Winter Activewear and the Ultimate Cold-Weather Outerwear

I usually deliver for Uber by bicycle. In terms of bicycle work, I imagine the situation is likely the same for messengers, but what is just as important, if not more so, than what kind of bike you ride is what kind of clothing you wear.

Above all, the most important thing throughout the year is to wear base layers with moisture-wicking and quick-drying properties (I am a loyal user of Otafuku Glove products) on both top and bottom. When I'm pedaling a bike, I sweat quite a bit even in the dead of winter, and in the summer, I lose so much moisture through sweat that I drink about 3 liters of water while working. When you sweat that much, you first get sticky or even soaked, which is very uncomfortable in normal clothing. Also, in this job, you aren't just riding the whole time; sometimes you have to stop and wait for orders. If you're wearing normal clothes, especially in winter, you can get chilled by your own sweat, which can make you sick if you're not careful.

As a countermeasure for this, if you wear base layers with moisture-wicking and quick-drying functions, your clothes won't cling to your body in a gross way, and you'll almost never get chilled by sweat. In the summer, it also provides protection against UV rays, and since some are made of contact-cooling materials, even though they look hot because they are black from top to bottom, they are actually much more comfortable than a breezy outfit of just a T-shirt and shorts.

In winter, as long as you choose a base layer that has thermal insulation properties and wear outerwear with solid windproof performance, you will basically be fine. Remember that the key to cold-weather protection is how well you can prevent wind from getting in. As a middle layer to wear underneath, I layer items like thick, extra-warm Heattech or, recently, Workman's Fiber Layer Aluminum-Lined Crew Neck depending on the temperature. You can get away with light clothing while riding, but you can't endure that when you have long, idle wait times.

Even when layering, the base layer absorbs sweat from your skin, so you don't get chilled by sweat, and it's not much of a problem in terms of how it feels. However, the more you layer, the harder it is for the sweat to dry, and the inside of your middle layers and outerwear gets wet and heavy with sweat. It's fine to wash middle layers every day, but you'd prefer your outerwear not to get wet if possible.

That's where the "moisture permeability" of your outerwear becomes the point. It's rare for normal winter outerwear to boast moisture permeability, but many jackets from outdoor brands that can also be used as hard shells or rainwear have both water-repellent/waterproof functions and moisture-permeability functions. With these kinds of clothes, the sweat absorbed by the base layer is released little by little, so you can work more comfortably and your clothes are less likely to get wet. By the way, I am a loyal user of Workman products.

I think this kind of knowledge is useful not only for Uber delivery workers like me but also for those who are thinking of trying cycling or trekking on their days off. By the way, despite talking about this, as far as I can see, there aren't many other Uber delivery workers who seem as particular about the functionality of their clothing as I am 😌 Everyone else just delivers in things like down jackets and jeans. I wonder if they're okay with that because they're young.

So, I almost finished this talk with just the introduction, but I recently found this kind of outerwear. It's called the OROS IMMIX Jacket, and thanks to a special aerogel that is only 2mm thick, it looks like a thin windbreaker or mountain parka, yet it can reportedly withstand temperatures down to -40°C. It seems to be currently crowdfunding on a site called Makuake, where you can sign up for a slightly lower price, but it's still quite expensive. It seems well worth it, though.

I won't buy it because it would be a waste to wear it out working every day, but if it strikes a chord with you, don't hesitate to buy it. There is no other clothing that is this thin and has this level of cold-weather performance (it also has high levels of water resistance and moisture permeability), so I'm sure you'll be satisfied.