| If you live in an area with four seasons,
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| | still be wet when you get to the top, no
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| it's wonderful to watch the year go by on
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| | matter what you do. Be ready to shed a
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| a mountain bike. You see each cycle
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| | layer or two, if you get too warm. It's
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| unfold and blend into the next. When the
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| | OK to be a little chilly at first; you'll
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| leaves turn to gold and skis and
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| | warm up once you get going.
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| snowboards come out of the closet around
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| | There are three basic layers to wear
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| the country, my mind turns to ... riding
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| | while riding in cold conditions. First,
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| my bike at night in subfreezing
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| | wear a layer of polypropylene next to
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| temperatures, on bulletproof ice. Winter,
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| | your skin, then an insulating layer of
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| especially, offers exhilarating riding-if
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| | polyester fleece or other material that
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| you prepare properly. When snow and
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| | has a nap to capture an insulating layer
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| silence blanket everything, the terrain
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| | of air. On top of all this wear a
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| becomes incredibly beautiful.
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| | breathable wind-resistant shell. Unless
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| In a more practical vein, winter riding
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| | it's very cold (20 degrees or less) you
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| keeps you in shape by extending your
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| | probably can skip the middle layer on
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| season. Come spring, you won't have to
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| | your legs. Experiment with different
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| start your training from scratch. Your
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| | weight fabrics for different
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| rides won't be as long, and you probably
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| | temperatures. Make sure your torso is
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| won't ride as often as during the warm
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| | well insulated, as this is where your
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| months, but at least you'll retain much
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| | core body temperature is regulated. If
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| of what you accomplished the previous
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| | your core is warm, then it's more likely
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| season. Many road bikers take to mountain
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| | your extremities will also be warm.
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| biking in the winter to maintain their
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| | Here's a list of cold weather riding
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| training schedule. Since mountain bikes
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| | accessories:
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| travel at much slower speeds than road
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| | Booties. Your feet are probably the most
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| bikes, there's less windchill.
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| | vulnerable part of your body in cold
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| Sometimes, I even turn winter jaunts into
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| | temperatures. The pressure of pedaling
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| excursions that provide a whole different
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| | tends to cut off circulation to your
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| experience. I bring matches, bread, and
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| | toes, which can put you at risk for
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| cheese; stop halfway through my ride to
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| | frostbite. Neoprene booties are a must in
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| toast myself a grilled cheese sandwich;
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| | subfreezing conditions. You can find
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| and eat lunch by the fire. Like most of
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| | neoprene overboots in most bike
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| mountain biking, coldweather riding is
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| | mail-order catalogs. They zip on over
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| all attitudinal. If you tell yourself
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| | your cycling shoes and have a pattern in
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| you're going to be miserable, you will.
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| | the sole where you can cut out a piece to
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| If you tell yourself you're going to have
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| | accommodate cleats.
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| a good time, you will. So just relax, be
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| | Gloves. Several manufacturers make
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| careful, and enjoy yourself.
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| | 'lobster gloves,' a mitten-glove hybrid
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| Ice riding opens you up to other
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| | that separates the index finger and thumb
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| experiences. You become more willing to
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| | from the rest of your hand. They're
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| take risks and make yourself vulnerable,
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| | warmer than regular gloves, and the
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| less hesitant to put yourself in
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| | distinct index finger allows you to
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| uncertain situations. You trust yourself
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| | operate your shifter and brake levers.
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| more. You learn how to stay in
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| | Carry a pair of lightweight polypropylene
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| control-and when it's OK not to be in
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| | glove liners as a backup if your hands
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| control.
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| | get cold. If you have to stop to take
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| Off-season riding also opens you up to a
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| | care of a minor repair, liners can
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| multidimensional relationship with
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| | protect you from the cold while allowing
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| terrain. If you hide the bike when it
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| | you the dexterity needed.
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| gets cold, and you don't ski or do
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| | Glasses. Wraparound glasses that provide
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| anything else, you're experiencing only
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| | maximum wind protection are best to
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| one aspect of the landscape. Part of the
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| | protect the eyes and prevent tearing,
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| challenge of the sport is pushing your
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| | more of a problem in cold temperatures
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| limits-and your bike's. That's the idea
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| | than in warm. As we mentioned in chapter
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| behind ice riding, snowtire slaloms, and
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| | 5, glasses with interchangeable lenses of
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| other ostensibly insane activities.
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| | varying darkness will prepare you for
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| Whatever the parameters of your
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| | dusk and darkness. Again, stick with
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| experience, you'll always be pushing the
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| | shatterproof plastic.
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| old limits and discovering new ones to
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| | Socks. Wear heavy socks, but be careful
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| surmount and surpass. You can do it on
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| | not to have too much bulk. An overly
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| several levels-endurance, weather,
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| | heavy sock will make your shoes tight,
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| whatever.
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| | cut off circulation, and make your feet
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| Weather conditions, of course, vary
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| | cold. Try socks made for cross-bined with
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| according to where you live. In the
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| | wind-resistant covers can keep country
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| coastal Northeast, there's a long period
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| | skiing; they're warm, lightweight, and
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| with no snow in the winter. Cold
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| | ride high on the calf, offering a little
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| temperatures, rather than cold
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| | extra protection. If you feel you need to
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| conditions, are the thing that's
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| | have an extra layer, silk ski socks are
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| different from the rest of the year. You
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| | very warm, also extremely lightweight,
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| can probably ride most of the season on
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| | and won't add much bulk.
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| dirt, especially from the Middle Atlantic
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| | Underwear. Polypropylene is the best and
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| to down south.
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| | is available in various weights.
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| Obviously, you won't mountain bike all
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| | Lightweight is best for temperatures
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| winter. But ice riding at least gives you
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| | above freezing (32 to 50 degrees), while
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| the option of taking advantage of all of
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| | heavier weights are necessary for colder
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| it and the feeling of having that
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| | temperatures.
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| possibility is wonderful. It's
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| | Insulating layer. Polypropylene fleece is
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| empowering. It expands your perception of
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| | the best. Like underwear, it's available
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| where you live. You need to take just a
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| | in various weights. You can probably skip
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| little extra care to ensure that your
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| | this layer in temperatures over 50
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| bike-and you-function optimally in cold
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| | degrees, but may need two insulating
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| weather. You have to become conscientious
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| | layers in very cold conditions (20
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| about what to wear, what to eat and what
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| | degrees or less).
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| to buy for your bike.
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| | Wind protection. Moving air is the main
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| Cycling in cold weather (45 degrees or
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| | cause of body heat loss. Good wind
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| less) has always been a challenge. The
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| | protection will allow you to vent
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| problem is that you start out cold, then
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| | perspiration while protecting you from
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| warm up and break a sweat, which makes
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| | windchill. Most windprotection gear is
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| you wet. Then, while going downhill, the
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| | made of nylon laminated with a
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| combination of wet skin and windchill
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| | wind-resistant material. Choose a jacket
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| makes for a truly bonechilling
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| | and pants based on durability,
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| experience. Clothing manufacturers have
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| | breathability, and price ' as this sort
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| responded by inventing various kinds
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| | of clothing can be quite expensive. If
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| (mostly knit polyesters) of space-age
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| | you ride in traffic, at dusk, or at
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| fabrics designed to wick the moisture
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| | night, find an outfit that incorporates
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| away from your body and into the outer
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| | reflective material to make you more
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| layers of clothing, where it's released
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| | visible to motorists.
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| into the air through evaporation, thereby
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| | Helmet, liner, and cover. Your mother
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| keeping you warm and dry.
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| | always told you that 50 percent of your
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| Sounds pretty good, huh? The problem is
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| | body heat is lost through your head; she
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| that while these fabrics really do make
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| | was right. Helmets are designed to be
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| this kind of winter activity possible,
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| | cool in the summer, not warm in the
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| they're not perfect. If you climb a big
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| | winter. Fleece helmet liners keep your
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| hill and work up a major sweat, you'll
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| | head and ears warm in cold temperatures.
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