Cycle Yourself Into A Cold?
The sad fact is that cyclists are one of the few groups that are more vulnerable to the common cold than other groups. This is due to two reasons, the first being that people doing repeated exercise will lose weight and build muscle, however one of the ways (there are many) that your body helps you build muscle is to produce tiny amounts of steroids in your system. This chemical helps you build muscle and endure aches and pains; it does however knock your immune system back a little. If you eat right (plenty of vitamin C - ascorbic acid) then it will not be a problem, but your temporarily weakened immune system may make you more susceptible to a cold.
The other reason is that your extremities (nose, fingers, and ears) get cold. The bacteria and viruses that cause the common cold like to breed in a temperature only a few degrees below your body temperature. These little cold-spots are ideal hot-spots for the common cold to set up shop and build in numbers.
Designers of cycling fashions have been aware of this for years and so create clothing such as cycling trousers, cycling gloves and balaclavas to compensate. There are styles that use micro fibre, to let air out but keep the warm in. There’s thermal cycling gear to keep the heat in, and lots of cycling fashions incorporate Lycra and polyesters into the clothes to keep the clothing unrestrictive, but a little more water proof.
It has been long established that cycling gear needs to be protective. This is why cyclists should wear helmets, and have padded bits on their gloves and trousers. The more modern winter fashion collections will also protect against the elements. We have all been caught out in the rain one day, and then two days later a cold appears. This is a bigger threat for a cyclist, because quite often if a cyclist is caught in the rain, they tend to be a fair distance from their home, and they cannot simply wait it out in their car. So cycling gear that protects against the winter elements is a must.
If you are buying cycling gear online, then look for genuine reviews. The sorts of things that do not look like the online seller wrote it. Look for how well the cycling gloves keep in the heat, and if the shirts tear at the seams in the back. If you are buying from a walk in shop, then try the goods on. Try the cycling helmet to see if it moves on top, or feels uncomfortable. Try the cycling gloves to see if they are warm and up to the job.