Comfortable conditions
What to wear cycling at 15°C (59°F)
Fifteen degrees is the sweet spot. A normal jersey and bib shorts do the job, with arm and knee warmers as cheap insurance for the first half hour or a long descent. Once you're warm they roll down and disappear into a back pocket.
Updated
Short answer
Jersey, bib shorts and regular cycling socks. Optional: arm warmers, fingerless gloves and knee warmers.
The forecast's feels-like temperature, adjusted for how hard you ride, how warm you naturally run and riding into the wind. Your hands and feet don't warm up as much from effort, so their kit is chosen a bit warmer.
Feels like 15°C, moderate pace, light wind (10 km/h, 6 mph), no rain. Same logic as the calculator.
More on: arm & knee warmers
Adjust
When to change your kit at 15°C
Effort, wind, rain and how warm you run all shift the recommendation. Only the parts that change are listed.
Riding hard or racing
Race pace or a fast group ride
- Upper body
- Summer jersey
- Legs
- Bib shorts
Easy or recovery pace
Coffee ride, recovery spin
- Upper body
- JerseyArm warmers
- Legs
- Bib shortsKnee warmers
Strong wind
35 km/h, 22 mph
- Head
- Light cap opt
- Upper body
- JerseyArm warmersWind gilet opt
- Hands
- Fingerless gloves or no glovesThin full-finger gloves opt
- Legs
- Bib shortsKnee warmers
- Feet
- Regular cycling socksToe covers opt
Rain likely
60% chance or higher
- Upper body
- JerseyArm warmers optPackable rain jacket
- Hands
- Fingerless gloves or no glovesLight full-finger gloves opt
- Feet
- Regular cycling socksLight rain overshoes opt
You always run cold
Warmth tendency: always cold
- Head
- Light cap opt
- Upper body
- JerseyArm warmers
- Hands
- Fingerless gloves or no glovesThin full-finger gloves opt
- Legs
- Bib shortsLeg warmers
- Feet
- Regular cycling socksToe covers opt
You always run warm
Warmth tendency: always warm
- Upper body
- Summer jersey
- Hands
- No gloves or fingerless gloves
- Legs
- Bib shorts
FAQ
Cycling at 15°C: quick answers
What riders ask about kit at 15°C (59°F), from gloves to rain.
What should I wear cycling at 15°C (59°F)?
At 15°C (59°F), at a moderate pace in light wind and no rain, wear: jersey, bib shorts and regular cycling socks. Optional: arm warmers, fingerless gloves and knee warmers.
What to wear cycling at 59 degrees Fahrenheit?
59°F is 15°C. At a moderate pace in light wind (6 mph) and no rain, wear: jersey, bib shorts and regular cycling socks. Optional: arm warmers, fingerless gloves and knee warmers.
Do I need gloves cycling at 15°C?
At 15°C (59°F) you don't need gloves: fingerless gloves if you like.
Shorts or tights at 15°C?
At 15°C (59°F) wear bib shorts, plus knee warmers if you like.
What changes if it rains at 15°C?
At 15°C (59°F) with rain likely, change this: upper body: jersey, arm warmers (optional) and packable rain jacket; hands: fingerless gloves or no gloves and light full-finger gloves (optional); feet: regular cycling socks and light rain overshoes (optional).
What if I ride hard at 15°C?
At race pace or on a fast group ride you warm up a lot more. Change this: upper body: summer jersey; legs: bib shorts.
Other temperatures
Colder or warmer?
What changes compared with 15°C, at the same moderate pace.
Colder
What to wear at 10°C (50°F)
- Head
- Light cap (optional)
- Upper body
- Long-sleeve jersey and base layer (optional)
- Hands
- Light cycling gloves
- Legs
- Bib shorts and leg warmers
- Feet
- Light overshoes or toe covers
Warmer
What to wear at 20°C (68°F)
- Upper body
- Summer jersey
- Hands
- No gloves or fingerless gloves
- Legs
- Bib shorts
It's never exactly 15°C for the whole ride
The calculator uses the hourly forecast for your location and ride window, including wind, rain and how hard you're going.