It's that time of year again: dark afternoons, cold days, and the lesser known 'freezing cyclist' starts to make his way out into the open, characterised by chattering teeth, hands tucked into armpits, and red ears. They appear both in the pale light of dawn, or on unfrequented byways and battling through evening mists.
We're here for you and your friends and family while you whinge on about how cold you were by the end of today's ride. Forget shivering at your desk with your hands cupped around a gingerbread latte in an attempt to get some feeling back.
We've put together a Condor Christmas gift guide to stave off the cold.
1. Rapha Knitted Hat - £45.00
Best for a warm head and ears. Made from 100% soft and luxury merino wool, the hat features a knitted peak and ribbed earband. Available in grey, red or grey with contrasting stripe.
2. Buffera Tubular Wool Buff - £21.99
Best for the keeping the chill from your face and neck. Made from insulating, breathable and odour absorbing merino wool. Buff say it can be worn 12 different ways from headband, to balaclava, cap and more, but we like it best as a neckerchief. Worn to stop the chills creeping through the gaps in a jacket collar. Pull it up over the chin and nose to stop the wind licking your face on a fast descent.
3. Endura Baa Baa Merino Baselayer - £34.99
Best for keeping your core temperature happy. Merino wool is a naturally insulating fabric and has low odour properties. Wear it in the morning on a commute to work and pull it on for the journey home without a stench. We like the Endura Baa Baa because it has a high warmth to weight ratio, even when wet. Its soft and the seams are flat-locked for comfort.
4. Assos Early Winter Gloves - £70.99
Best for toasty fingers. There is nothing worse than suffering from the painful discomfort of freezing cold hands. It's the impressive wind proof fabric used on the popular Assos AirJack 851 winter jackets that earns this glove the right to sit as the star atop of the Christmas tree. 851 fabric is a 3-layer system laminated for water resistance and supremely wind proof with internal 3D air channel to ensure breathability. The gloves are low in weight and bulk making it easy to grab hold of energy bars from the back pocket or fiddly zips.
5. Rapha Winter Embrocation - £20.00
Best for warm legs. Those first few miles, a descent, waiting at a junction. It's where the cold will hit you. Embrocation contains warming agents that help heat the muscles before taking to a long ride, while the massaging action loosens muscles and stimulates circulation.
6. DeFeet Woolie Boolie Socks - £11.99
Best for warm toes. Soft merino wool insulates while Lycra in the fabrics maintains shape and holds the socks close to your feet for extra warmth. A lighter material runs along the top of the foot for breathability while a cushioned sole and heal provide added comfort. They are our favourite winter sock; we dig them out year after year.