Nashbar Neck Gaitor – Essential Cold Weather Bicycle Gear
Written: Mar 21 '06 (Updated Mar 22 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: fits great, does the job, fair price
Cons: Nary a one
The Bottom Line: An essential product for cold weather bicycling.
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| Saxguy's Full Review: Nashbar Neck Gaitor |
Many thanks to user openroad for adding this item to the database.
I live in the Chicago area, and I enjoy bicycling during the summer and also during the spring and the fall. Well, spring and fall can be chilly around here, and I’ve found that my neck is where I feel it first. Obviously, with my performing and teaching business, my neck has to stay warm and fully functional.
I remember surfing the Nashbar.com web site, looking for SOMETHING to keep my neck warm. Yes, I wore turtlenecks and coats and scarves, but it was still hard to be warm enough and yet not feel constricted at all. When I saw this product, I knew it was what I was looking for. It’s got some great features for me:
1. It Fits Fine
With my overweight, oversized 18” neck, fit is an issue. This fit comfortably. It covers from just below my jaw at the top to the top of my chest on the bottom. My entire neck benefits from this and there is no place for a cold wind to breach it. It is billed as one size fits all, and it does because of it’s
2. Elastic drawstring with clasp, which adjusts the bottom. Sometimes I will tighten it up on particularly cold or windy days.
3. Polyester microfiber I slightly stretchy, warm enough for sure, but thin enough to wear over a turtleneck, over a balaclava, if necessary, and under a coat. It feels like there is some breatheability, but I remain warm enough on a bodypart very vulnerable to cold.
It’s stretchy enough to fit on over my head and then it’s a matter of positioning it and fixing the drawstring.
When using it, the order of putting the clothes on makes it easier. Once my shirt and sweatpants are on, I put on
Turtleneck
Balaclava (if needed)
Gaitor
Coat
Helmet
Gloves (cold weather gloves when very cold, otherwise polypro liners under half finger bike gloves)
And hit the road.
I’ll generally wear this if the temperature is 50 or less, sometimes at higher temperatures with heavy winds.
I clean it by hand washing and letting it dry.
There’s really not much else to say. The price at Nashbar.com is $14.99 and it is well worth it
I do have a couple of tips that help me stay safe in cold weather.
Ride on dry pavement For me, I just don’t want to deal with maneuvering on icy or wet pavement
Open up against the wind That 10-15 mph wind that feels so nice when it’s 80 is more like an uphill ride when it’s 40. Might as well fight it while I’m fresh.
Don’t compromise safety for comfort I wear a helmet no matter what. When it’s cold, I can be warm enough with a balaclava under a helmet, but I will NEVER RIDE WITHOUT A HELMET.
Consider changing courses In very late or very early season rides, I tend to stay closer to home and do more circular routes than point and back. That makes it easier to get myself home if I tire.
Thanks for reading. God bless!
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