How do you get dressed for riding? Part 1

How do you get dressed for riding? do you just pull on your cotton socks, a pair of sweatpants and a tall tee to put your gore-tex jacket and pants over them? I hope that is not how you layer but if it is are you  unsure of the proper way to layer? Let me shed some light on the subject for you.

The first thing you need to put on is your first or base layer. This layer should be made of either a synthetic material like polypropylene or polyester, silk, or wool. We will talk about the pros and cons of each later. This layer is going to be the layer that touches you all day, you want it to be soft. You also want it to be fairly tight so it can wick your moisture and body heat away from your body and move it out to the next layer. That is why you do not want to ride in cotton, it will not wick moisture away from you. It will just leave you cold and miserable. A synthetic will wick very well but will not offer much as far as warmth to weight ratio. Wool base layer is naturally a good wicking material as well as a higher warmth to weight ratio. With wool, gone are the days of being super itchy because of better a manufacturing processes and higher quality wool. Silk is nice and light, as well as soft but is not as good at wicking moisture like the other materials.

the next thing you should put on is going to be your insulation layer if you need it. This layer can come in many forms fleece, light down layer, non-cotton sweatshirt, a flannel. The options are pretty much endless as long as this layer wicks as well because if it does not wick you will not be stoked. The moisture that is coming through your first layer is going to slow down and you are going to feel sweaty and cold after a few hours of riding. You can incorporate this layer into your jacket and pant by getting a insulated jacket and pant.

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Related posts:

1. How do you get dressed for riding? Part 2
2. 2011 Burton Fleece and First Layer Tech Glossary