Welcome to bicycling for beginners
As an absolute beginner to cycling you may not be too concerned or interested in cycling clothing. Initially any clothing that is comfortable will be adequate although sports clothing is obviously best. In good weather and for short bicycle rides a t-shirt, shorts/skirt and trainer/sneaker combination is not a bad choice. When it comes to longer bicycle rides, competition or cycling events (including charity rides) wearing the right clothing becomes more important. This is because during any endurance ride or exercise the body builds up a lot of heat. In very hot weather condition failure to dissipate this heat could (under certain conditions) lead to heat stroke or hyperthermia. Specialized sports clothing allows for this heat to be dissipated during the sporting activity. This will become more important as you become more proficient or competitive at your chosen cycling discipline. Even if you are just cycling to keep in shape or to lose weight wearing the correct clothing will make cycling more comfortable. Cycling is such a popular activity and cycle clothing is huge industry with an incredible range of products to suit all shapes, ages and denominations. It is not all garishly coloured Lycra!
So we have established that specialized cycle clothing is primarily designed to maintain a safe body temperature. This makes cycling more comfortable and therefore the rider is more proficient. So wearing the right gear will help you cycle for longer periods with less risk of getting sore or suffering from fatigue induced injuries.
A keen cyclist should consider buying the bare essentials including following items of cycling clothing:-
- Base Layer - a very important item of clothing because it wicks (takes away) sweat from the body and vents it through your outer layers of clothing i.e. a jersey or your rainwear. This will prevent you getting a chill (or hypothermia) in cold weather conditions. A base layer will also keep you dry and comfortable in hot weather conditions. Base layers can be expensive but they are well worth the money. In addition you can wear them in winter under your normal clothes and you will not feel the cold.
- Cycling shorts and/or Cycling Trousers - no explanations required really, shorts are obviously the way to go in warm weather and trousers/base layer (and tights - yep, some men wear tights too) combinations for cold weather cycling.
- Cycling Rainwear/waterproof jacket and trousers - it is important to keep dry when taking part in cycling or sports events because the body can get very cold quickly. If you can keep dry you can keep warm and therefore energy is not wasted generating additional warmth. If the human body's core temperature drops too low hypothermia can set in
Once established as a regular cyclist and with more of an idea of which style of sport you prefer to take part in, it will become clearer which cycle clothing you need to add. There is an incredible array of sports and cycle clothing available for this popular and diverse sport. A lot of the clothing and accessories can be used for more than one type of cycling as they are not specific to any strict style of riding. A waterproof jacket for example will keep you dry (not always guaranteed) no matter if you are riding a BMX, a mountain bike or taking part in road race. Cycling clothes and accessories are marketed and aimed at specific areas of sport but as a consumer it is possible to mix and match to suit your specific requirements. If you find that you are now cycling on a regular basis and in all weather conditions (we don't all live in California) consider adding the following cycling clothing and accessories.
- Cycling Gloves or Mitts - provide hand protection and additional handlebar grip in all weather conditions (particularly important in many cycling sports including mountain biking and BMX riding)
- Gilets and Vests - these provide more options for dressing for the conditions when you need lightweight cycling gear can be combined with base layers and jerseys for additional body cover. The advantage being that the arms are not restricted by additional layers of material.
- Tights - as mentioned above tights can be worn by men and women and they provide an additional layer of insulation.
- Arm and leg warmers - these are lightweight additional layers for the arms and legs (obviously). The advantage being that they can be easily carried during an event and use if and when required.
- Overshoes - as the name suggest these are usually waterproof and can be fitted over the shoes to keep them protected (clean and dry)
- Cycling shoes - Most modern road bicycle shoes are designed to correspond with "clipless" pedals. These means that the shoes have a cleat (usually a plastic fixing) on the sole of the shoe. This can be clipped onto the pedal (you may need to buy a set of clipless pedals if your bicycle doesn't already have them. Shoes are marketed to cater for the specific tolerances of their specific sport. This is an area where you need to buy the correct shoes for the right sport. Cycling shoes are designed to keep your feet on the pedals improving the amount of energy throughout each complete revolution of the pedals.
- Eyewear - In some sports (and even on some roads) you may find it worthwhile to protect your eyes. It is easy to be struck in the eye by windborne debris, insects or stones flicked up by other vehicles. If you want to protect your eyes there is a wide range of specialized glasses, visors and goggles to chose from often with sun/glare protection incorporated.
- Headwear - if you decide that a safety helmet is not for you can find a wide range of alternative headwear to wear instead.
If this is not enough to tax your cycling budget the list of accessories is almost endless. Many of the strange and unusual products on offer are surplus to requirements. However, for extreme cycling sports like BMX, Downhill and Freeride it is worth getting kitted out in protective body armour and pads. In addition for the more robust activities it is recommended that you investigate the correct safety gear for each individual sport.
Happy cycling...the most important thing of all is that you are wearing a smile and not a grimace! Please read my next post on the subject of Bicycle Shoes and Clipless Pedals
Jimmy Riddle
