Autumn is the best season on the bike. It's also the hardest one to dress for.
You roll out at 5°C through the mist and ride home at 17°C in the sun. One climb has you sweating, the next descent has you shivering. The answer isn't a thicker jacket. It's a layering system you add and remove without breaking your rhythm, and kit that lasts long enough to see many more autumns.
~6 min read · Jump to: Layering system · By temperature · The climate numbers · Why VELOR · Make it last · FAQ · Shop
One Ride, Three Seasons: The Autumn Layering System
Autumn is the season of extremes. You start in the cold morning air, climb into the sun, then drop back into the shade where it suddenly feels 5 to 10°C colder. A single warm jacket can't handle that. Three simple layers can.
1. The base: a long sleeve jersey
A jersey that breathes and wicks sweat away. It's the one layer that stays on for the whole ride, so it has to work as hard on the climb as on the descent. That's the job of our long sleeve jerseys.
2. The extras: arm and leg warmers
Essential at the start, rolled into a pocket as soon as the sun comes out. Arm warmers and leg warmers turn your summer kit into an autumn kit for a fraction of the price of a new outfit.
3. The shield: a windproof gilet
Protected front for the descents, vented back for the climbs. A windproof gilet fits in a jersey pocket and is probably the most useful piece you'll own between September and November.
The golden rule: start a little cold for the first ten minutes. Take layers off before the climb, put them back on before the descent.
This July at GRAAALPS 500, Julien Chorier rode through night storms and big temperature swings around Mont Blanc in his RELOV jersey. The only thing he had to manage was the zip: a little open on the climbs, closed again on the descents. Read Julien's GRAAALPS story.
What to Wear for Autumn Cycling, Degree by Degree
Use this as a starting point, then adjust to how you ride.
15 to 18°C: late summer
Short sleeve jersey + arm warmers, or a light long sleeve. Bib shorts. A gilet rolled in your pocket for the descents and the end of the day.
10 to 15°C: peak autumn
Long sleeve jersey. Bib shorts + leg warmers, or bib tights (ours are designed for 5 to 15°C). Windproof gilet always with you.
5 to 10°C: cold mornings
Long sleeve jersey + zipped gilet at the start. Bib tights. Full-finger gloves, and overshoes if the roads are wet.
Below 5°C: winter already
Winter jacket: thermal, windproof and water-resistant. Bib tights, base layer, warm gloves. Shorten the ride, not the fun.
Riding in other seasons too? See our guides to spring layering from 3°C to 18°C and how to dress for cycling in summer.
Build your autumn layering system: base, extras, shield.
See the Autumn SelectionWhat We Wear on the Bike Weighs on the Climate Too
Cycling gets a lot of credit as clean mobility. What we wear on the bike gets far less attention. Here are the numbers, without inflating them.
- 2 to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the textile and fashion industry (UNEP, 2025).
- 59% of all textile fibres produced worldwide are polyester, and 88% of that polyester comes from oil (Textile Exchange, 2025).
- 98% of recycled polyester comes from plastic bottles, not from old clothes (Textile Exchange, 2025).
- Less than 1% of textile fibres come from recycled textiles. The rest of our old jerseys get burned or landfilled (Textile Exchange 2025; Ellen MacArthur Foundation).
And in the wash, synthetic textiles are thought to be the leading source of primary microplastics released into the oceans: around 35% according to the IUCN (2017). If the bottle-to-jersey logic sounds familiar, we explain why it isn't a real solution in what GRS recycled polyester actually is.
Why We Chose to Make Things Differently
Why. Cycling taught us to love the outdoors. We didn't want to harm it just by getting dressed to go out there. Our belief: a jersey should never end up in the bin.
How. Recycled materials made from fishing nets, carpets and industrial offcuts, certified GRS, BLUESIGN® and OEKO-TEX®. Made in Europe, in Portugal with Italian fabrics, with full traceability. A repair programme and crash replacement. A certified B Corp. More on that in how VELOR challenges the sportswear model.
What. Pieces that combine and last: a windproof gilet made with 78% recycled materials, a long sleeve jersey with 86%, arm and leg warmers with 82%. And RELOV, the first jersey made from old jerseys: zero virgin polyester, −68% CO₂, GRS certified.
What we haven't solved yet
- Recycled doesn't mean zero impact. Our fabrics still shed microfibres in the wash, like all synthetics.
- Elastane isn't recycled. It makes up 10 to 14% of our pieces and still makes end-of-life recycling harder.
- The most responsible garment is the one you already own. If your current gilet does the job, keep it. We'll be here when it's time to replace it.
That's why we don't say "sustainable". We say what we do, what we measure, and what's still left to do.
Making It Last: The Move That Matters Most
In autumn, rides often end indoors, hands wrapped around a hot drink, gilet still damp on the back of a chair. It's also the right moment to look after your kit. A jersey worn twice as long is one less jersey to produce.
Wash smarter
At 30°C, inside out, no softener, air dry. Use an anti-microplastic washing bag: 86% fewer broken fibres according to tests by the Fraunhofer Institute. The full routine is in how to wash recycled polyester cycling kit.
Repair
A tear, a crash, a broken zip: that's what our repair programme and crash replacement are for.
Pass it on
Jersey doesn't fit anymore? Give it away, sell it on. And when it's truly worn out, bring it back: it's the raw material for RELOV.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear cycling at 10°C?
A long sleeve jersey, bib shorts with leg warmers or bib tights, and a windproof gilet zipped up at the start. Add full-finger gloves on cold mornings. If you run cold, go one level warmer: bib tights instead of leg warmers.
Is a windproof gilet enough for autumn cycling?
Between 10 and 18°C, a gilet over a long sleeve jersey is usually all you need: it blocks the wind on your chest for descents while the vented back lets heat out on climbs. Below 5°C, switch to a thermal, windproof and water-resistant winter jacket.
Arm warmers or long sleeve jersey?
Arm warmers are best when the temperature swings a lot during the ride (15 to 18°C): you take them off and keep riding. A long sleeve jersey is better when it stays cool all day (10 to 15°C) and below.
How do I make my cycling kit last longer?
Wash at 30°C, inside out, without softener, air dry, and use a washing bag to limit microfibre shedding. Repair before you replace, and when a jersey is truly worn out, bring it back so it can become a RELOV jersey.
Go Further
If you want to go deeper: why buying eco-responsible cycling clothing matters, VELOR's measurable commitment to the circular economy, and the story behind RELOV, the jersey made from old jerseys.
Shop the Autumn Selection
Four pieces to build your layering system this autumn. Recycled materials, made in Portugal.
To complete your kit: Arm warmers €39 · Leg warmers €49 · Bib tights men / women €189 · RELOV jersey €139 · Anti-microplastic washing bag €32.50
Sources: UNEP, "Minimizing fashion's environmental footprint", Annual Report 2025 · Textile Exchange, Materials Market Report 2025 · Ellen MacArthur Foundation, A New Textiles Economy · IUCN, Primary Microplastics in the Oceans, 2017 · Fraunhofer UMSICHT, GUPPYFRIEND tests · VELOR product data. Photos: @adrienraffault.
