What Type Of Touring Clothes & Shoes ??
 

New to touring, but have ridden road bikes for a few years. On a Spring, Summer and early fall touring trip that would involve 30-50 miles a day with camping. What type of clothing is being used ?? What type of footwear and pedals ? The eggbeater by Crank Brothers looks interesting with a recessed cleat on the shoe. Are people switching out footwear when walking around town ? or ?? Guess I am asking if there are more casual riding clothing that could double duty for walking around town without getting strange looks.
I have been to a few Bicycle stores but might have been speaken a long lost language for the strange looks I got. Didn't realize that touring on a bike was such a crazy thing. They are most geared for road bikes with a little bit of mountain bikes thrown in.
Would appreciate any help, Thanks

J & G Cyclewear makes great touring shorts. The shorts are comfortable for cycling but they're okay for off the bike in conservative communities. http://www.bicycleclothing.com/

For shoes, I've got the recessed cleats so I can walk around fairly comfortably. I don't carry extra shoes for when I'm off the bike.

I've always toured in street shoes with platform pedals. I now wear Keens with socks if cold. You're off and on the bike all the time, camping, shopping etc. Shorts are very subjective, but I always have a pair of baggies outside. For the top nothing beats wool. A shortsleeve lightweight, a longsleeve midweight, a vest and rainjacket will work from 100 to 35 degrees. You never feel clammy, warm when wet, and those around you will appreciate that it doesn't stink, even after a couple days in the saddle.
Speed is not my greatest concern on the bike.

On our last tour (two weeks on Northern Vancouver Island and the Discovery Islands) I cut off a pair of light weight (ripstop) pants with cargo pockets that I got at the thrift store to make a pair of knickers, packed a pair of Ibex wool cycling shorts w/padded crotch (my favourites) that I wore under the knickers most of the time. Brought three pair of cotton ankle socks and one pair of wool 1/3 calf socks, Pair of Patagonia standup shorts (I also love these) and a pair of Columbia shorts with zipper pocket, and button up shirt (in good shape so I could look half way decent in the grocery storesand the few restaraunts), A medium weight wool 1/2 zip base layer top and matching wool bottoms, a wool cycling cap from Waltz Caps (obviously I like wool), cycling specific rain gear, Keen sandals for kicking around with off the bike and recessed cleated cycling specific shoes, a light weight windbreaker (Marmot windshirt), a light weight pair of swim trunks (although I usually skinny dip) and a down sweater. While on the tour I sent back a baseball hat, the Patagonia shorts, a pair of the ankle socks, a Camelback and a couple of other doodads. I found this was the perfect combo for a two week (or longer) self supported fully loaded tour. That said, I picked up another pair of thrift store pants with side pockets but thicker material and have sinced made another pair of knickers.

i've got a couple of these for riding and you'd be hard-pressed to find a merino top for less cash: http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/9...e-For-Men.html

- Most MTB style shoes and pedals have recessed cleats
- Try travel wear or outdoors / hiking shops for clothes

It depends on what you call "touring". You can tour on any bike and in any clothes, but as in anything else, the right equipment can make the whole exercise a lot more pleasant. If you don't want to look like you're a racer, and you want to go everywhere both on and off the bike without feeling self-conscious about your attire, go with the touring shorts and jersey.

A bit of advice about shoes and pedals. Virtually everything that is recessed also only has a relatively small, tablespoon-sized platform. For that to be usable on tours and even just long rides, you need a good shoe with a very stiff sole. The downside to that is that even if the cleat is recessed, it's really only walkable for short distances, like walking into a coffee shop. The stiff sole is like walking on solid wooden shoes, and even if recessed, the cleat does grate on some surfaces. If it was me, I wouldn't try to save weight and storage space by not bringing some ordinary shoes.

Many tourers like the Shimano pedals that are clipless on one side and ordinary pedal on the other. There are 2 advantages to this. First, whenever you develop some numbness or hot foot, you can just pedal normally on the other side. Second, you can easily ride the bike in the civilian shoes when the situation calls for it.

I wear regular bike clothes on tour. Pearl Izumi Ultra Sensor shorts work great for me. They dry fast and are comfortable even if damp. I carry a pair of light weight zip off leg pants and a poly sweater for in camp in the evening. The sweater also gets use in cooler weather for riding.

I use Shimano SPD pedals with Sidi MTB (Bullet 2) shoes. I carry a pair of crocs to give my feet a break once in a while. They double as shower shoes and are easy to step into if leaving the tent at night.

I tour in regular street clothes from an outdoor store [synthetics that dry fast and don't absorb water] and regular shoes [usually trail runners]. In the past I have toured with bike shorts [didn't love them and with the right saddle choice unnecessary] and SPD sandals [actually liked them a lot, but street shoes are just simpler and don't need pack two pairs of shoes].

I really like jumping off my bike now without a second thought....blending in with the crowd and not needing to swap shoes.

Bottom line though the key is to be comfortable. If that means SPD shoes and bike specific clothing for you - go for it!

Mountain bike shoes and shorts, merino wool shirts by Icebreaker.

Some options for chamois under regular clothes:
- Inner shorts from 2-piece MTB shorts. They're usually mesh and a little looser, so dry more easily and are more comfortable (for me) when on and off the bike throughout the day.
- Normal bike shorts. OK but better without overshorts.
- Synthetic snug-fit boxers eg. Tactel. Can creep up a bit as there are no leg grippers around the hem.
- Wool bike shorts. Have yet to try. Available locally in Uno shops. Not sure about elsewhere, maybe try Rivendell if you can't find them in any local shops.
- Triathlon shorts. Haven't tried these but apparently dry quicker.

We went on this little trip earlier this year, I just have to bring my inflatable mattress, it was 100 deg out and 85 at night so we opted to leave sleeping bags and coats behind, may I say, next time I will not worry quite so much about the weight.

We froze our a__es off one night. Morning,,,Standing around the single burner alcohol stove with a blanket,,, all we had....

One of the merino wool 1/2 zip shirts I got is a men's Terramar mock and I love it. Campmor sells them for $20 now. As for my clipless shoes I have a pair of Lakes and a pair of Addidas, both very compfy for casual walking but I did go on a two mile hike one day with my Addidas without too much trouble. That said slipping into my Keens at the end of the day was welcomed.

I just wear regular clothes and tennis shoes.During the wintertime I'll breakout the wool clothing if it's raining or cold.If it's hot out,I like to wear pajama bottoms.I don't wear shorts anymore because my legs look like someone beat them with a chain and it scares the women and children.

It is interesting that so many here report wearing some kind of shorts or pants other than regular bike shorts, while on tour I saw little but bike shorts. It is similar to what I observed regarding Brooks saddles. Lots of chatter here and almost none on the road when I have been touring.

Most of my touring experience has been on the TA and the rest of the time I didn't see many other tourists. On the TA we met lots of other riders, but I can only remember one in "regular" non lycra shorts. Similarly I don't specifically recall seeing any Brooks saddles, but may have seen one or two and forgotten.

So I guess my question is, are most of you who are not wearing lycra touring somewhere other than the US? Is the norm on routes like the TA different from that on other routes for some reason? Or is the representation here different from what I see on the road for some other reason?

I go L.A. to S.F. every year for the last 33 years.At least in California,I see alot of different bikes,clothing.I see K-mart bikes,carbon bikes,mountain bikes,real touring bikes and bikes I wouldn't ride to the local store.I see people riding in kits,t-shirts,jeans,pendletons,bikinis(my favorite)cut off pants,pajamas,hell,I even met a guy once from England that wore dress slacks,vest,button down shirts with a tie.

I've got a pair of Pearl Izumi X-Alp bike shoes with SPD cleats that have been comfortable so far on the bike, as well as off. The recessed cleats do grind on cement and pavement a little, but they're not bad in grass or on dirt. I need some more time on and off the bike before I can say they're a great shoe, but so far so good.

Most of my riding is in the San Juan Islands in WA and in BC Canada. I see a lot of bike specific clothing but also quite a bit of street and bike clothing mixes. My wife doesn't own a single piece of bike specific clothing and she probably rides more than I do. While touring, I almost always wear a button-up shirt and my wool Ibex bike shorts underneath my DIY knickers... a perfect setup for me.

As for saddles I see; I see the occasional Brooks saddle and once in a while I see a nice leather Selle An-Atomica but mostly I don't see the saddles because they are underneath the rider ;)

Around the islands, I see a lot of tandems and triple tandems and this summer I saw a few really cool quad tandems. I also see some cool and weird recumbents including this summer while in Sidney, BC a very cool aerodynamic back-to-back (Rug-an-Rug or Janus) with combing in between the riders.

Disclaimer: I live in the bike tour capitol of Washington State so see a lot of different setups from all over the world. Once a year my wife hosts around 500 bikers for the annual tri-island ride. While on our island they stay at the YMCA camp where both my wife and I work and live at.

BTW if anyone wants to visit us, have a great time, and help fight lung cancer, sign up and ride the Trek Tri-Island ride

A good stiff shoe should always be used when riding a bike...in just about any situation. A stiff shoe with the proper fit will not get hot spots. As for walking in them, I walked more then 6 miles of the first Colfax Marathon in Denver while assisting with the wheel chair runner (I had a particularly slow but very pleasant and enjoyable one:)). Later in the same year, I walked around 15 miles of a 30 mile mountain bike ride (for various reasons:rolleyes:) in the same shoes. While I wouldn't suggest walking that far in a set of carbon fiber soled shoes, it can be done with only minimal discomfort.

I do carry a set of sandals for camp wear...and showers...while on tour.

Same as Cyc. Wouldn't go on a tour without my clipless Sidi race shoes and Look pedals. But I also take my Crocs with me for relaxing while camping or "moteling". As of clothes, I always wear lycra bike shorts and jerseys : feel better and dry faster, so are easier to wash and dry in motel rooms.

I'm not an extremist about these things, but I've learned through experience that whatever works for many internet cyclists doesn't work for me, and if so, probably doesn't work for many other cyclists either. For example, I can ride in any clothes, and in any position on the bike for about 10 miles. Longer than that, give me the cycling shoes (any kind is better than none), and give me at least the cycling shorts, and by the way, give me a road bike position (though not an extreme one).

As for walking, there may be some combinations of shoes and cleats that aren't a problem, but don't ask me to do any real walking with any SPD type of setup. I like SPD or compatible because it's easy to walk when I have to get off the bike, but I sure won't walk for miles of sightseeing in them, I can guarantee you that. Just the cleat grating on concrete and paved surfaces for 30 seconds is enough to drive you nuts!

But the bottom line as far as clothing goes is that good cycling clothing in various styles exist, and they make cycling for long distances much more pleasant. Why would anyone make a virtue out of not wearing it? It's just silly, like not using proper skiing equipment to ski, or if you're a regular swimmer, swimming in your underwear, or like running wearing ordinary clothes. You can do it, but why bother? If you don't want to look like the proverbial Bike Forums "elite cyclist", then choose less extreme, looser-fitting touring or mountain bike cycle clothes.

This is me, too,

Izumi Ultrasensor shorts
North Face zipleg pants
Short sleeve Verge jersey
Merino wool cardigan from Target
Izumi wind shell with zip off sleeves
Merino socks
Izumi Vagabond II mtb shoes with Crank Brothers eggbeater pedals
Crocs off-bike, for shower, camp and midnight pee runs.
Cotton Tee shirt for offbike
Ibex wool knee warmers
Assos arm warmers (garage sale - $1.00 :) )

I was comfy on a tour that ranged from 28°F to 100°F.

I'm not surprised by your stats. Bike shorts are the defacto option for all North American cyclists. I didn't know anything else was possible for longer rides until a year or two ago. The other part of your observation about the # of people on this forum who don't wear bike shorts is simply because the folks here are not your average bike tourists. We spend a lot of time online reading and chatting about the subject so we are bound to develop different opinions than folks that just ride their bikes and do some tours.

I met three groups of bike tourists all headed from AK to South America this summer. 2 out of the three were riding brooks saddles and not wearing any cycling specific clothing. Of the people I have toured with 80% used normal street clothes for touring, 75% used leather saddles, 75% used flat pedals. The only thread I can find to connect these folks [in my limited data set] is that the ones that wear street clothes tend to use their bikes a lot at home for transportation. My guess is that this favours wearing street clothes and as you ride more and more in street clothes you start to realize you don't really need nor necessarily want to wear bike specific clothes for tours and eventually you just stop wearing bike clothes.

Of the folks I see on the road that are out for a short long weekend type tour the majority are wearing cycle specific clothing.

Either way as long as you are comfortable and happy it really doesn't matter what you wear.

That is a totally personal conclusion. I've cycled hundreds of KMs in very soft water shoes on platform pedals. My friends have done the same in Chaco sandals and runners. Some people need stiff shoes and others don't have the need for them.

Many people tour happily with the older Shimano SPD sandals which are not very stiff without any issues.

Interesting observations, thanks.

I suspect that you are on target with most of your comments. The only part I don't really get is the characterization of folks on this forum. We are a very diverse group. Some have toured extensively and widely. Some have toured a little. Some want to tour but haven't yet. A few are even gear heads who I suspect really aren't all that interested in actual touring but like touring bikes. Given that huge diversity I really don't understand how the forum should be predisposed in any particular direction, yet it seems to be.

As you say what really matters is that what you choose works for you.