What to Wear Cycling in 45°F Weather
45°F is 7°C. Everything below applies to either reading — the kit does not care which scale you think in.
Properly cold. Insulate the core, protect hands and ears, and block the wind.
What to Wear
Cycling kit for 45°F
- ●Thermal jersey
- ●wind jacket
- ●tights
- ●warm gloves
- ●ear cover
What 45°F actually feels like once you are moving
A thermometer reading of 45°F is not remotely what a cyclist gets. Riding at a steady 16 mph manufactures 16 mph of headwind out of dead-still air, which drags 45°F down to roughly 38°F against exposed skin — about 7 degrees, before a single mph of real wind is counted. Nothing else on foot comes close to that penalty. It is also why the descent, not the climb, is what catches riders out at 45°F: you stop producing heat and the wind does not stop taking it.
Dress for the finish, not the doorstep
Your own engine is worth about 12°F once you are going. The practical rule is to dress for 57°F standing still rather than the 45°F on the forecast. The rider's version of this has a sting in it: your effort is not steady. On a climb you will be too warm in exactly the kit that leaves you too cold on the descent that follows, so what you actually want at 45°F is a windproof layer you can open and close, not a warmer one.
Not sure of the temperature? Enter your city in the free tool for live conditions, a Ride Score, and rain- and wind-adjusted advice.
Open the live toolThe first ten minutes
Aim to be a little cold for the first few miles. At 45°F that lifts as soon as the effort comes up, and it is the clearest sign you judged it right — but keep a windproof front, because the first fast descent will undo a good judgement made on a climb.
What changes at 45°F when it is wet, windy or bright
Rain
Rain at 45°F rides like about 30°F dry, and worse than that on a bike, because 16 mph of airflow over a wet layer removes heat far faster than the same rain does standing still. Road spray from below soaks you even when it has stopped falling. A windproof or water-resistant shell over the same kit is the change to make — not more insulation, which just holds the water against you.
Wind
Real wind matters more to a cyclist than to anyone on foot, because it adds to the 16 mph you already make. A 15 mph headwind at 45°F is a 31 mph wind on your skin. Block it rather than insulate against it: a thin windproof front beats a thick fleece, and packs away when the route turns and that same wind is behind you.
Sun
Bright low sun at 45°F flatters the forecast badly on a bike. It feels warm on an exposed road and drops away the moment you turn into a wooded valley or the sun gets behind a ridge — which, on a descent, is exactly where you are least able to do anything about it. Dress for the shaded half.
The mistake people make at 45°F
At 45°F the error is insulating the core and ignoring the ends. Your hands sit still in the airflow on the bars, your feet sit still in thin shoes, and neither is doing any work to stay warm — so what fails at 45°F is almost never the jacket. It is the gloves, and it fails about forty minutes in.
Hands, feet and ears
45°F is where the extremities decide the ride. Fingerless or light full-finger gloves, a thin cap or headband under the helmet, and toe covers or full shoe covers for anything over an hour. Hands and feet are both static in the airflow, doing no work of their own, which is why they fail at 45°F while the core is still comfortable.
Frequently asked
What should I wear cycling in 45°F?
For 45°F, wear: Thermal jersey, wind jacket, tights, warm gloves, ear cover. Dress for about 57°F rather than 45°F, because your own effort is worth roughly 12 degrees once you are moving.
Does 45°F feel colder when you are cycling?
Yes. At 16 mph you generate 16 mph of headwind out of still air, which brings 45°F down to around 38°F against exposed skin before any real wind is counted.
Should I dress differently cycling at 45°F than for running or walking?
Yes, and more than most people expect. At 16 mph you make far more apparent wind than a runner at 6 or a walker at 3, so a cyclist needs more wind protection at 45°F than either — and less insulation than a walker, because you are producing much more heat than they are.
Is 45°F too cold to go cycling?
No — 45°F is comfortable for cycling with the right layers, and plenty of people consider it close to ideal once they are moving.
Do I need a jacket at 45°F?
A windproof shell, yes; an insulated jacket, no. At 45°F the wind is doing most of the cooling, and a thin layer that blocks it beats a thick one that only insulates.
What should I wear cycling in 7°C?
7°C is 45°F, so the answer on this page is the one you want: Thermal jersey, wind jacket, tights, warm gloves, ear cover. Nothing about the advice changes with the scale — only the number you read off the forecast.
What changes if it rains at 45°F?
Treat it as roughly 30°F. Add a windproof or water-resistant shell over the same kit rather than adding insulation underneath — wet insulation holds water against the skin and is worse than none.