ds81

Hey all,

Yet another question from a severe newb.

Can someone inform me of the kinds of cycling clothes I'd need to ride well in cold and warm weather? Anyone have any recommendations? I was looking at Trek's website, but I don't know what to look for, and they have a lot of stuff on there. As much info as you can give me would be great.

If anyone has a link to a website for cycling jerseys at a reasonable price, that'd be nice, too.

Thanks!

geist

Try this: www.velowear.com

MichaelW

You can spend a lot of $$ on clothing, but you dont have to.
For longer distance hot weather, its easy, just bike shorts, bike jersey, socks, gloves and shoes.
For cooler weather check out icebike.com
Im a temperate weather rider, so most of my riding is at 10-20C.

gattm99

I figure that I am probably on my own in this but what the hell, you don't need any special clothing here is what I wear.

Winter mild: T-shirt, long sleeve shirt, cheap windbreaker, gloves, hat, Sweatpants

when it is really cold you do need some special stuff

Summer hot: T-shirt, shorts,

Buying cycling clothes is fine but don't think that to be a cyclist you have to own a cycling jersey and special riding socks

MichaelW

I wear a mix up cycling gear, general outdoor gear and normal street clothing. Today (14C/59ishF some light rain) I rode 40mins into work, then 20mins to see a client and back again, wearing office wear, cotton T shirt, shirt and tie.
Id agree that for casual cycling, wear what you like.

johndan

Experiment. If riding in regular shorts or sweats seems to work for you, go with it (and save a lot of money). I've found that when it's extremely hot, more technical clothing (with wicking fabrics, for example) is cooler. And maybe it's just some sort of personal issue, but the seams in the crotch of regular shorts caused me a lot of pain in some sensitive areas after only ten miles or so.... That was one experiment I ended pretty quickly. Bike shorts usually have leather (traditional) or gel (contemporary) padding in the crotch. They're usually spendy ($30 to $100+), but I thought the expense was justified, at least for me.

The aesthetic of road cycling clothing is something of an aquired taste. Mountain biker clothing tends toward a more normal look (if by "normal" one means "grunge").

In addition to velowear, try https://www.performancebike.com or https://www.nashbar.com. Watch for clearances at either of those sites for good deals.

dexmax

what? no one has recommended European Team Jerseys, w/ matching lycra bibs and cap and bandana....

Anyway, I can only recommend something for warm weather.. It doesn't get that cold here..

I wear a cycling jersey, and regular lycra shorts w/ some amount of padding.. I dislike too thick padding, it tends to do more harm than good. I also wear a cycling cap or bandana under my helmet in longer rides(3~5hrs). It keeps sweat away from my eyes.

I wear a jersey, not because it looks good and feels great.. but becuase I have extra pockets in the back. I carry w/ me patchkits, a spare tube, tools, and food(banana, powerbar, powergel), etc.

BlueDevil

Here is what I wear-

Warm/hot days (65 deg F and up) Biking shorts (gotta have some padding) and a biking jersey (I cant stand a loose t-shirt flapping around.. like something nice and tight, with pockets).

Warm transition (60-65 F) Biking shorts (ok, I got well insulated, read hairy, legs), a biking jersey, and a tight fitting climbing fleece. I find the this temp range to be the worst- when I am warming up, I dont have enough on, and feel cold, when I am warmed up, I feel too insulated and warm.

Cooler transition (45-60F) Wind proof bib tights, biking jersey, and the tight fleece. Sometimes I will add a vest under the fleece if it is in the 45-50 range.

Cold (30-45F) Windproof bib tights, biking jersey, and wind-proof long sleeve biking jacket. I will also usually add the long fingered gloves, and shoe covers at this point, as well as a beanie that covers my ears. Sometimes I also add the neck gator.

RFC (20-30F) Windproof bib tights, biking jersey (works as a wicking layer), vest, and wind-proof long sleeved biking jacket. Neck gator, beanie, fleece gloves, and full booties. I will also usually throw on a pair of hot chilli's at this point to keep my legs warm. I have to be REALLY motivated to go out when this cold though!! lol

spazegun2213

try this as a starter, go to your LBS (local bike shop) and buy the cheapest pair of cycling shorts (they should be <$50) and a jersey you can stand to wear. I did this and came out <$80. I still wear the same jersey and shorts a year later with no problems.

I'm cycling on a budget as well... I know how it goes. Also you can check ebay for jerseys, but make sure you know exactly what you're buying.

MrEWorm

I got a Brooks B17 saddle so I don't need padded shorts anymore. Any clothing that is weather appropriate will work. In cooler weather, I wear blue jeans, remembering to tuck my left cuff in my sock to keep it out of the chain. In warmer weather, any shorts will do.
I do wear a bright yellow wind breaker or colorful T-shirt if I will be playing around cars for visibility.

natelutkjohn

I agree with you on that one. I have no problem with secific cycling clothes, but I've been a regular biker since childhood and I have never once put on a pair of bike shorts or shirt. I just have a trusty pair of coururoy shorts and a bright T-shirt I wear so people can see me. It suits me fine. I guess I just feel silly wearing tight clothes... but maybe that's just my self-conscienceness showing

giant_ds3

you tell em. the only ppl that need lycra and cute little shoes and carbon fibre are the ones that earn a living on the bike. even lance armstrong said it is stupid for non pro riders to get all this stuff the companies are making available to the public. not in those exact words, but the same message. you can read it in a book that came out in 2003. i forget the title but it is available at barnes and noble.

DEK

I used to ride with regular shorts and a t-shirt. However, on a whim, I invested in a basic (no design) cycling jersey to see if it really made a difference. I was amazed at how it helped keep me cool and dry. With a t-shirt the sweat builds up and it's annoying. The jersey didn't do that. I plan on getting more of them.

Now the shorts, that's another story. Given my weight, I can't even think of putting on lycra. It would be the proverbial 10-lbs of sausage in a 5-lb casing.

redfooj

wool jersey?

DEK

redfooj: Are you asking me? If so, not wool. The nylon, wicking kind. Something like this https://www.performancebike.com/shop/....cfm?SKU=16342

cyclezealot

DS... You might try riding with regular shorts,t shirts..Whatever.. Should you not find it comfortable, I would soon find cycling clothing that is recommended. Decent quality... sales, you can find good stuff cheap..
Your whole cycling future depends upon it...Doubt you will continue should you find it uncomfortable..
Problems such as chafing. Arse fatigue...There are solutions.

CRSO

He's right. I have a pair of MTB shorts I ride with when I DH and use them for road biking also. They have bozack protection (or comfort). They're not the spandex ones (not on me) and are plain black. They serve the job.

I just can't get myself to wear those shorts or pink / purple / yellow clothing. No offense to others.

lsits

When I started cycling again (last July) I swore that I wouldn't wear the lycra shorts and bright colored jerseys. Now I realize that every article of cycling clothing has a specific purpose (except for maybe the socks) I wouldn't wear anything else. The shorts keep my legs from creating friction against the saddle and the lining soaks up the sweat. The jerseys keep me cooler by helping sweat evaporate. The pockets are handy for cell phone, keys, energy bars, etc. The bright colors draw attention to myself and make me more visible. My wife and kids gave me some grief when I first started wearing the "uniform" but don't say anything about it now.