WHAT TO
WEAR TODAY

A light base layer, long-sleeve jersey, and bib shorts with knee warmers or full leg warmers. Add a gilet or wind jacket if it's windy or overcast. Below about 15°C felt temperature it's worth covering your knees, whatever the forecast says.

Knee warmers are enough from about 10°C to 15°C felt, and you can strip them off mid-ride. Below 10°C, leg warmers or bib tights make more sense; below 0°C you want heavy thermal tights. Full breakdown here.

In steady rain a proper waterproof jacket is essential at any temperature. In showers, a packable shell is essential below 15°C and optional above it. Pair it with merino, which keeps insulating when damp. Below about 15°C, rain changes the small pieces too: full-finger gloves instead of mitts, waterproof overshoes, and leg warmers where you'd otherwise wear knee warmers — wet hands, feet and legs lose heat far faster than dry ones. More in rain jackets vs gilets.

Hugely. A calm 12°C morning and a windy 12°C morning are different rides. Wind doesn't make the whole ride much colder on average — it makes the headwind stretches and descents much colder. So once it's blowing above about 20 km/h and the temperature is below roughly 12°C, you want a windproof layer: a wind jacket, or a gilet if it's sunny. A thicker jersey is the wrong fix. More on riding in the wind.

Above about 22°C a mesh base layer still helps — it moves sweat off your skin and into the jersey, which keeps you cooler than bare skin under fabric. The mistake is wearing winter-weight merino in July. More on base layers.

From about 17°C upwards. Between 15°C and 17°C it depends: calm and sunny suits short sleeves plus arm warmers, which you can peel off as the day warms, while wind or heavy cloud makes a long-sleeve jersey the better call.