solo79

Newbie here, had a mountain bike in college that saw very little use but I was 135 lbs then. 17 or so years later I am 5'5" and around 270. Got a hybrid bike about 10 days ago. First day and first mile I thought I was going to die. Today I did 7.5 miles averaging 8 mph. I am pleased with myself and excited about exercise for the first time since high school football.

So my question is, what are the benefits of the traditional bike clothing? The tight fitting spandex looking stuff. I have been wearing a t-shirt and basketball shorts so far.

Can I keep dressing like this or is the benefits of the tight clothes enough to warrant getting some. Right now, I honestly do not feel embarrassed riding, I feel excited and empowered, but the loose fitting clothes help. I know I would feel dramatically more self conscious in them. I just dread the idea.

I live in Mississippi FWIW. 90+ temps and humidity out the wazoo are just around the corner. If the tight clothes are for speed, then I am not too concerned with that now. I just want to ride and get in better shape. If it helps with the heat, then it may be worth it

Jimbosays

Bib shorts and dry-wear shirts/jerseys are your friend. Your REAL friend!

Bib shorts eliminate a tight waist band and are MUCH more comfy for a big man/woman than typical bike shorts.

T-shirts/cotton wear are a horrible choice because once it is wet if no longer 'breathes' and you get hotter . . . And sweat even more.

Under Armour "Heat Gear" shirts are my favorite t-shirt style tops and Primal brand jerseys are my favorite bike jersey. Bike jerseys are nice for longer rides because the of pockets across the rear.

Stay away from cheap Asian bike wear - It is just that - CHEAP and about three sizes too small for most Americans.

Check out:

Cycling Apparel, Bike Shorts, Bike Jerseys by Aero Tech Designs

Performance Ultra Bib Shorts

Primal Wear Cycling Apparel | Men?s Jerseys - Est. 1992 Colorado

https://tinyurl.com/ol55x5q

gjhsu

As a profuse sweater, the bike clothing's wicking and keep-cool-ness alone is worth it. That, and the no chafing of the nether regions goes a long way. It all serves a function, for sure, but the chamois'd shorts are a must. If you do find yourself self-conscious, they have mountain biking shorts that look almost like normal shorts, but have the padding inside.

ChrisZog

I have an old moisture wicking Rebock shirt that I used to wear to the gym as a base layer. Two reasons: I'm half middle eastern so unless I want to do a Chewie impression I can't unzip the jersey The other is for my weight/size I'm a bit smaller in the chest but have a bit of extra gut. In order to completely cover up and feel comfortable I find that a 3XLT t-shirt fits better than a 4XL. Since bike shirts tend to be long in the back and short in the front wearing a long base layer just works best.

I have 2 AeroTech Collosal jerseys (ordered a size too small but thankfully they both feel fine in the chest and probably will fit better in the gut in another 10-20lbs) and 1 Tall Man Long Sleeve AeroTech jersey. I live in Phoenix so that thing is in the back of my closet now. May go up on the pay it forward thread soon assuming I'm down to a 2XL by winter.

I have 2 pairs of padded short shorts. Shorter than I'd wear by themselves. 1 pair of AeroTech padded shorts that are about knee length. I find that wearing the shorter ones under the longer ones gives a bit of extra padding without any extra of that full diaper look

1 pair of AeroTech leggings. They are in the same spot as the long sleeve jersey.

I like my biking clothes and am thankful to have options in my size nowadays. It doesn't hurt that they are a bit slimming so people keep thinking I'm about 30-40 lbs lighter than I am when we are riding. Now one thing I may regret in a month or two is black and blue clothes. It gets hot... and bright here. I'm going to absorb all of the sun.

btcowboy

Totally agree with the material and moisture wicking. I am just getting into it and have cheap Wally world stuff right now the only good thing I bought was padded shorts, they are a god send lol

unabowler

I wear bike-specific clothing, but when I was starting out I bought that stuff very gradually. I still have two pairs of loose fitting mountain bike shorts and Champion shirts from Target that I wear on my trainer. If I were out for an hour or less I wouldn't feel uncomfortable in just about any clothing (as long as it's not constricting).

Jarrett2

I started out almost 2 years ago in loose gym shorts and baggy underarmour shirts and swore I'd never wear any of that "spandex" stuff.

After losing, 152 lbs and riding over 6,000 miles, I now wear tight jerseys and bib shorts like everyone else

There's a reason people wear that stuff. It's not so necessary in the beginning, but once you start riding a road bike 20+ miles a ride, all the sudden that stuff starts making a lot of sense.

mrfreezesdefy3

i second that ive been riding since jan 23 2015 ,bought me some giant chamios padded shorts ,and had been wearing long sleeve t shirts , but yesterday my jerseys finally made it in fron china , and boy what a difference it made that i could see in just 1 ride i definatly an improvement

salreus

I really like Jerzees poly shirts. I have issues showing off my belly and these are nice and long and under $10 each.


Amazon.com: Jerzees Adult JERZEES® SPORT Polyester T-Shirt - Maroon - 3XL: Clothing

JerrySTL

Avoid cotton even for the socks. It absorbs sweat and allows heat to build up. A technical jersey or T-shirt made out of something like KoolMax material will keep you cooler. A true bike jersey has the added benefits of some pockets to store stuff plus a longer back side to keep things covered when bending over the handlebars. I.E. no plumbers crack.

Bike shorts have padding in the right places to keep from getting chaffed in the wrong places. You can get the skin tight versions or the baggy MTB shorts. I like the skin tight myself.

Remember: Don't wear underwear under cycling shorts!

CliffordK

My only "bike specific" clothing is bike rain slickers.
They have the right amount of ventilation, and coverage, as well as reflective stripes.

Otherwise, I'm a jeans & T-shirt rider (or fleece in the winter).

I may not get in the real high intensity rides, but I do crank out a few miles. I've already had two - 100+ mile rides this year, and a few days in the 60 mile range. Yesterday was about 40 miles on the cargo bike, half of it pulling about 200 lbs.

curlyque

If your not uncomfortable or getting irritation just ride on.

You'll be dropping down 2 sizes before you know it anyway

I did good in thrift shops. I bought some very expensive hi tech golf t-shirts. It was easy to find 2x golf stuff

dr_lha

I started out with sports tops and baggy shorts. Then I went to padded "under" shorts (i.e. the type you can't see). Now I'm on bike jerseys and lycra shorts/bibs like everyone else.

There's a reason people on bikes wear this stuff and it's not to look good. It's comfortable, it wicks sweat (one thing I learned using trainer in the basement, I sweat like crazy while cycling), it allows you to go long distance without chafing. The back pockets in cycling jerseys are so useful, that I can't ride now is just regular sports tops, I have too many things I like to stuff in those pockets!

A friend of mine challenged me on my choice of clothing once, saying that I was just wearing it too look "cool" (if you can believe that, as if my beer belly looks good in a cycling jersey), he's a jogger so I asked him why he didn't go jogging in Doc Martins and jean shorts.

grampa.sjb

Not only that, but the snug fit of the jersey allows my aerobelly to more effectively reduce drag from the air flowing smoothly around by aerodynamic torso!

Pamestique 

If I am road riding, I definitely wear spandex shorts and a cycling jersey... I need the back pockets for stuff.

If I am mountain biking, since I generally wear wide legged cycling shorts with pockets (spandex shorts underneath), then I can wear just a "sports" top...

many years ago I use to wear cotton t-shirts (I have always worn spandex shorts with a chamois - you have to while wearing a bike!), and remember the tshirt getting all wet and stretching out; a mess. Now anything I wear has to be of a wicking material... it's lighter, cooler and stay much drier.

If you don't like the idea of a snug cycling jersey, places like Target sells "running" tshirts made of wicking material in XXXL sizes.

If you live in MS (my family lives in Oxford)... boy you can't wear cotton! By the end of the ride, the neck hole will be stretched out down to your knees! And trust me on this -cotton shorts or basketball shorts, those seams will rub you raw. If you do nothing else, invest in some cycling shorts.

Judi

I don't wear padded shorts, even on longer rides. I do like to wear shorts that aren't too baggy, because I've fallen over getting off the bike when my baggy shorts got hung up on the saddle.

I also don't usually wear jerseys, I don't think they work well with a large bust, because they end up too short in the front. I just wear cotton t-shirts. The only thing that ends up really sweaty is my sports bra, and I'd have to wear that under whatever shirt I wore.

dr_lha

If you're riding a comfort bike like an Electra Townie, I doubt padded bike shorts are necessary. If you're riding a road bike, they are IMHO.

Judi

OP said he was riding a hybrid. I don't use them on my hybrid either, but my longest rides are usually about 22 miles. Maybe on a longer ride I would need them. My daughter owns a couple pairs, which I bought because I thought she might need them because of her tiny, hard Selle Italia saddle, but she never wears them because she says they don't do anything except make her sweaty.

nfmisso

wear whatever you are comfortable wearing.

dr_lha

Fair enough. I've ridden my cross bike regularly in jeans (mainly when commuting), so wear whatever is comfortable and appropriate. The important thing about biking is to ride, if you don't feel comfortable with the "uniform", don't wear it. The important thing is to ride.

practical

I wear cotton t-shirts and cotton socks. They're fine. I have a bike shirt and it's nice, but the material feels weird to me. I wear bright colors - yellow often. I wear bike shorts underneath my basketball shorts. I wear bike gloves. I use toe straps and I wear a pair of Specialized shoes made for tow straps. They work great. I can't find these shoes anymore and if I didn't have them, I'd go clipless. I want to find bike shorts with zippered pockets and a fly in the front. Do they make them? Never tried the one piece look.

Rootman

I'm a senior and I to wear them. Hi viz jersey for visibility. Let's face it, we're invisible to a lot of drivers any way, so perhaps bright yellow just might get their attention. And as most of the other posters have mentioned, they wick sweat away better than "street" clothes too. I also wear bike shorts with cargoes over them. I'm just too fat and lumpy to wear them alone

dr_lha

You're describing Mountain Bike shorts.

Willbird

I have developed a deep seated hatred of anything with cotton in it for exertion, it quickly takes on all the negative aspects of wearing a plastic trash bag :-).

dr_lha

Agreed. I can't understand the people who like wearing cotton for exercise. I guess I sweat a lot more than they do. I can just about get away with socks, but I found since switching from Mountain bike style shoes to road style shoes (which are tighter fitting), I can't use cotton socks without them getting dripping wet.