What clothes do I wear to ride my bike in winter and in the rain?

There is a saying: There is no bad weather, only wrong clothes! We cannot influence the weather, but we can protect ourselves from adverse weather conditions by wearing the right clothes. On the bike you are directly exposed to the elements - the demands on clothing are therefore particularly high.

All-round protection

Comfort and safety are top priorities when cycling. Sun, wind, rain or even snow have a stronger effect on you on a bike than, for example, on a hike. Due to the higher speed, you feel wind as much cooler and splashing water comes from all sides. VAUDE offers the right bike clothing for all weather conditions, so that you are fully protected in every situation.

In the article"What is the best way to dress as a cyclist?" you will find more helpful information on how to dress sensibly.

Biking as a year-round sport

Biking is becoming more and more a year-round activity. If you want to be on your bike all year round, you need the right equipment for optimal weather protection. The challenge here is largely in dealing with the low temperatures in the cold season. With our years of experience in outdoor and nature, VAUDE is your reliable partner when it comes to bike clothing, 365 days a year.

Ein Mountainbiker in einem verschneiten WaldEin Mountainbiker in einem verschneiten Wald

All Year Moab Series

Perfect weather protection all year round: thanks to the VAUDE All Year Moab series, you are now optimally equipped all year round, whatever the weather. A jacket made of stretchy softshell and with S.Café® insulation, the matching shirt with windproof material on the front and pants with zip-off legs and with insulation leave nothing to be desired. Thus, it is now: enjoy the trail, no matter what the temperature.

Das Membran-IconDas Membran-Icon

Protection from precipitation

Waterproof clothing is important so that you are adequately protected from outside moisture even in bad weather conditions. There are different ways to make textiles waterproof. Basically, we distinguish between membranes and coatings, which bring different advantages and disadvantages.

Coatings

We speak of a coating when a waterproof plastic layer is applied to the outside of an outer fabric. These garments are less expensive than those with membranes, but coatings are less abrasion resistant and therefore breathability and waterproofness (water column) are lower.

Membranes

A membrane is a semi-permeable plastic film integrated directly into the garment. This film is extremely thin and provides 100% protection against moisture and wind while maintaining breathability. Raindrops cannot penetrate, but water vapor can escape to the outside. Membranes cannot be washed out, but are more expensive to buy and more time-consuming to care for.

VAUDE only uses membranes made of PU (polyurethane) or PE (polyester), not membranes made of PTFE, which are commonly used on the market and require environmentally harmful fluorocarbons (PFC) for their production.

You can find more information about membranes in our sustainability report.

Die verschiedenen Ceplex-Membranen im ÜberblickDie verschiedenen Ceplex-Membranen im Überblick

Standard: The water column

The water column provides information about the water resistance (waterproofness) of a fabric. It is given in millimeters and from 1,300 mm water column a material is considered waterproof according to the DIN standard.

During the measurement, the fabric is stretched under a measuring cylinder with a diameter of 10 centimeters and the cylinder is filled with water. The limit at which the water begins to press through the material drop by drop is called the water column.

All VAUDE jackets with Ceplex membrane have a water column of at least 10,000 mm or more.

Breathability of waterproof functional clothing: RET and MVTR values

Basically, there are different performance metrics to measure breathability:

  • MVTR (Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate) value: this metric measures the permeability of water vapor through materials i.e. how much liquid diffuses through a membrane or through a laminate.
  • RET value (Resistance to Evaporating Heat Transfer): Indicates how much resistance a fabric has to water vapor.
Der Wassersäulentest im VAUDE TestcenterDer Wassersäulentest im VAUDE Testcenter

While a high MVTR value certifies good breathability, it is exactly the opposite with the RET value. At VAUDE, we have decided not to communicate any performance figures on the topic of breathability for our in-house membranes. Why?

  • The added information value of these key figures is very low. The non-uniform test procedures (MVTR, RET) mean that there is hardly any comparability between different products.
  • In a test trial, we sent existing products to independent test institutes and received different test results for the same materials. A resubmission of exactly the same samples again resulted in different test results to the first test. An objective comparison was impossible.
  • Specified performance figures always refer to the installed membrane. The performance figures of the laminate, i.e. upper fabric + membrane + lower fabric, are not taken into account.
  • Values communicated on the market are one-off measurements and therefore snapshots. No manufacturer can permanently guarantee communicated MVTR values
  • To ensure the high quality of our products, we set minimum requirements for each product and test them in our in-house test lab under standardized test procedures.

VAUDE membranes

Das Ceplex Active IconDas Ceplex Active Icon
Die Grafik der Ceplex Active MembranDie Grafik der Ceplex Active Membran

Ceplex Active

The high-quality "Ceplex Active" membrane developed by VAUDE is waterproof, windproof and highly breathable. This keeps the moisture out and the warmth in. Your VAUDE product withstands a water column of at least 10,000 millimeters (JIS L 1092 B). The membrane is made of polyurethane (PU), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or polyester (PES) and is 100% free of environmentally harmful fluorocarbons and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). "Ceplex Active" we also use as a coating.

das Ceplex advanced Icondas Ceplex advanced Icon
Die Grafik der Ceplex Advanced MembranDie Grafik der Ceplex Advanced Membran

Ceplex Advanced

The high-quality "Ceplex Advanced" membrane developed by VAUDE is waterproof, windproof and highly breathable. This keeps the moisture out and the warmth in. Your VAUDE product withstands a water column of at least 15,000 millimeters (JIS L 1092 B) and takes on the most adverse weather conditions. The membrane is made of polyurethane (PU), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or polyester (PES) and is 100% free of environmentally harmful fluorocarbons and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene).

Das Ceplex Active IconDas Ceplex Active Icon
Die Grafik der Ceplex Pro MembranDie Grafik der Ceplex Pro Membran

Ceplex Pro

The high-quality membrane "Ceplex Pro" developed by VAUDE offers you the best protection against wetness. It is waterproof and windproof and highly breathable. So the moisture stays outside and the heat inside. Your VAUDE product withstands a water column of at least 20,000 millimeters (JIS L 1092 B) and takes on the most adverse weather conditions. The membrane is made of polyurethane (PU), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or polyester (PES) and is 100% free of environmentally harmful fluorocarbons and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene).

Das Ceplex Green IconDas Ceplex Green Icon
Die Grafik der Ceplex Green MembranDie Grafik der Ceplex Green Membran

Ceplex Green

The high-quality "Ceplex Green" membrane developed by VAUDE is waterproof, highly breathable and windproof. It withstands a water column of at least 10,000 millimeters. For our green membrane, we use at least 25% recycled or bio-based materials instead of petroleum-based raw materials. This significantly reduces energy and resource consumption. "Ceplex Green" is 100% free of environmentally harmful fluorocarbons and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene).

Want to learn more about Ceplex Green? We have summarized everything you need to know about it in our sustainability report.

Die Infografik zeigt, dass aus recycelten und biobasierten Materialien die Ceplex Green Membran entsteht.Die Infografik zeigt, dass aus recycelten und biobasierten Materialien die Ceplex Green Membran entsteht.

Impregnation

To maintain the function of your VAUDE weather protection clothing, the outer material is equipped ex works with a spray impregnation - DWR (Durable Water Repellency) for short. This water-repellent finish ensures that clothing does not soak up water from the outside, thus blocking breathability, i.e. the transport of moisture from the inside to the outside

Das Eco Finish IconDas Eco Finish Icon

We use Eco Finish exclusively for this purpose. This water- and dirt-repellent finish is applied to the outer fabric of your product. This makes raindrops roll off - without the use of environmentally harmful fluorocarbons (PFC). This protects you from rain and keeps nature clean. Regular re-treatment is necessary for lasting water and dirt repellency.

Care Tip:

While our eco-friendly, water-repellent Eco Finish finish doesn't use harmful fluorocarbons at all, it doesn't come without proper care. We recommend you to impregnate your weather protection clothing before intensive use and after every wash. You can find more information in the following instructions: Wie oft soll man Outdoor Bekleidung imprägnieren? If you need help with impregnation, we also offer a Impregnation service by mail .

All information about DWR and which harmful substances you should watch out for can be found in our sustainability report.

Expert tip

We asked our expert and product manager Alisa about this central topic in cycling clothing.

She explains the most important information about the topic "protection against precipitation" and gives helpful tips.

Protection from cold

The regulation of the heat balance is particularly important when cycling. Mid-layer products such as fleece keep the body warm. High breathability and effective insulation ensure that you don't cool down in windy and cool temperatures on the bike.

Synthetic insulation

Synthetic fibers, also called synthetic fibers or microfibers, offer many advantages for functional clothing. The textiles are easily compressible, very robust, easy to clean and insensitive to moisture. Unlike natural fibers, they do not lose their warming properties even when wet. The thinner and finer the fibers, the softer and more bulky the insulating material formed from them. The fibers trap more air for the same volume and can be compressed small at the same time. This ensures better heat retention, a high level of comfort and long-lasting shape retention of the insulation.

das Primaloft-Logodas Primaloft-Logo

Primaloft® Black Insulation

PrimaLoft® Black Insulation is an insulation made of fine microfibers, which is characterized by particularly high bulk, excellent thermal performance and excellent compressibility.

Primaloft® Black Insulation Eco

PrimaLoft® Black Insulation Eco is an insulation made of fine microfibers that features particularly high loft, excellent thermal performance and excellent compressibility. This combination of 70% recycled material and state-of-the-art fiber technology is a high-performance and environmentally friendly solution for maximum thermal comfort.

Das S.Café-LogoDas S.Café-Logo

Insulation made from recycled coffee grounds

Functional S.Café® material with recycled coffee grounds. During yarn production, used coffee grounds are added to the spinning mass of recycled, melted polyester granules. The material is quick-drying, gives you natural UV protection, and has naturally odor-resistant properties to boot.

Das HeatSphere Eco IconDas HeatSphere Eco Icon

HeatSphere Eco - warm insulation made from recycled PET bottles

As warm as down: The puffy balls of "Heatsphere Eco Insulation" made from 100% recycled PET bottles have the same properties as a down filling. They are light, highly elastic and warmer than any padded filling. They warm even when wet without clumping. So you save resources and do the environment a favor.

Protection from wind

In cold temperatures, the body loses fluid and heat to the environment with every breath. This effect is further amplified by wind, at less than 10° Celsius. The temperature felt differs significantly from the temperature actually measured. This phenomenon is known as the wind chill effect. Frostbite can also occur much faster at cool temperatures and at the same time strong wind than without wind. For example, at 0° Celsius and 20 km/h wind, the subjective cold sensation is only -5.2° Celsius.

Das Windproof-80-IconDas Windproof-80-Icon

Windproof 80 - 80% windproof

The extra dense construction and processing of the fabric gives your VAUDE product a windproofness of 80%. The wind is slowed down and you only feel it as a cooling breeze in the microclimate. So you get to enjoy a very high breathability. "Windproof 80" is suitable for movement-intensive mountain and bike sports in windy weather.

das Windproof 100 Icondas Windproof 100 Icon

Windproof 100 - 100% windproof

An incorporated windproof membrane ensures that your VAUDE product is 100% windproof. Its sandwich construction consists of a protective outer fabric and warming inner material. This means you're perfectly equipped for your mountain or bike tour, even on cool days with windy weather.

Das Windproof Pro IconDas Windproof Pro Icon

Windproof Pro - ideal wind protection for optimal body climate

As warm as down: the puffy balls of "Heatsphere Eco Insulation" made from 100% recycled PET bottles have the same properties as a down filling. They are light, highly elastic and warmer than any padded filling. They warm even when wet without clumping. So you save resources and do the environment a favor.

das Windproof-Green-Icondas Windproof-Green-Icon

Windproof Green - "green" membrane with recycled or bio-based materials

VAUDE products with the "Windproof Green" membrane are 100% windproof and breathable at the same time. Our green membrane contains recycled or bio-based materials, among others. At the same time, we avoid the use of environmentally harmful fluorocarbons (PFC) 100 percent. This protects you from wind and protects the environment.

Softshell

Softshells are the true all-rounders among functional textiles. They combine optimal weather protection with or without insulation, so they protect you from moisture and keep you warm at the same time. The elastic material feels very comfortable and is permanently water-repellent as well as wind-repellent or windproof and warming - depending on the processing and material.

Die Grafik zeigt, dass aus recycelten PET-Flaschen Softshell-Material wird.Die Grafik zeigt, dass aus recycelten PET-Flaschen Softshell-Material wird.

Recycled softshell materials

Climate comfort and climate protection in one: the new softshell generation from VAUDE offers high functionality paired with the best weather protection - and saves valuable resources in the process. Because the softshell material is not only highly breathable, wind- and water-repellent, but also made of at least 50% recycled PET bottles. So you are optimally protected and at the same time make a valuable contribution to our environment and our climate.

Expert tip

We asked our expert and product manager Alisa about this central topic in cycling clothing.

She once again shows the most important information about the topic of "protection from wind" and reveals helpful tips.