BikeArkansas

My bike clothes are not working well on the recumbent trike. Checking online and found there is a complete line of clothes just for recumbent riders, and even specific to the recumbent trike.

rydabent

IMO the great thing about bents and trikes is the fact you dont have to wear a kit to ride them. Regular kits are made to protect a rider from the bike. On a trike that is not needed. There are some clothes made for bents, pocket in front for instance, but most anything comfortable will work on a trike.

BlazingPedals

What's not working? Regular cycling clothes is what I use. You just can't use the center rear pocket on the jerseys.

Bob Ross

I get the pocket thing, as well as the no-chamois thing, but this still strikes me as depressingly opportunistic.

79pmooney

I don't have (yet) any 'bents or trikes. But if I did, my clothes would evolve to what works best for what I ride. If I went through some transition years of riding both recumbents and uprights, I'd dress in clothes that work for both so I could change my mind in the garage as to what bike I was taking. Only recumbents? I would buy clothes that worked on recumbents. Probably still wear the old stuff frm time to time for good times sake; at least those clothes that work comfortably on a recumbent.

My early research into recumbent clothing might well be to look at what weightlifter and rowers wear.

Ben

Steve B.

Yeah, I migrated to active wear T shirts and just about any shorts I felt like wearing, other than cotton. No chamois needed, obviously. I did start using the visor on my helmet as well as installing/moving over SPD pedals and using those shoes. I didn't need shirts with pockets as I could now use a small h-bar bag and not feel like a dork like you would on a carbon road bike, 'cause anybody on a bent is already a dork. Kidding. I did use the padded cycling gloves for the times I had to lay over on the side.

This is making me miss riding the bent, which I haven't in a few years. Winter project to resurrect.

Trsnrtr

Moving to Recumbent Forum

rydabent

Having worked for 37 years in a suit white shirt and tie, in retirement I dress very casual in the summer. I wear a t-shirt, and rugby shorts which are basically short sweat pants. As a bent rider, they are my riding "kit". Its pretty simple when I decide to ride, all I do is put on my helmet and clipless bike shoes and ride. Not having to have a high price kit to ride is just another plus for bents of any type.

Trsnrtr

I wear both recumbent specific clothes and pretty much anything else. It sort of depends upon how I feel that day and whether I’m riding a two wheeler or my trike. I feel more constricted on my two-wheeled bent so I at least will wear recumbent Lycra shorts from Kucharik.

On my trike, it’s grab the clipless sandals and hit the road unless it’s going to be a long hot day in which I’ll succumb to wearing decent cycling stuff.

BlazingPedals

When I converted to recumbency, I tried wearing regular shirts and shorts. That lasted until I got a couple of bees up my pant legs. So I switched back to lycra shorts. At minimum I want to carry a few bucks for stops and some house keys. Since lycra shorts typically don't have pockets, I also went back to bike jerseys so I could have pockets. I guess you could say they're designed to work as a system. I removed pads from bike shorts and used coolmax or lycra underwear so I wasn't displaying the equipment too prominently, and that worked fine for a while. Eventually, even compression shorts or coolmax briefs started causing chafing and dampness problems, so I went back to the pads. I don't need the padding per se, but the moisture management and placement to reduce chafing just work best for me. So now after almost 2 decades of being bent, I'm back where I started -- in regular bicycling gear.

So I would say that if regular shorts don't cause comfort issues, they'll work fine with a few provisos. If you're using shorts with open leg openings, get a fairing. That'll block the bees. And look for shorts with zippered pockets, so that you don't lose important stuff on the road while riding in a reclined position.

KaisoArt

This. Bees, bugs or flying pebbles entering a open pants leg can be a minor discomfort to quite painful. Ballooning pants leg under speed has its own negative.

rydabent

Under my rugby shorts I wear my regular jockey shorts. I have had no chaffing or problems at all. As far as my rugby shorts go, they are not all that loose around my legs. It would seem to me that there would be an equal chance of getting a bee in the vents of my helmet.

Trsnrtr

Been there and had that happen, too. Also, down the front of my jersey and inside the back neck of my jersey. Critters are ingenious at finding ways in.

ORrecumbentEZ3

Could you provide a link or shoot it to me in a PM in order check out the goods?

Trsnrtr

Kucharikclothing.com makes recumbent specific clothing as does benditcycling.com

Most of the recumbent mail-order sites like Utah Trikes and Hostel Shoppe sell some, too.

Retro Grouch 

I own several recumbent specific jerseys which I love. The thing that makes them recumbent specific are pockets in the sides under the arms. I like the ones with straight cut pockets better than the ones with angled pockets which force you to reach across your body to reach your wallet.

I have worn ordinary cargo shorts. The thing I hate about them is having my cell phone, car keys or wallet fall out of my pocket. I'm not a purse carrying kind of guys so I like having the jersey pockets.