James Lowsley-Williams/Hank: Autumn in a time of great change, the changeable weather,
the short days, the long nights. It all presents,
well, a slight problem for us cyclists. What on earth do we wear? We head out the door at 5
degrees, and we get back at something like 15. Conor Dunne: Well, in this video, we're going
to give you some tips on how to prepare for fall riding, so you can get the most out of what this
beautiful, colorful season has to offer. Hank: Talking about colorful season,
you've a colorful bike. It's going to called the fall bike, orange and green.
Conor: Well, hopefully not that kind of fall, James.
Hank: Otherwise, I should be on it [laughs]. [sound effects]
[music] Conor:
As we know, autumn offers all kinds of temperature changes, cold misty mornings, warm, sometimes hot,
afternoons. As soon as the sun starts to drop, well, it does get rather nippy. How do we dress
for all these changes? [music]
Hank: Our first top tip is to check the weather forecast. This is to ensure you don't get caught
out. It is a changeable season. You could head out in the sun and get back in the rain, so
do your best to check it before you head out the door. Look at it. The sun is shining, blue sky,
and we're in Britain. Yes, I'd better not talk too soon.
[music] Conor:
Then have a think about how hard you're going to be riding and at what speed.
If you're doing a tough effort up a really long climb, for example, you're going to overheat
irrespective of the temperature. [music]
Hank: Conor, Shrek once said, "Cyclists are like onions. It's all about layers."
Layers, layers, layers. I'll try not to layers again, but
I promise, it makes a huge amount of difference. Having layers makes you adaptable for the weather,
the changeable weather in this changeable season. Conor: Yes, it does. If you head out with just two
layers on, you can quite easily overheat or become really, really cold if the temperature does drop.
What we recommend is wearing lots of layers that you can easily unzip, roll down,
take off, and fit in your back pockets. Hank: How many layers have you got on, mate?
Conor: Well, I'm wrapped up like an onion. Hank: It's all about layers [laughs].
[music] Conor:
Wear an undervest. I tend to always wear an undervest. They come in many different shapes and
sizes, from lightweight ones to long-sleeved thick ones for really cold riding. I think you want to
aim for one that really wicks the sweat away. You don't want to get damp from all that sweating when
you're riding really hard, which will then cool you down at a later point in the ride. Also, you
want to try and avoid any uncomfortable chaving, the kind of rides where you don't wear an under
jersey. You definitely don't want that, really. This does all depend on what part of the world
you are riding in. If you are in a warmer climate, then maybe a short-sleeved jersey,
like the one Hank is wearing now, might do the trick. If you're in a colder climate, then maybe a
long-sleeved jersey will do as that second layer. Hank: I would say, though, if you're wearing a
short-sleeved jersey like this one, then to bring a pair of arm warmers with you.
The great thing about arm warmers is that you can put them on nice and easily, and they do
just keep you that bit warmer when you head out the door and there's a bit of a chill in the air.
Conor: Your arms do kind of just sit on the bike, and they do cool you down if the temperature
does drop. [music]
Conor: Moving on from arm warmers to leg warmers, these are, again, super easy to take off if the
temperature does heat up when you're out on your ride. Meaning you can roll them up and,
again, fit them in your back pocket. Hank: I guess they're the perfect
autumnal item of clothing, aren't they? Conor: They are.
Hank: Super easy and quick to take on and off. I guess you should put that to the test.
Well, Conor, how fast can you take your leg warmers off and put them in your back pocket?
Conor: Is that a challenge? Hank: That's a challenge, mate. Are you ready?
Conor: All right, here we go. [unintelligible 00:03:58] go.
Hank: Three, two, one, go. Conor: All right. Here we go.
One leg, two legs, zip. Hank: Unfortunately for Conor,
it's going to take him longer than people with shorter legs.
Conor: I did this in a race once. I only managed to get one leg warmer off,
and I did the rest in one leg warmer. Hank: You're not the only one,
actually. 13 seconds. Conor: 13 seconds. All right. Blimming hell,
that [unintelligible 00:04:18] might be done. Hank: 20 seconds.
Conor: Great. Hank: In your back pocket.
Conor: Back pocket, roll them up. Beautiful. Hank: 25 seconds.
Conor: They're in. Hairy legs there. You can see my hairy thighs. See, I would have done that in
the time it takes you to go to the toilet, Hank. Hank: 36 seconds.
[music] Conor: Autumn can bring some pretty biblical
rain showers. If you do want to avoid getting wet, we do recommend getting yourself a decent
rain cape. Now, there's plenty of rain capes out there on the market, but we would recommend
getting one that's fairly lightweight, that you can easily roll up and fit in your back pocket.
A rain jacket can also be a great wind-stopper layer. If you do the chill starting to set in,
you can whip it out of your back pocket and put it on for short periods of time. This
is great if you have a long descent coming up and you feel the cold starting to set in
or when you're not pedaling, it will keep you warm for the latter parts of your ride.
[music] Hank: We don't just want to keep our upper bodies
nice and warm and dry. We also want to think about our extremities, things like our feet. We can head
out on the bike, and there's nothing worse than getting cold and wet feet. Taking some overshoes
with you, making sure you put them on before the ride, unlike me, and then you don't get caught out
in those heavy downpours. When those downpours do come, well, it can leave a lot of standing water.
Keeping your nice booties on will keep your feet nice and warm and dry and also nice and clean.
Not that I can talk. I definitely should have put these on before the ride, not mid, but
live and learn, team. We live and learn.
[music] Conor:
Okay. We've covered our top half, bottle half, and our feet. That just leaves us with our hands. Now,
there's plenty of gloves out there, but a thin pair I think will really work perfectly for
autumn riding. Find a pair that works for you, which gives you plenty of grip on the bars. Also,
a thin pair works great because if you do get too warm, you can just put them in your pockets.
[music] Hank: An old pro once told me that
you actually want to be a bit cold when you leave the house. Then once your body temperature has
risen and also the temperature in the air, you'll be at perfect temperature before you know it.
Conor: I really do hope you get out and enjoy this beautiful season. It really is one of my
favorite times of year to be riding a bike. What I would also recommend is to try and stay as visible
as possible because the sun is a little lower in the sky at this time of year, and visibility
isn't as great as in the height of summer. Wear really bright clothes. If you can, put lights
on your bike, just so you can stay as safe as possible when you're out of the open roads.
[music] Hank: I hope you've enjoyed this video and it's
helped answer some of those questions you may have had when riding in what is a beautiful season.
Conor: We have to say a massive thank you to Theo Hester, who did suggest this video in the
Comments section of a previous video. I really hope these tips have helped you in your riding.
Hank: Let us know in the Comments section below if we missed anything. Don't forget,
what do we do after we watch a video? Conor: Give it a massive thumbs up.
Hank: Give it a massive thumbs up. For now, mate, we need to get going.
You need to get going. What? Conor: My arm warmers.
Hank: They're more like leg warmers for me, so you can have them back.
All right, mate. [00:07:56] [END OF AUDIO]