Unpredictable weather can quickly turn a pleasant ride into an uncomfortable, chilly experience. Early morning roll-offs and mountain descents often start in freezing temperatures before giving way to sunshine. Wearing a heavy jacket causes overheating on climbs, while a light summer jersey leaves you exposed to cold winds.
Layering with a thermal vest provides a practical solution for adapting to fluctuating temperatures on the bike. Here are five essential reasons every cyclist should include thermal vests into their ride wardrobe.
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m`] tDD6?E:2= r@C6 %6>A6C2EFC6 #68F=2E:@?k^DA2?mk^9am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m*@FC 3@5J AC:@C:E:D6D <66A:?8 G:E2= @C82?D :? J@FC E@CD@ H2C> H96? 6IA@D65 E@ 4@=5 H:?5 2?5 =@H E6>A6C2EFC6D] (96? J@FC 496DE 86ED 4@=5[ 3=@@5 7=@H C65F46D E@ J@FC 92?5D 2?5 766E[ >2<:?8 3C2<:?8 5:77:4F=E] (62C:?8 7F?4E:@?2=k^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>22A]44^QmkDA2?m4J4=:?8 4=@E9:?8 2?5 2AA2C6=k^DA2?mk^2m kDA2?m=:<6 2 E96C>2= G6DE :?DF=2E6D J@FC 496DE 2?5 235@>6? 67764E:G6=J]Â k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96 DA64:2=:D65 H:?5AC@@7 7C@?E A2?6=D 3=@4< :4J 8FDED 7C@> A6?6EC2E:?8 J@FC 32D6 =2J6CD 4@>A=6E6=J] |62?H9:=6[ =:89EH6:89E 3C62E923=6 324< A2?6=D 6I92FDE 6I46DD 962E 86?6C2E65 5FC:?8 92C5 A652==:?8 677@CED] %9:D D>2CE 4@>3:?2E:@? <66AD J@FC 4@C6 2E 2? @AE:>2= E6>A6C2EFC6 H:E9@FE 42FD:?8 962GJ DH62E:?8] *@F 2G@:5 E96 52?86C@FD 49:== E92E @44FCD H96? DH62E 7C66K6D 282:?DE J@FC D<:? @? 56D46?ED]k^DA2?mk^Am
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?ma] &?C6DEC:4E65 pC> |@3:=:EJk^DA2?mk^9am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mw62GJ H:?E6C ;24<6ED C6DEC:4E 2C> >@G6>6?E 2?5 255 F??646DD2CJ 3F=< 2C@F?5 J@FC D9@F=56CD 2?5 6=3@HD] %96C>2= G6DED <66A J@FC 4@C6 H2C> H9:=6 =62G:?8 J@FC 2C>D 7C66 E@ >@G6 @G6C E96 92?5=632CD] %9:D D=66G6=6DD 56D:8? AC@G:56D DFA6C:@C 7C665@> H96? D9:7E:?8 H6:89E @G6C E649?:42= 56D46?ED]Â k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m|2:?E2:?:?8 7F== D9@F=56C >@3:=:EJ 96=AD J@F 92?5=6 E649?:42= E6CC2:? 2?5 E:89E 4@C?6CD D276=J] %96 G6DE 7:ED 4@>7@CE23=J @G6C 32D6 =2J6CD 2?5 ;6CD6JD H:E9@FE 3F?49:?8 FA F?56C J@FC 2C>A:ED] %9:D DEC62>=:?65 7:E 6?DFC6D J@F >2:?E2:? 2? 26C@5J?2>:4 AC@7:=6 H9:=6 DE2J:?8 AC@E64E65 7C@> E96 6=6>6?ED]Â k^DA2?mk^Am
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mb] &=EC2\!24<23=6 $E@C286 r2A23:=:E:6Dk^DA2?mk^9am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m(62E96C 4@?5:E:@?D 42? 492?86 @G6C E96 4@FCD6 @7 2 E9C66\9@FC C:56[ C6BF:C:?8 7=6I:3=6 4=@E9:?8] *@F ?665 862C E92E 252AED E@ E6>A6C2EFC6 DH:?8D H:E9@FE H6:89:?8 J@F 5@H? @? 4=:>3D] %96C>2= G6DED @776C 6IEC6>6 A24<23:=:EJ[ AC@G:5:?8 DA64:7:4 25G2?E286D 7@C F?AC65:4E23=6 @FE5@@C 4J4=:?8 4@?5:E:@?D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%96D6 A24<23:=:EJ 762EFC6D 6?DFC6 J@F C6>2:? AC6A2C65 7@C DF556? H62E96C D9:7EDik^DA2?mk^Am
kF=mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m{:89EH6:89E u23C:4Dik^DA2?m kDA2?mt?8:?66C65 7C@> 9:89\56?D:EJ >2E6C:2=D E92E 4@>AC6DD 5@H? E@ 2 G6CJ D>2== G@=F>6 62D:=Jk^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m!@4<6E $E@C286ik^DA2?m kDA2?m*@F 42? F?K:A E96 G6DE[ C@== :E FA[ 2?5 DE@C6 :E D276=J :? 2 ;6CD6J A@4<6Ek^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m$A246 t77:4:6?4Jik^DA2?m kDA2?m%96 G6DE E2<6D FA >:?:>2= C@@>[ =62G:?8 DA246 7@C D?24<D[ E@@=D[ 2?5 A9@?6Dk^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m#2A:5 s6A=@J>6?Eik^DA2?m kDA2?m(96? J@F C6249 2 >@F?E2:? DF>>:E[ J@F 42? BF:4<=J 56A=@J E96 G6DE 7@C E96 56D46?Ek^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk^F=m
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mc] sF2=\+:AA6C %6>A6C2EFC6 %F?:?8k^DA2?mk^9am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m|@56C? E96C>2= G6DED 762EFC6 EH@\H2J 7C@?E K:AA6CD E92E 2==@H J@F E@ 7:?6\EF?6 2:C7=@H @? E96 7=J] %9:D >6492?:42= 762EFC6 8:G6D J@F E@E2= 4@?EC@= @G6C J@FC G6?E:=2E:@? 2D J@FC 677@CE =6G6= 492?86D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mu@C 24E:G6 4@C6 E6>A6C2EFC6 >2?286>6?E[ E9:D 5F2=\K:AA6C DJDE6> :D FD67F=ik^DA2?mk^Am
kF=mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mq@EE@> '6?E:?8ik^DA2?m kDA2?m&?K:AA:?8 7C@> E96 3@EE@> 2==@HD 7C6D9 2:C E@ 4@@= J@FC 4@C6 5FC:?8 8CF6==:?8 4=:>3Dk^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mr96DE !C@E64E:@?ik^DA2?m kDA2?m*@F <66A J@FC ?64< 2?5 FAA6C 496DE AC@E64E65 7C@> H:?5 H9:=6 G6?E:?8 E96 =@H6C E@CD@k^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m!@4<6E p446DDik^DA2?m kDA2?m*@F 42? C6249 J@FC C62C ;6CD6J A@4<6ED 62D:=J H:E9@FE E2<:?8 E96 G6DE @77 4@>A=6E6=Jk^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m$62>=6DD p5;FDE>6?EDik^DA2?m kDA2?m%6>A6C2EFC6 25;FDE>6?ED C6>2:? D>@@E9 2?5 D276 H9:=6 >2:?E2:?:?8 J@FC A246 :? E96 8C@FAk^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk^F=m
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?md] w:89\':D:3:=:EJ $276EJ u62EFC6Dk^DA2?mk^9am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mr@=5 H62E96C C:5:?8 @7E6? 4@:?4:56D H:E9 @G6C42DE D<:6D[ 62C=J >@C?:?8 >:DE[ @C =@H\=:89E 5FD< 4@?5:E:@?D] %96C>2= G6DED :?4@CA@C2E6 C67=64E:G6 =@8@D[ 9:89\G:D:3:=:EJ A:A:?8[ 2?5 3C:89E A2?6==:?8 E@ :>AC@G6 J@FC C@25 AC6D6?46] !=2465 AC@>:?6?E=J @? J@FC 324< 2?5 496DE[ E96D6 C67=64E:G6 2446?ED 42E49 G69:4=6 9625=:89ED 67764E:G6=J]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m$E2J:?8 G:D:3=6 @? 6IA@D65 C@25D @C 52C< 4@>>FE6C C@FE6D :D 6DD6?E:2= 7@C @G6C2== 4J4=:?8 D276EJ] %96 9:89 496DE A@D:E:@? 6?DFC6D J@FC E@CD@ C6>2:?D G:D:3=6 6G6? H96? C:5:?8 :? 2 =@H6C65 5C@A\32C A@D:E:@?] *@F 82:? G:E2= H2C>E9 2?5 4C:E:42= D276EJ AC@E64E:@? HC2AA65 FA :? 2 D:?8=6 =:89EH6:89E 82C>6?E]Â k^DA2?mk^Am
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m|2DE6C '2C:23=6 (62E96C H:E9 %96C>2= {2J6C:?8k^DA2?mk^9am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mp55:?8 2 E96C>2= G6DE E@ J@FC 4J4=:?8 H2C5C@36 8:G6D J@F 2 C6=:23=6 E@@= 7@C >2?28:?8 F?AC65:4E23=6 H62E96C] qJ AC@E64E:?8 J@FC 4@C6 282:?DE H:?5 49:==[ J@F DE2J 4@>7@CE23=6 E9C@F89 62C=J >@C?:?8 DE2CED 2?5 4@=5 56D46?ED] {:89EH6:89E[ A24<23=6[ 2?5 9:89=J G:D:3=6[ 2 E96C>2= G6DE 6IE6?5D J@FC C:5:?8 4@>7@CE 24C@DD >F=E:A=6 D62D@?D]Â k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mr@?D:56C 3FJ:?8 2 E96C>2= G6DE E92E 42? 36 FD65 :? 2 G2C:6EJ @7 D:EF2E:@?D] $E2J H2C>[ C:56 4@>7@CE23=J[ 2?5 E2<6 E@E2= 4@?EC@= @7 J@FC 4@C6 E6>A6C2EFC6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mk6>m%9:D 4@?E6?E :D A2:5 7@C 3J E96 DA@?D@C 2?5 :D AC@G:565 7@C :?7@C>2E:@?2= AFCA@D6D @?=J] %96 G:6HD 6IAC6DD65 2C6 E9@D6 @7 E96 DA@?D@C 2?5 5@ ?@E ?646DD2C:=J C67=64E E96 G:6HD @7 E9:D AF3=:42E:@?[ :ED DE277[ @C :ED 277:=:2E6D]Â k^6>mk^Am
kAmk^DA2?mk^Am