In a previous life, I was a ski instructor in Scotland. You have not experienced truly bad weather, nor plumbed the depths of human misery, until you have stood on a small patch of ice above Aviemore with a 70-mile an hour wind driving icy sleet into your eyes as the thermometer drops to minus 10 and you try to explain the rudiments of ski-ing to a bunch of bored and frozen Birmingham schoolkids.
But it's a good testing ground for ski kit. For years I gave any jacket, fleece or gloves a "Cairngorm" rating -- based on how well they would stand up to a couple of months on the Ptarmigan.
In some ways, London commuting provides a similar proving ground for bike gear. I know there are far more testing environments in the world but there's something unrelentingly grim about riding through a wet, cold, crowded London day. You get soaked not just by the rain, but by the constant spray from your own wheels and other vehicles.
When American racers first came to Europe, they were horrified by the mixture of rainwater, agrochemicals and animal faeces that formed a mist over the roads of Northern France in the early season, and called it "Flemish Toothpaste". I suppose the mix of rain, diesel, dissolved tarmac, kebabs and tramps' urine that I rode through this morning is something like "London Shower-gel".
A good test for winter commuting kit, though, and some of it fared better than the rest.
From the lowest point:
Nike MTB shoes -- absolute crap. A replacement for my long-serving Shimano lace-ups, they are too hot in Summer, too cold in Winter and soak up water like toilet paper.
Prendas Meraklon Oversocks. A nice product, but not right for today. Excellent at keeping chill winds and roadmuck off your best shoes, they just suck up the rain and make your whole lower leg wet. To be fair, it's not what they're designed for -- but Prendas do some rather nice neoprene versions.
Endura tights. Warm and comfortable, and the bright blue Roubaix lining gives an oddly pleasing two-tone Tonik effect to your legs. But the water-repellency disappeared with the first couple of washes, so I might have to get the Nikwax out.
Endura jacket. A surprise birthday present from Mrs F, who normally regards all cycle clothing and accessories as the work of the Devil, but made a superb choice here. Warm, waterproof and comfortable -- mine's black which gets maximum points for style and dirt-resistance, but less good for visibility.
Patagonia Capilene thermal underwear. My Patagonia stuff consistently shrugged off the worst that the Cairngorms could throw at it, and some of it's good for cycling too. The zip-polo neck is hardly cyclo-purist but it's practical and prevents the sore neck you get from some winter jerseys.
I could have got away with a lightweight jersey today under the Endura jacket, but opted for the Rapha softshell anyway. Ludicrously expensive, but very, very good. Probably too good for daily commuting, but I guess everytime I wear it the value-for-money increases.
Rapha hat. Falling apart now -- I think Rapha have occasional quality issues with some of their stitching etc., but a great, simple product which measurably increases my cycling pleasure.
Just time for it all to dry out before the return journey.
