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BUYER'S GUIDE

Best budget winter cycle clothing 2021 - cold weather riding essentials for less

You don't need to spend a fortune on a winter cycling outfit

Sometimes riding a bike can seem like a very expensive hobby, especially during the darker months of the year when you need to invest in suitable winter cycle clothing so you can continue riding when it's cold, dark and wet. But you don't need to spend big; here's a selection of sensibly-priced gear that'll keep you going through winter

8 of the best budget winter cycling pieces for 2021

Inspired by a forum thread on road.cc titled “winter road clothes on a budget” we’ve set out to show it’s possible to get winter cycle clothing without spending a fortune.

We’ve put together a complete outfit for £176.74 (plus £18 for leg warmers if you want to wear them with your existing kit). That’s not to say you can’t go cheaper, you probably can if you shop around and make the most of sales and end of season discounts, but these are all readily available garments in a range of sizes.

You might already have some cycling clothing though - shorts, base layer, jersey for example - in which case you are halfway there and can consider adding some accessories such as arm and leg warmers and a jacket, so you don’t have to rush out and buy all this kit at the same time.

It's also worth keeping an eye on value-for-money supermarkets Aldi and Lidl. Both have winter cycle clothing on offer from time to time, including budget base layers and jackets, so with a bit of good timing you can kit yourself out for even less.

- Best cheap cycling shorts

- Best cheap cycling jerseys

dhb Merino Base Layer — £30

dhb Merino Long Sleeve Base Layer

A good base layer is a solid foundation for any cycling outfit, and for winter a long sleeve base layer will provide the necessary warmth to insulate on a cold ride. Merino wool is a great fabric for base layers because it's light and warm, and because it doesn't get smelly easily, so if you can get away with wearing it several times before it needs washing. Handy if you're riding a lot, and it means you can buy one base layer instead of several.

If that's still too expensive, £9.99 gets you the Triban RC 100 Cycling Base Layer.

Triban RC 100 Winter Softshell Cycling Jacket — £34.99

Triban RC 100 Winter Softshell Cycling Jacket

A jacket is an essential at this time of year, to keep you warm when it’s cold and protected from the wind and rack. It’s one of the most expensive items of cycling clothing, so spend as much as your budget will allow. This smart looking jacket from Decathlon is fleece-lined for warmth with a windproof fabric on the outside and a water repellent material on the front panels and arms. It’s finished with lots of reflective material and three pockets.

The British winter can be very unpredictable and the best approach to dealing with it is choosing clothing that allows you to adapt to those constantly changing variables. It's also ensuring you pick the right clothing for the type of weather as well, if you never go out in the rain then there's little point in investing in a waterproof jacket, for example.

Merino Buff — from £14

Wear it round your neck to seal out collar draughts, pull it up over your ears or turn it into a skullcap — there are few pieces of winter clothing more versatile or useful than a Merino tube from Buff. There are heavyweight Merino and fleece versions too, but this is the one we always reach for when stepping out into cold weather.

Read our review of the Merino Buff

dhb Thermal Bib Tights — £40

dhb Thermal Bib Tights

If you do want to put your shorts to one side and invest in a pair of cycling bib tights, you can’t go wrong with dhb’s offering. These tights are made from brushed fabric for warmth and have a high-quality CyTech Veloce padded insert for maximum seated comfort. Reflective patches on the thighs, rear and above the knees help with night-time visibility.

Tad pricey? B'Twin's 100 bib tights are just £24.99.

dhb Regulate Thermal Leg Warmers — £18

dhb Aeron Rain Defence Leg Warmers

We haven’t tested this exact incarnation of dhb’s well-priced fleece-backed leg warmers, but we liked the very similar Pace Roubaix model.

Those were excellent, with five separate panels to give an 'anatomical' shape - ie, they've got a bend half way down, to match the bend in your leg, and silicone grippers round the inside of the ankle cuff, and around the inside and outside of the thigh cuff so they don't slip down from under your shorts to reveal that annoying and very unstylish inch of bare skin.

Read our review of the dhb Regulate leg warmers

Buyer's Guide to arm and leg warmers + 14 of the best

Triban 900 Winter Gloves — £24.99

Triban 900 Winter Cycling Glove.jpg

The Triban 900 Winter Cycling Gloves from sports megastore chain Decathlon are designed for cold weather rides around the three-hour mark. For less than £25 and as an overall package, they are genuinely impressive.

If they're still a bit pricey, take a look at Decathlon's Triban RC 500 winter gloves for £14.99.

Read our review of the B'Twin 900 Winter Gloves

Galibier Fire Feet Merino socks — £9.77

Galibier Fire Feet

Galibier's Fire Feet socks have kept our feet comfortable on some long and occasionally bitterly chill rides. They're decent value too. According to Galibier, they're made from a wool/acrylic mix, with the foot bed made from Merino wool for warmth. They're toasty.

Madison Sportive PU Thermal Overshoes — £22.99

Madison Sportive Aero overshoes.jpg

These are the least expensive overshoes to earn a rating of 4 1/2 out of 5 from our reviewers; they're a great option for wet weather riding, with the added thermal benefits providing some much-appreciated insulation.

Although described as a mid-weight overshoe by Madison, they don't struggle when the temperature gets down to low single figures. Featuring a fleece lining that fits snugly to your shoes in tandem with an unvented, taped waterproof top layer, these overshoes are surprisingly warm in all conditions bar freezing or below.

Read our review of Madison Sportive PU Thermal Overshoes
Find a Madison dealer


These are very much the basics that we reckon you need to tackle a bike ride lasting a couple of hours or more. The jacket will see you through most of the winter, the base layer will keep you warm and dry, and the tights and gloves will keep your legs and hands protected. From here you can add more accessories as you see fit, and things like overshoes, merino wool cycling socks and head and neck warmers are other items of clothing that you might want to look at adding to your cycling wardrobe.

And if you need some shoes (we're sort of assuming you already have some cycling shoes) then there are lots of affordable options, as this guide shows.

Hopefully, these recommendations will prepare you for winter riding. Do you have any good winter clothing that you use?

About road.cc Buyer's Guides

The aim of road.cc buyer's guides is to give you the most, authoritative, objective and up-to-date buying advice. We continuously update and republish our guides, checking prices, availability and looking for the best deals.

Our guides include links to websites where you can buy the featured products. Like most sites we make a small amount of money if you buy something after clicking on one of those links. We want you to be happy with what you buy, so we only include a product if we think it's one of the best of its kind.

As far as possible that means recommending equipment that we have actually reviewed, but we also include products that are popular, highly-regarded benchmarks in their categories.

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You can also find further guides on our sister sites off.road.cc and ebiketips.

road.cc buyer's guides are maintained by the road.cc tech team. Email us with comments, corrections or queries.

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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27 comments

Avatar
bobrayner | 2 years ago
1 like

Lots of people talk about overshoes, but once I got a proper pair of winter cycling boots I realised that all my past overshoes were fragile and, frankly, an annoyance. Most cycling shoes are designed for warm-weather riding with lots of ventilation, so adding a fragile windproof layer on top isn't optimal - just get yourself a pair of cosy winter cycling boots and enjoy the ride.

(I love Fizik's Artica X5 - you can even convince yourself it's sleek and aero - but there are other options out there)

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kil0ran | 3 years ago
4 likes

Good old Marks and Spencers do merino-blend underwear (tops and longs) that stays stink-free. The tops are very long in the body so will tuck way down into your shorts. They're on the baggy side of course but that doesn't really matter as a base layer and is actually a benefit on really cold days. I commuted in them way below freezing and they did the job.

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alexb | 3 years ago
1 like

Decathlon baselayers are great, if it's really cold, try their fleecy blend ski underwear.

I like very thin hats, my current one is an ultralight Merino skullcap, but it's full of holes and needs replacing, Alpkit do a nice one at £23 https://alpkit.com/collections/mens-merino-clothing/products/kepler-meri... but there are cheaper ones out there. I'd rather support a company with great environmental aims, so they will get me money at some point.

As for neck scarves, I'm using ones that I got free with various cycling magazines.

For mid-season, I'm using basic Decathlon gloves, for deep winter I use an old pair of Specialized gloves which have a pocket for a heat pad and are large enough to add silk liners.

Socks in mid-winter are either Decathlon wool-blend Van Rysel 900 (currently £7, so a bargain) https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/700-winter-cycling-socks/_/R-p-9519 or DeFeet Woolly Boolly.

Overshoes are Endura MT500 as the toes do not wear out, so they last years, this is one place where saving money is a false economy.

I also typically wear my worn out bibshorts under pad-less thermal bibtights. They're getting difficult to find, but there are some bargains out there.

I also like the Decathlon softshells for winter.

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mdava replied to alexb | 3 years ago
1 like

Decathlon do a load of great stuff - the Decathlon's Triban RC 500 winter gloves mentioned in the article are excellent balance of warmth and flexibility (I can't say much about waterproofing as I try to avoid riding in the rain) and their Kipsta short-sleeve base layers are very cheap and v good.  Also second their winter socks!

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Mrbenn | 4 years ago
1 like

I have a pair of those Wiggle tights to commute in. They are without doubt the most uncomfortable toghts I've ever worn. I resorted to a pair of shorts under them anyway the padding is so thin.

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BIGWATTS replied to Mrbenn | 3 years ago
0 likes

I have a pair of the non-thermals and ditto, they're pretty awful!

However, I had the thermal version which were much better, until the icy tarmac shredded them a few winters back.  

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dooderooni | 4 years ago
0 likes

In addition to a Planet X Reactor softshell I also got a Spexcel softshell from AliExpress which is surprisingly good considering the price. It's a Rapha lookalike, but it's fantastically warm and windproof. At the price it's ideal for using when the roads are filthy and you don't want to ruin your expensive kit.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32841457060.html?spm=2114.12010615.8148356.55.279b621fnZWulY

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De Sisti | 4 years ago
0 likes

I would have bought the oragnge jacket  (https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rc-100-cycling-jacket-yellow-id_8406498.html) if it wasn't coloured black on its rear.

 

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Boatsie | 4 years ago
0 likes

I like Marino long-sleeved.
Summer it's shaded and wind past sweat cools.
Winter it's shieved (protected from wind) and wet wool remains warm.
Kathmandu had Marino pullover hoodies on sale. About twice weight of mine, probably to hot during summer but would work well during winter. A browse online found more woolen hoodies, approximately 5% elastic weave and cheaper than Kathmandu.
All my wet weather jackets melted, I think I'll try a Kmart spray jacket. Last one lasted 20 years and would've still been good now at cost of less than 10 quid both jacket and pants.
Nowadays 10 quid each. All it does is keep wind from removing trapped heat in under garments, if fit doesn't suit due to baggyness, don't buy. Pants were baggy but tucked in socks and quick to pull over shoes.
I'll probably seek a dinghy jacket too. Neck seal, wrist, waist seals. Woolen hoodie. Wet will pass neck yet warmth will stay and sweating anyhow.
Just my 2 cents.

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mtbtomo | 4 years ago
0 likes

@Chris, happy that you can afford Assos and as it happens I could if I wanted to too, but I have clothes that keep me warm and dry for a lot less. Assos is not the only option, though I'm sure it is good. None of the earlier posts are especially bemoaning getting wet in cheaper clothing, so I guess they're happy enough with their cheaper clothing.

Decathlon stuff is very good, biking and other sports - and I find their top end waterproof walking jackets more waterproof and more breathable than Gore tex (which visibly leaked through the fabric on the jacket I had)

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Chris Hayes | 4 years ago
0 likes

I rode in p1551ng rain today in my Assos sturmprinz jacket and sturmnuss leggings: dry as a bone. Sorry guys, you get what you pay for.

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Secret_squirrel | 4 years ago
0 likes

My Version  - still under construction and some bits untested.

Planet X Magma Jacket/Jersey  £40 . (slightly odd sizing - long arms, and racing snake belly)

Galibier Mistral Winter Tights (49.99 from their Ebay store)

Mountain Warehouse long sleeve Merino Baselayer - £25 mountain warehouse/Amazon/Ebay.  - Readybrek warm.

Sealskinz Waterproof Socks £20 from SportPursuit.

Proviz Winter gloves - bit sweaty on a long ride and not 100% waterproof - lining tends to get tangled on the fingers for me.  Nice silicon grips though.   Will probably swap them out after a bit more wear and tear.

Brisk skullcap - Amazon.

 

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Secret_squirrel replied to Secret_squirrel | 2 years ago
0 likes

An update on my kit.

Swapped the Planet X jacket for a Galibier Mistral and matching Gilet for below zero days. Fan bloody tastic.

Rose Retroreflective overshoes ( sadly unavailable post brexit)

Stolen Goat Climb and Conquer Gloves

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kevvjj | 4 years ago
1 like

I used to commute everyday. Rather than thermal bibtights I purchased tights without a pad. I wore these over my regular bike shorts. Apart from adding an extra layer of warmth this meant I could change my shorts everyday (essential) but use the tights for a whole week - if they got wet I simply put them in the airing cupboard overnight.

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TheBillder | 4 years ago
0 likes

I think the real skill here is to avoid the temptation of cheap kit that then isn't up to it. Can be better to save for the well known excellent but well-priced brands such as Galibier, dhb and so on. Without wanting to be a total crawler, the reviews on road.cc are as reliable as I have found.

As ever there's value at Decathlon but the RC100 bib tights have a very thin pad, to the extent that I've worn shorts under mine.

eBay is a handy source for good stuff at bargain prices, but the seller always has a reason to sell, and things don't last forever. Items with DWR, unless new, are likely to need reproofing.

Headband / neck tube / buff: cut the legs from an old pair of leggings (or even a new pair, they are dirt cheap) to size.

Gloves: there are waterproof industrial gloves from places like Screwfix that must be worth a try at £5, perhaps with a liner. I've not done this yet because I'm trying to realise that something that's good value isn't necessarily a good buy if you already have an equivalent...

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MarsFlyer | 5 years ago
1 like

I like the dhb Flashlight bib tights as they are one of the only ones available without a fleece fabric - perfect for our milder autumn/winters. Also the majority of bib tights seem to be totally black, the refelective parts on these are visibile in daytime and nighttime.

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Freddy56 | 5 years ago
0 likes

 

LG Gortex winter boots.

Galibier Mistral Pro jacket.

Sportful No Rain Tights.

Endura MT500 gloves.

 

What winter?

 

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PeterCee | 6 years ago
0 likes

I too am a massive fan of the Decathlon Cycling Balaclava.

The material is very thin and stretchy, when you first put it on you think it's going to be too cold - but it's perfect. Your head never gets too hot even under the helmet and the lightweight material over the ears, neck and chin area is perfect in  0deg C to 6 degC conditions.

Its nice and cheap, superlight and packs away to nothing.

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BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
0 likes

There are always bargains to be had even with the top names. My son bought me a Helly Hansen Freeze base layer for £29 xmas '16, I got a Mountain Warehouse soft shell 5 years ago for £25 which has been fantastic, LIDL were selling a great softshell for £15 a couple of years ago.

Showers Pass Skyline for £43 posted autumn just gone which I love (there are still some in Red in a small ebay no. 252743126379)

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peted76 | 6 years ago
3 likes

I've got a really thin lycra 'headband' which is just wide enough to cover my ears (about three inches I'd guess) but does not 'insulate' my head like a skullcap does.  It cost very little and does one job (keeps your ears out of the wind).  I've had it for about five years and although I've never really given it much thought.. is probably one of my most important items as it's great for 'most types of British weather' above about five degrees. Highly recommended.

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Grahamd replied to peted76 | 6 years ago
1 like
peted76 wrote:

I've got a really thin lycra 'headband' which is just wide enough to cover my ears (about three inches I'd guess) but does not 'insulate' my head like a skullcap does.  It cost very little and does one job (keeps your ears out of the wind).  I've had it for about five years and although I've never really given it much thought.. is probably one of my most important items as it's great for 'most types of British weather' above about five degrees. Highly recommended.

Have a Giordana one that is made of a very warm fabric. Ears and forehead sorted, which makes an enormous difference. Cost less than £10.

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Dnnnnnn replied to Grahamd | 6 years ago
0 likes
Grahamd wrote:
peted76 wrote:

I've got a really thin lycra 'headband' which is just wide enough to cover my ears (about three inches I'd guess) but does not 'insulate' my head like a skullcap does.  It cost very little and does one job (keeps your ears out of the wind).  I've had it for about five years and although I've never really given it much thought.. is probably one of my most important items as it's great for 'most types of British weather' above about five degrees. Highly recommended.

Have a Giordana one that is made of a very warm fabric. Ears and forehead sorted, which makes an enormous difference. Cost less than £10.

Likewise, I have an Aldi light fleece band from years ago and it's essential for properly-cold weather.

More recently I lashed out £5 on a pair of their winter gloves, which are also excellent.

Agree with others about overshoes - feet pretty quickly go numb otherwise on long, cold rides.

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abrooks | 6 years ago
3 likes

Some great suggestions here and on the forum thread but if the clothing (or the process) don't make you feel dirty there is a steady market in second hand clothes from the pricier brands.  I have bought and sold jackets and jerseys from Rapha and Assos and would not hesitate to do it again.  

Colours that aren't popular or slight marks can precipitate some great bargains.  Maybe worth looking at for a jacket for example, which is probably going to be the priciest item on your list.

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Simontuck | 7 years ago
5 likes

Skullcap. Preferably windproof and long enough to cover my ears and keep the wind out. Check it fits under your helmet comfortably, but most helmets are easy enough to adjust slightly.

Necktube. Doesn't need to be very thick or windproof (but these are available options) I use one I got free with a motorbike magazine years ago. It just plugs a few gaps, provides a handy nose wipe and can cover most of my face if its really miserable weather.

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urbane replied to Simontuck | 7 years ago
1 like
Simontuck wrote:

Skullcap. Preferably windproof and long enough to cover my ears and keep the wind out. Check it fits under your helmet comfortably, but most helmets are easy enough to adjust slightly.

Necktube. Doesn't need to be very thick or windproof (but these are available options) I use one I got free with a motorbike magazine years ago. It just plugs a few gaps, provides a handy nose wipe and can cover most of my face if its really miserable weather.

I've recently bought thin synthetic cycle skullcaps and balaclavas from Decathlon, and earlier bought thin motorcycle balaclavas from Halfords.   A balaclava is plain better than a skullcap and necktube because of full coverage and ease of use, and you can speak through them easily.  I prefer a balaclava to a skullcap when the temperature drops below 4C and they are great below zero.

Avatar
robertoegg replied to Simontuck | 7 years ago
1 like
Simontuck wrote:

Skullcap. Preferably windproof and long enough to cover my ears and keep the wind out. Check it fits under your helmet comfortably, but most helmets are easy enough to adjust slightly.

Necktube. Doesn't need to be very thick or windproof (but these are available options) I use one I got free with a motorbike magazine years ago. It just plugs a few gaps, provides a handy nose wipe and can cover most of my face if its really miserable weather.

 

Interesting - I find I only need anything near my head / neck if it's sub-zero. Else I'm working hard enough that I get too hot with that lot on.

Indeed, the true budget option is to carry on uysing your summer gear with a non-breathable jacket! Plenty warm ta...

I agree on overshoes though - you can get the Planet X neoprene ones for about £12 - £20 depending on their sales. 

Avatar
CygnusX1 | 7 years ago
3 likes

One more essential - overshoes. Keep the rain, road spray, salt and other crud off your shoes and add a layer of windproofing for your toes.

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