Roadie's Ramblings

Why do cyclist take newspapers from spectators? To catch up on the latest news.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist the old-man humor. Newspapers happen to be great for blocking wind. After a long climb you’re hot and sweaty, and the last thing you want to do is freeze while you’re bombing down a mountain pass; the cold temperatures have actually been known as cause hypothermia. Clearly the place you want to insure is the warmest is the mid-section, and that’s where the paper is going. It’s tucked flatly under the jersey to cover the stomach and chest area at the top of the climb and then taken out when the cyclist has reached the bottom. Stuffing newspaper under a jersey isn’t the most technically advanced form of wind protection, but for the circumstances of going from overly hot to suddenly cold, newspaper has seemed to stand the test of time.

Descending down the French Alps

Other than pro cyclists starting a descent, I have see riders at the start of an early morning ride stuff newspaper up their jerseys as well as under their long sleeves. The issue with rolling newspaper around your arms is the lack of arm mobility. They do a great job of keeping the wind off your arms, but not being able to move your arms fully can be a bit of an issue. Of course they have come up with the modern day arm warmers that are bendable, offer wind protection, and have thermal qualities — so getting a subscription to the Wall Street Journal probably isn’t a cost effective way to keep your arms protected from the wind.

Now you know. And yes, using a newspaper as wind protection is a form or recycling the newspaper.