Getting Started: Winter Mountain Biking

Surly Pugsley Bike

On snowy roads there’s no beating the control of the almost-four-inch knobby doughnuts on the Surly Pugsley. All that rubber adds to the heft (36.8 pounds, if you’re counting), but we still blasted through powder, floated over wind crust, and sailed up 12,000-foot peaks—an impossibility on virtually any other bike.

Assos iJ.Bonka.6 Jacket

The biggest concern after locomotion is warmth, and the low-bulk Assos iJ.Bonka.6 jacket kept us dry without overheating. Favorite feature: the breathable stow-away face and neck gaiter, which also helped stave off post-ride coughing jags.

Giro Merino Winter Cap

The long neck on the Giro Merino Winter cap tucked nicely into the Assos iJ.Bonka.6 jacket‘s high collar for maximum coverage.

Rapha Long Sleeve Merino Base Layer

Underneath the Assos iJ.Bonka.6 jacket, we wore only the Rapha Long Sleeve Merino base layer, which didn’t rub or chafe beneath our favorite cold-weather bibs, Castelli’s Sorpasso.

Castelli Sorpasso Bibs

The Rapha Long Sleeve Merino base layer didn’t rub or chafe beneath our favorite cold-weather bibs, Castelli’s Sorpasso, with windproof fleece-backed stretch fabric covering our most sensitive spots and ankle zips that never rode up.

Sidi Diablo GTX Shoes

Lightly insulated and wrapped with a Gore-Tex membrane, the Sidi Diablo GTX shoes rendered foul-weather booties obsolete, and we loved the chunky sole for traipsing through mud and slush.

Vaude Syberia Gloves

Although Vaude’s trigger-finger-equipped Syberia gloves initially looked bulky, the trim layer of insulation kept our digits toasty down to 20 degrees—and were still plenty agile enough for zippering up and fiddling with sticky brakes.

Ay Up V Twin Sports Light

The superlight 400-lumen Ay Up V Twin Sports light threw ample illumination for trails, and we loved that you can flip-flop one of the heads for rear visibility on the road.