Warm gilet, maximum packability?
#1
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Warm gilet, maximum packability?
So I think a few people I ride with and I are going to ride Levi's GranFondo in mid April - specifically, we're looking at doing the Geysers route, which is about 81 miles with ~6,000 ft of climbing, 3k ft of that all at once (my quads are already whimpering).
Rollout I believe is 8 am, and with rest breaks and food, I don't expect that we'd get back into town until at least 2-3pm (previous Levis metrics had us at ~5hrs moving time, and I'd add 2hrs here with the extra climbing), perhaps later if the climbing really knocks it out. I haven't ridden in Sonoma in April, but if the rest of the year is any indication, I would expect the temperature at the start to be in the 50s, rising into upper 70s to low 80s by midday.
Having done metric centuries and accumulating 4-5k ft in a ride, I'm only slightly concerned about the ride itself - mostly due to the ~12-13% gradient in the middle of the big climb. My bigger concern is the temperature change, from low 50s to low 80s. I have a Pearl Izumi windbreaker that I used the past couple of times, but it's too bulky to comfortably be rolled up into a jersey pocket for 30mi, and the top tube bag I already have (that barely fits it) is a bit too wide - if I stand, it brushes against my knees.
This year, I'm thinking fleeced arm warmers (which I already have), along with a gilet of some sort at the start, figuring that arm warmers can easily fit inside a jersey, and a gilet would fit more easily inside a smaller top tube bag.
Does anybody have any recommendations for a good gilet for a *ahem* rounder cyclist? Even better if it's a) fleeced/lined, and b) you know it can fit in a top tube bag or comfortably in a jersey pocket. A recommendation for a top tube bag would be welcome, as well!
Thanks in advance!
Rollout I believe is 8 am, and with rest breaks and food, I don't expect that we'd get back into town until at least 2-3pm (previous Levis metrics had us at ~5hrs moving time, and I'd add 2hrs here with the extra climbing), perhaps later if the climbing really knocks it out. I haven't ridden in Sonoma in April, but if the rest of the year is any indication, I would expect the temperature at the start to be in the 50s, rising into upper 70s to low 80s by midday.
Having done metric centuries and accumulating 4-5k ft in a ride, I'm only slightly concerned about the ride itself - mostly due to the ~12-13% gradient in the middle of the big climb. My bigger concern is the temperature change, from low 50s to low 80s. I have a Pearl Izumi windbreaker that I used the past couple of times, but it's too bulky to comfortably be rolled up into a jersey pocket for 30mi, and the top tube bag I already have (that barely fits it) is a bit too wide - if I stand, it brushes against my knees.
This year, I'm thinking fleeced arm warmers (which I already have), along with a gilet of some sort at the start, figuring that arm warmers can easily fit inside a jersey, and a gilet would fit more easily inside a smaller top tube bag.
Does anybody have any recommendations for a good gilet for a *ahem* rounder cyclist? Even better if it's a) fleeced/lined, and b) you know it can fit in a top tube bag or comfortably in a jersey pocket. A recommendation for a top tube bag would be welcome, as well!
Thanks in advance!
#2
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You'll probably be generating plenty of heat just from riding. A very simple wind breaker at best is all you should need.
I didn't see any tall climbs on the routes they published. All peaks seem to be below 3000' msl. The adiabatic lapse rate we calculated for aviation purposes was 2°C per thousand feet. Or about 3.6°F. Though I've seen for other things the lapse rate figured at a higher number of degrees per 1000 feet.
At those lower altitudes too many other things go into changing the air temps so you might even have warmer air being blown over those peaks. I think you'll be good with just arm warmers and leg warmers. A balaclava to keep your head warm might do more than you expect to keep the rest of you warm.
Sorry I can't answer directly the question you've had. I've had it myself many times. However I usually find out I don't need as much as I thought to stay warm. However on the flip side of that, you do need to think about what happens if you have to stop for a time in those colder temps. I came very close to getting hypothermia once after riding my bike up to over 14,000 feet. After staying there too long to admire the view and take pictures, we weren't generating the heat that we did while pedaling and got shaky with chills. Thankfully my wife and other son had driven up in a car to meet us and we just got in the car with the heater on to warm up before starting back down.
I didn't see any tall climbs on the routes they published. All peaks seem to be below 3000' msl. The adiabatic lapse rate we calculated for aviation purposes was 2°C per thousand feet. Or about 3.6°F. Though I've seen for other things the lapse rate figured at a higher number of degrees per 1000 feet.
At those lower altitudes too many other things go into changing the air temps so you might even have warmer air being blown over those peaks. I think you'll be good with just arm warmers and leg warmers. A balaclava to keep your head warm might do more than you expect to keep the rest of you warm.
Sorry I can't answer directly the question you've had. I've had it myself many times. However I usually find out I don't need as much as I thought to stay warm. However on the flip side of that, you do need to think about what happens if you have to stop for a time in those colder temps. I came very close to getting hypothermia once after riding my bike up to over 14,000 feet. After staying there too long to admire the view and take pictures, we weren't generating the heat that we did while pedaling and got shaky with chills. Thankfully my wife and other son had driven up in a car to meet us and we just got in the car with the heater on to warm up before starting back down.
Last edited by Iride01; 01-12-24 at 10:25 AM.
#3
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You'll probably be generating plenty of heat just from riding. A very simple wind breaker at best is all you should need.
I didn't see any tall climbs on the routes they published. All peaks seem to be below 3000' msl. The adiabatic lapse rate we calculated for aviation purposes was 2°C per thousand feet. Or about 3.6°F. Though I've seen for other things the lapse rate figured at a higher number of degrees per 1000 feet.
At those lower altitudes too many other things go into changing the air temps so you might even have warmer air being blown over those peaks. I think you'll be good with just arm warmers and leg warmers. A balaclava to keep your head warm might do more than you expect to keep the rest of you warm.
Sorry I can't answer directly the question you've had. I've had it myself many times. However I usually find out I don't need as much as I thought to stay warm. However on the flip side of that, you do need to think about what happens if you have to stop for a time in those colder temps. I came very close to getting hypothermia once after riding my bike up to over 14,000 feet. After staying there too long to admire the view and take pictures, we weren't generating the heat that we did while pedaling and got shaky with chills. Thankfully my wife and other son had driven up in a car to meet us and we just got in the car with the heater on to warm up before starting back down.
I didn't see any tall climbs on the routes they published. All peaks seem to be below 3000' msl. The adiabatic lapse rate we calculated for aviation purposes was 2°C per thousand feet. Or about 3.6°F. Though I've seen for other things the lapse rate figured at a higher number of degrees per 1000 feet.
At those lower altitudes too many other things go into changing the air temps so you might even have warmer air being blown over those peaks. I think you'll be good with just arm warmers and leg warmers. A balaclava to keep your head warm might do more than you expect to keep the rest of you warm.
Sorry I can't answer directly the question you've had. I've had it myself many times. However I usually find out I don't need as much as I thought to stay warm. However on the flip side of that, you do need to think about what happens if you have to stop for a time in those colder temps. I came very close to getting hypothermia once after riding my bike up to over 14,000 feet. After staying there too long to admire the view and take pictures, we weren't generating the heat that we did while pedaling and got shaky with chills. Thankfully my wife and other son had driven up in a car to meet us and we just got in the car with the heater on to warm up before starting back down.
I don't plan on stopping for much longer than it takes to pee, refill my bottles with water, and refill myself with Oreos (or whatever fuel they're providing), but time somehow adds up over the course of a day.
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Wow that looks like a great Fondo!! I ordered one of these and will let you know about warmth and packability. Should be here today or tomorrow.
https://www.amazon.com/YKYWBIKE-Wind...A2KANCYRV4USXT
BT in coldazz NE
https://www.amazon.com/YKYWBIKE-Wind...A2KANCYRV4USXT
BT in coldazz NE
#5
I have a Rapha Brevet insulated gilet that is reasonably warm and packs easily into a jersey pocket. It’s one of my most useful items for an early morning start on a warm day.
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#6
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Another vote for a windbreaker here. I use a Pearl Izumi that wads up nicely to fit in my middle jersey pocket.
The problem with the gilet, for me, concerns air circulating under my pits.
Therefore, my toptube bag includes a one-foot square cut piece of tyvex from a fedex envelope.
Jamming that against my chest inside my jersey works almost as well as a gilet - mostly for cold descents.
One of those lycra neck thingies works nicely, too, especially if you need to pull it up to your nose. YMMV
The problem with the gilet, for me, concerns air circulating under my pits.
Therefore, my toptube bag includes a one-foot square cut piece of tyvex from a fedex envelope.
Jamming that against my chest inside my jersey works almost as well as a gilet - mostly for cold descents.
One of those lycra neck thingies works nicely, too, especially if you need to pull it up to your nose. YMMV
#7
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Yeah, not super concerned about altitude related cold, as much as just early morning and fog related cold. In previous October starts, it was 50-55F and foggy around 7:45-8am, and ~80F by about 10:30-11am. I'd like the first two hrs to be less miserable, but I want to carry as little bulk as possible.
#8
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Is this a multi day thing or just one start? For our Natchez Trace Century ride the first week of May every year, the temps are sometimes < 50°F at start time. I'm a wuss in the morning at even sub 60°F temps. However the start line is in the same lot that I park the car. So I just wear some warm stuff till shortly before start time and then throw it in the car. Last year I rode my bike to the start from my home and the heat I generated on that short ride lasted the 10 - 15 minutes I was idle till start time.
Obviously some variability - I'll deal with 58F with a base layer (that might keep the sun off in the middle of the day), but 50F will require something to keep the heat in. I can run at 50F, no good at riding though.
#9
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Another vote for a windbreaker here. I use a Pearl Izumi that wads up nicely to fit in my middle jersey pocket.
The problem with the gilet, for me, concerns air circulating under my pits.
Therefore, my toptube bag includes a one-foot square cut piece of tyvex from a fedex envelope.
Jamming that against my chest inside my jersey works almost as well as a gilet - mostly for cold descents.
One of those lycra neck thingies works nicely, too, especially if you need to pull it up to your nose. YMMV
The problem with the gilet, for me, concerns air circulating under my pits.
Therefore, my toptube bag includes a one-foot square cut piece of tyvex from a fedex envelope.
Jamming that against my chest inside my jersey works almost as well as a gilet - mostly for cold descents.
One of those lycra neck thingies works nicely, too, especially if you need to pull it up to your nose. YMMV
Could you elaborate on the air circulation under your pits? Does a gilet provide too much, or too little?
#10
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Yeah, uphill sections keep me warm enough all over, making leggings unnecessary mostly.
Pearl sells all sorts of windbreakers. Maybe you own one of the thicker varieties.
One "hack" I would use on the Solvang Century meant parking a vehicle along the halfway point.
My riding buddies and I would shed or exchange gear, retrieving it all at ride's end.
#11
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I've done that Geysers route before, but in March. Our local club does a weekend ride there every year.
The temperature at the start can be brisk, but I warmed up quickly enough to lose the gilet for the rest of ride. Arm and knee warmers, summer gloves, lightweight gilet.
That one steep bit away from the Geysers is pretty short, nothing to be concerned about.
This is the gilet I bring when it's below 60 F: Voler Men's Vellum Rain Vest. Windproof, water resistant, stretchy, packs very small.
But if it's raining, I'd skip the ride.
The temperature at the start can be brisk, but I warmed up quickly enough to lose the gilet for the rest of ride. Arm and knee warmers, summer gloves, lightweight gilet.
That one steep bit away from the Geysers is pretty short, nothing to be concerned about.
This is the gilet I bring when it's below 60 F: Voler Men's Vellum Rain Vest. Windproof, water resistant, stretchy, packs very small.
But if it's raining, I'd skip the ride.
#12
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My asthma is part of what dictates my desire for keeping my core warm enough. I can deal with going out without leg warmers, but definitely need my chest warm.
That's ingenious. I wonder if the guys I'm riding with would be interested in helping me set that up - wouldn't hurt to shed a pound before hitting the steep stuff...
#13
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I've done that Geysers route before, but in March. Our local club does a weekend ride there every year.
The temperature at the start can be brisk, but I warmed up quickly enough to lose the gilet for the rest of ride. Arm and knee warmers, summer gloves, lightweight gilet.
That one steep bit away from the Geysers is pretty short, nothing to be concerned about.
This is the gilet I bring when it's below 60 F: Voler Men's Vellum Rain Vest. Windproof, water resistant, stretchy, packs very small.
But if it's raining, I'd skip the ride.
The temperature at the start can be brisk, but I warmed up quickly enough to lose the gilet for the rest of ride. Arm and knee warmers, summer gloves, lightweight gilet.
That one steep bit away from the Geysers is pretty short, nothing to be concerned about.
This is the gilet I bring when it's below 60 F: Voler Men's Vellum Rain Vest. Windproof, water resistant, stretchy, packs very small.
But if it's raining, I'd skip the ride.
As for "that one steep bit away from the Geysers" being pretty short... 800ft in elevation gain over ~1.3mi sounds similar to the Coleman Valley Wall that used to be a part of the Levi's metric. And I definitely remember hating that one!
#14
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Wow that looks like a great Fondo!! I ordered one of these and will let you know about warmth and packability. Should be here today or tomorrow.
https://www.amazon.com/YKYWBIKE-Wind...A2KANCYRV4USXT
BT in coldazz NE
https://www.amazon.com/YKYWBIKE-Wind...A2KANCYRV4USXT
BT in coldazz NE
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I took one of my favorite cycling photos at the top of Coleman:
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The thing I ordered is going to be too warm for 55 degrees.
#17
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I haven't since I was a kid, my family lived in Orinda and Berkeley from 66 to 75.... passing cars on my Varsity coming down Fish Ranch Road and Centennial Dr, or our big rides out to the Sun Valley Mall...all a hunnert years ago.
The thing I ordered is going to be too warm for 55 degrees.
The thing I ordered is going to be too warm for 55 degrees.
Windchill definitely bugs me - I can wear a Castelli Motirolo fleeced jacket comfortably into the low 60s if it’s shady. Definitely let me know how the gilet feels!