Winter is creeping up on us – and warm clothing is essential if you want to keep riding through the months ahead.

Winter weather in the UK can vary from mild and damp to cold and icy. Technical cycle clothing has developed at a pace in recent years and, as the old adage goes, there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.

Here’s our advice on what to wear when the mercury’s barely nudging above zero.

Basic principles

Keeping warm starts with the bike, not least because the roads are often wet in winter, whether it’s raining or not, and standing water kicked up onto a cyclist’s feet, legs, backside and lower back is, well, cold.

So give yourself a head start and fit mudguards – check out our buyers guide here – or invest in a winter bike.

Needless to say, getting dressed before a winter ride is more complicated than throwing on a base layer, short sleeve jersey and bib shorts for a summer spin.

Therefore, get organised, check the weather forecast and lay your clothing out the night before, ready for when you roll out of bed. Not only will you save time in the morning, you’ll also reduce the risk of forgetting a key item of clothing in the rush before heading out of the front door.

And the golden rule? If you’re the right temperature as you swing a leg over the toptube, clip in and ride away, then you’ll soon be too warm. But how to get the balance right? More on the next page.