof jacket. It keeps the weather at bay better than most, especially at this price and weight, plus it's packable too. It's quite an outlay, but it's justified by the very good performance.

The Ultralight is rated to 30,000mm on the waterproofing scale, which means that in laboratory testing the fabric could withstand 30,000mm of water from a one inch diameter sealed tube of water before it soaks through. That's pretty impressive, as most of the jackets we test here are around the 10,000mm mark.

Read our review of the dhb Aeron Lab Ultralight Waterproof Jacket

B'Twin 500 Waterproof Cycling Jacket — £24.99

The B'Twin 500 High Visibility Waterproof Cycling Jacket provides excellent rain protection with a coated membrane material and taped seams plus plenty of reflective details to help you been seen on the commute to work. There are vents and breathability is very good.

Read our review of the B'Twin 500 jacket
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Gore C7 Gore-Tex ShakeDry Stretch Jacket — £279.99

The Gore C7 Gore-Tex ShakeDry Stretch Jacket provides total rain protection with incredible breathability. The stretch panels help to give a perfect fit that lasts through machine washing and tumble drying. This jacket is packed with tech features. The Gore ShakeDry fabric that made the last iteration so good is still present, and it works really well in heavy rain. Put simply, nothing gets through.

Added to this is Gore's new Stretch technology. It was developed with the military for use with body armour and is also windproof and completely waterproof.

It's not stretchy, but we also love the Women's C7 Gore-Tex Shakedry Viz jacket (£167.99 - £239.99)

Read our review of the women's Gore C7 Women Gore-Tex Shakedry Viz Jacket

Read our review of the Gore C7 Gore-Tex ShakeDry Stretch Jacket
Find a Gore dealer

For even more choice view all our winter cycling jacket reviews.

Winter is a tough time for cyclists. Short days and long nights limit riding time in the sun, the cold drains energy faster and bad weather can make it dangerous on the roads. It's bad for the road bike too, all that rain and dirt. To help you and your bike survive, we've picked out a selection of winter cycling gear that should get you through to spring.

Read more: Winter cycling — 16 tips to keep you motivated

Muc-Off Bio Chain Doc — £15

All the road grime and dirt from riding in the winter can quickly lead to a squeaky and rusty chain, but doing serious bike maintenance after a ride when you can’t feel your hands isn’t much to look forward to. This Muc-Off Bio Chain Doc makes the task of cleaning a chain really quick and easy, so you can keep your drivetrain in good working condition without the mess and hassle.

Decathlon Rockrider ST100 Cycling Sunglasses — £3.99

When you think of winter cycling gear, you don't immediately think of eyewear, but keeping road spray, dirt, mud and the rain out of your eyes with a pair of cycling glasses is preferable to trying to see through mud-filled squinted eyes. These Decathlon glasses have a wraparound design and the clear lens is ideal for low-light and night-time riding.

Tacx Vortex Smart Trainer — £234.99

There is a way to avoid manky weather, and that’s to do your cycling indoors. The turbo trainer is therefore becoming one of the most popular forms of winter cycling gear.

It's a simple frame for the rear wheel of a bicycle where the tyre rests against a roller, turning your road bike into a stationary trainer. This Tacx Vortex Smart trainer can be controlled by a computer or phone app such as Zwift or TrainerRoad to vary the resistance so you can train to specific power levels and not waste any training time.

Vittoria Corsa G+ tyres — £27.49

With the addition of state-of-the-art graphene, Italian tyre manufacturer Vittoria reckons its brands new Corsa tyres provide a massive boost in both puncture resistance and wet weather grip compared to its previous tyres. The Corsa G+ rivals long-standing favourite the Continental GP4000S II for both rolling resistance and puncture resistance and has excellent wet-weather grip.

Read our first look at the Vittoria Corsa G+ tyres

Exposure Lights Axis Mk 7 LED light — £152

An essential piece of winter cycling gear because many cyclists have no choice but to do the majority of their riding in the dark. The British designed and manufactured Exposure Axis LED light may be small and light (99g), but it blasts out 1,150 lumens, enough to light a dark country ride. It can be mounted to the handlebar or helmet and the battery can last for 24 hours in the lowest setting.

Read more: Your guide to the best front lights for cycling + beam comparison engine

Sufferfest system — from USD12.99/month

If you’re planning on cycling indoors to avoid the cold, rain and dark (who can blame you) then a really good training aid is the popular Sufferfest system. It's an app offering a range of structured training session with videos using actual professional road racing footage to make you feel you're part of the action.

DeFeet Woolie Boolie 2 Merino socks — £14

Nothing says winter like cold toes, and a pair of woolly socks will definitely make your ride a little more enjoyable. These Woolie Boolie socks are thicker than most cycling socks, made from luxuriously soft merino wool, and long enough to avoid an ankle gap below your tights. They're best used with roomy shoes. Try and stuff them into shoes that fit snugly over thin summer socks and you'll just reduce the circulation in your feet, making things worse.

Read our review DeFeet Woolie Boolie 2 Merino socks

Crud RoadRacer Mudguard Set — £32.99

A vital piece of winter cycling gear - indeed mandatory on many club rides. Adding a set of mudguards to a bike - and these simple plastic Crud RoadRacer mudguards can be fitted to most road race bikes - provides a decent barrier against road spray, and makes cycling on wet roads much more tolerable than without mudguards.

Rapha Pro Team Winter Hat — £45

Keep your ears warm and your head toasty with a hat worn underneath your helmet. This Rapha Pro Team Winter Hat uses a soft shell fabric to provide insulation for your brain and it’s got a DWR treatment so it’ll be good in the rain too.

Proviz Reflect 360 Jacket — £76.49

To help you stand out on the commute or evening training ride is this fully reflective Proviz Reflect 360 jacket. The magic is in the material, which is completely coated with a reflective treatment so the whole lot lights up when a car's headlight is focused on it.

Read our review of the Proviz Reflect 360 Jacket

Kool Stop Dura 2 brake blocks — £9.35

Your brakes can take a bit of a hammering in the winter, with the rims caked in mud, grit and salty water, and brake blocks can deteriorate very rapidly. It’s important to keep a close eye on them, and replace them before they get too worn down. These Kool Stop Dura 2 brake blocks are a good replacement, with solid stopping power in all conditions.

Read our review Kool Stop Dura 2 brake blocks

Lezyne Lever Patch Kit — £5.49 - £6.79

It’s a fact of life, you’re much more likely to get a puncture in the winter. There’s more debris on the road, especially after it has rained, with mud and stones from the edge of the road washed into your path. And water acts as a really good lubricant for sharp objects to slice through bicycle tyres. This Lezyne Lever Patch Kit has everything you need to fix a flat and it’s all contained in a neat metal case, along with two tyre levers, and is small enough to be stashed in a jacket pocket, saddle bag or backpack.

Read our review of the Lezyne Lever Patch Kit

Ribble CGR — from £999

Buying a whole extra bike for winter use might seem overkill, but it makes sense if you want to avoid winter salt and crud attacking your favourite bike's components. This Ribble is our Commuting Bike of the Year, and comes with proper full-length mudguards to keep you dry, disc brakes and plenty of space for wide tyres so you don't have to worry about dodging every puddle-hidden pothole.

Read our review of the Ribble CGR

Any products not on this list that you recommend?

Winter is a testing time not only for your motivation but for your bike and equipment too. Bicycles really don't like all the water, grit and gunk that comes their way during the winter, but you can help out by using the best equipment and following a simple maintenance routine. Get things right and you'll be riding smoothly and safely through until spring.

Mudguards

Okay, so they’re not the most stylish or, dare we say it, fashionable thing you can stick on a bicycle but if you want to stay dry then keeping the surface water off your butt and lower legs/feet will make a huge difference to your comfort and enjoyment. What 'guards you fit depends on your bike.

If you have mounts and have the space and clearance you could fit traditional full-length mudguards like SKS Chromoplastics. If your frame doesn't have mounts, don't worry, there are lots of mudguards that will clip on to any bike, like Crud’s Race Guards.

SKS Chromoplastic Mudguards — £26.00 - £28.99

The SKS Chromoplastic mudguards are one of the best known, and very highly regarded, full-length options. They’re made by sandwiching aluminium strips inside a plastic housing. The resulting profile is quite deep which makes it stiff and sturdy. Stainless steel stays fix them in place and the Secu-Clips on the front means they pop out of the mount if somehting gets caught between the mudguard and tyre, rather than locking the wheel and putting you on your face. You get a generous mudflap on the front mudguard and a reflector on the rear. They’re available in several sizes to fit around tyres from 20 to 45mm wide.

Read our review of SKS Chromoplastic mudguards
Find an SKS dealer

Crud Roadracer Mk 3 — £26.99

The other popular option is the Crud Roadracer. As long as you've got 4mm between the top of your tyre and the inside of your brake caliper, the Roadracers will slide in.

You don't need mudguard eyelets. Roadracers attach to the frame with Duotech 'Interloc' strips, which are a bit like industrial strength Velcro. That makes the Roadracers incredibly light at just 262g for the pair.

The weight is saved because Roadracers do not use the four stiff metal stays used on conventional mudguards to keep the guards from touching the wheel or tyre. Instead, the Roadracers have four flexible plastic stays and are designed to 'float' above the tyre, with some little strips of soft brushing on the inside of the stay-clip to rub very gently on the rims and keep the guards central.

The all-plastic construction means Roadracers are more fragile than chromoplastic guards, an issue for some riders.

Read our review of the Crud Roadracer Mk 3 mudguards
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Our Buyer's Guide to Mudguardsgoes into great detail on the pros and cons of the different mudguards available, and will help you choose the right one for your bike.

Winter tyres

Punctures are easily the most annoying thing about cycling through the winter. They're more common during the winter, because the rain washes more sharp flints and pieces of glass on to the road and water also acts as an annoyingly good lubricant for sharp objects to slice through a tyre.

Look for a tyre with a thick reinforced breaker belt sandwiched between the rubber tread and carcass. This will help prevent flints and glass from puncturing the delicate inner tube.

Tyre pressure is important, and especially so in the winter when the roads are most likely to be wet. As a general rule, the wetter it is, the lower the pressure you want to run your tyres at. While it might be fine to ride tyres inflated to 120psi during the summer when the roads are dry, it's a good idea to go a little lower the wetter it is. It's not unknown to go as low as 80-90psi.

Schwalbe Marathon Plus — £22.99-£28.99

Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres are essentially heavy duty, ultra reliable commu-touring tyres that inspire unprecedented confidence without feeling sluggish or barge-like, despite their 970g/pr weight.

Read our review of the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres

Continental Grand Prix 4 Season — £37.99 - £38.99

A lighter option is the Continental Grand Prix 4 Season. A tough Duraskin mesh and two Vectran anti-puncture layers beneath the tread make this a good choice. And at 220g it's a good weight, for the rider wanting a fast winter tyre. Conti's max grip silica rubber compound provides a good level of grip. A good choice for winter and one that can be used in spring and autumn too. If you want even more protection, the Continental Gator Hardshell (see review) is a good option, with a third layer of Polyamide in the sidewalls.

Here’s our pick of the best winter tyres and what to look for, plus 10 of the best

Saddle pack with maintenance essentials

That last thing you want to do on a ride is to have a mechanical and not be able to sort it out. We always make sure we have a saddle bag packed with at least one spare tube, a few patches, tyre levers if the tyres demand it, and a quality multi-tool with a chain breaker. We carry a quick link or chain pin and tyre boot as well. Those are the essentials and should see you able to fix most roadside mechanicals.

By putting everything in a saddle pack you can simply leave it on the bike for the whole winter and it will always be there if and when you need it, and it beats stuffing your pockets, saving them for really important stuff like food and money for a coffee/cake/pint.

Pump

A good pump is a necessity at any time of the year, but winter is really not the time to skimp on your pump; invest in a high quality model. I once punctured 40 miles away from home, it was raining hard, and the mini pump I was testing completely failed me. A tiny pump may be attractive because it's light and doesn't take up much space in a jacket pocket, but they're not always much cop when it comes to quickly inflating a tyre to a decent pressure. If you're riding in company its also unfair to keep everyone waiting and getting cold while you struggle with an inadequate pump.

There are lots of very good mini pumps these days. Personally I think a traditional frame pump is best. Yes, it's heavier, but you can inflate a tyre to 85-100 psi every single time, and quickly too. If you can’t manage a frame pump, at least ensure you’ve invested in a high-quality pump that you’ve tested properly before hitting the road, or carry a CO2 cartridge inflator.

Birzman Velocity Apogee mini pump — £36.99

The Birzman Velocity Apogee is a crackingly good all-round pump for both road and mountain bike use - with the usual caveats about maximum pressure and comfort of grip. The Velocity Apogee shines as a no-faff, solidly-connected, accurately-gauged, flexible-hose pump that will work for road, mountain bike or suspension fork use, but like any mini-pump it takes a while to get to 100psi and it's extremely hard to get beyond that.

Read our review of the Birzman Velocity Apogee
Find a Birzman dealer

Zefal HPX — £18.91

Unless you ride alone, a full-length pump is a winter must-have so that a puncture doesn't force your riding buddies to wait around getting cold while you take ages to get a tyre back to riding pressure with a mini-pump.

Legendary US bike shop Rivendell Cycles calls the HPX "the biggest commercial mainstream normal zero-snobbeury bicycle success that has ever come out of France" and we can't argue with that. The narrow barrel makes high pressures easy, the thumblock grabs the valve firmly and the switchable sprung handle means no wasted effort.

The design's been around since the early 1970s. HPXes are tough and durable enough that we wouldn't be surprised if there are still a few of the first batch in use.

Find a Zefal dealer

Genuine Innovations Proflate 16 — £20

The Genuine Innovations Proflate 16 may not look the smartest, but it's a very cleverly designed CO2 pump that instills trust and makes you feel in control. It uses 16g non threaded cartridges (which are slightly cheaper than their threaded equivalents) and works on both Schrader and Presta valves.

The Proflate 16 has a host of really well designed features: it auto-detects Schrader or Presta valve; it's got a little indicator that tells you if the cartridge is punctured and the pump is therefore charged; it's got a trigger, protected by a security catch; you can store cartridges upside down in the body avoiding the risk of accidental puncturing; you can't accidentally unscrew the body with a charged/punctured cartridge; and it's got an automatic dirt/water shield.

Read our review of the Genuine Innovations Proflate 16
Find a Genuine Innovations dealer

See our guide to the best cycling tyre pumps and CO2 inflators

Lights

Even if you’re not planning to ride in the dark, it can be very gloomy on some grey, overcast days, so we’d recommend always riding with a set of lights. Even if they’re small single LED blinker lights, you have the reassurance of being able to put them on if it doesn’t turn out to be the blue sky day you'd hoped for.

And sometimes, even with the best intentions, you might find yourself racing to get home before the sun sets and not quite succeeding. We’ve all been there and know what it’s like. It's best to play safe and get some lights on your bike throughout the winter.

Here are a few of our current favourites.

Moon Alcor — £10.99

Here's a great little rear light that you will find very useful. The Moon Alcor is simple, bright and has a nifty magnetic mount. It has five modes, including a flash that's bright enough to use as a daytime running light, and steady modes that are plenty bright enough for general use. It recharges by plugging straight into a USB port so you don't have to find a cable.

Read our review of the Moon Alcor
Find a Moon dealer

Moon Arcturus Auto — £21.50

The Moon Arcturus Auto is a super little rear light for commuting and general riding. It's useful for a variety of scenarios, with seven modes in total – two main modes each with three sub-settings, plus a daytime mode for added safety. The single button is perfect for on-the-move adjustment.

We tested the Arcturus Auto on an unlit commuting run that includes a mix of A roads and narrow country lanes. The Moon's 35-lumen modes are easily bright enough for pitch black riding, while the extra-bright 70-lumen double flash is great for daytime. This is enhanced by the Auto Mode (hence the name), which switches the light on when it senses very low light. This came in really handy when going from sunshine into heavy tree cover, giving that bit of extra safety against drivers adjusting to the light change.

An extra couple of quid gets you the Moon Arcturus Auto Pro, with a 100-lumen daylight mode but shorter run time.

Read our review of the Moon Arcturus Auto
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Be sure to check out our rear light buyer's guide

Front lights: Guide to the best front lights for cycling + beam comparison engine.

Moon Meteor C3 — £19.99

The Moon Meteor C3 is a compact, eight-mode front light capable of delivering 300 lumens in constant and an equally impressive 400-lumen daylight flash. Build quality is superb throughout. The diminutive dimensions, comprehensive mounting options and generally usable run-times ensure it can play a wealth of roles, from a single commuter light to support act for a powerful main system.

Read our review of the Moon Meteor C3
Find a Moon dealer

Giant Recon HL1600 front light — £79.99

The Giant Recon HL1600 is an excellent value headlight and packs some smart thinking alongside its superbright output. What sets the Recon apart is the smart setting, shared by its lower-powered sibling, the HL900. The 'SpeedBeam' technology receives data from a connected sensor and auto adjusts brightness according to the speed that you're riding. You do need a sensor unit – it won't pair to a Garmin or other head unit, for example – but it's definitely a handy little feature that has the potential to save battery life automatically.

Read our review of the Giant Recon HL1600 front light
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Regular cleaning

I finished a ride the other day and actually had a tidemark along the down tube. There was even a bit of driftwood in the muck. Yes, riding through the winter clearly places a lot of stress on all the moving components so you’ll need to embrace a regular cleaning and servicing schedule.

Ideally ,you should give your bike a very thorough clean straight after a mucky ride to prevent rust setting in. A bucket, some soapy water and a sponge/brush will do for a basic clean. There are plenty of specialised cleaning products on the market that will make cleaning your bike easier.

Keep it lubed

Even if you don’t wash your bike regularly, you’re going to need to keep the drivetrain will lubed. Hear that squeaky chain? That’s not a good sound; you don’t want to be hearing it.

Buy a good-quality bicycle lube and use it, this isn't the time to skimp. Wet lubes are good because they last ages, but can attract muck and grit to the chain and need more thorough cleaning. Dry lubes might not seem the obvious choice in the winter but a good one can work well and has the benefit of keeping your chain clean. On the down side, it does need much more regular application and can be more fussy to apply in the first place.

Pedros Syn Lube — £6.81

A long-time favourite, Syn Lube is a cracking product for keeping you squeak-free in the winter months, keeping things clean and quiet for a long time riding in poor conditions.

Green Oil chain lube — £6.99

Green Oil proudly boasts that it contains no environmentally harmful chemicals, such as PTFE, and no palm oil, which is implicated in the destruction of rainforest. What it actually does contain is a secret. Green Oil only admit to "naturally occurring plant extracts" and no animal derivatives. But this is all detail; what matters is that it works really well, whether you care about its green credentials or not.

Read our review of Green Oil chain lube

Check that chain

If you’re riding a load of miles in the winter, it’s good to keep an eye on the chain wear. A chain will slowly stretch over time as the components wear out.

A chain checker tool is reasonably cheap and could save you a lot of money in the long run. If you leave a chain to wear unchecked, the chain rings, cassette and jockey wheels will wear out and and eventually you’ll have to replace the whole transmission. Costly!

Park Tool Chain Checker CC2 — £16.99

Park Tool's Chain Checker lets you monitor the condition of your chain so you can decide for yourself just how cautious you want to be about the effect of its wear on the rest of your drivetrain.

Alternatively, if you change the chain regularly, you can extend the life of the transmission hugely. Some people will fit a new chain every three months if they’re do lots of miles. A new chain - and it doesn’t need to be a posh one - is a small price to pay compared to a Dura-Ace cassette, for example.

Inspect tyres and brake blocks regularly

The brake blocks (or pads) will take a beating through the winter and wear out much faster. Every time you wash your bike, pay particular attention to the blocks and replace them before they get too worn. It’s also worth checking the tyres for holes, cuts, gashes and flint/glass lodged in the tyre.

Kool Stop Dura 2 brake blocks — £7.99-£8.99

Kool Stop Dura 2s are aftermarket upgrade brake blocks with the dual compound providing good braking performance in a range of conditions and decent longevity too.

Read our review of the Kool Stop Dura 2 brake blocks
Find a Kool Stop dealer

Follow this guide and you should sail through the autumn and winter months quite happily. If you've got any of your own tips, feel free to add them below.