Dress for Cycling

When bicycling, you are outside in the elements, weather and outer conditions. The motion and movements you make will determine the extra added environments based on the clothing you wear. This guide is a top to bottom recommendation of how you should properly dress for cycling.

Steps

  1. Always wear a helmet. Even if you are just riding around the block, a fall could badly injure your brain. Skip out on going to Walmart and go to a local bike shop instead to buy a stronger helmet - your brain deserves the best protection there is.
    • If it is cold, get either a head cover for under your helmet or a helmet cover (sometimes even both) to help protect your head from the cold. The more heat you have on your head, the warmer you will be.
  2. Wear safety and/or sunglasses while riding. This will not only protect your eyes from UV rays from the sun, but it will help to prevent dust and bugs from getting into your eyes as well. Make sure you look for bicycle-specific sunglasses with strong UV protection.
  3. Invest in a bicycle jersey! A brightly colored one will make you more visible to drivers. The material of bicycle jerseys also helps to air your body out, wick sweat away, and keep your cool during your ride. In the winter or cold riding months, you can get a winter jersey, arm warmers, or even a cycling jacket, but you want to make sure they all allow your body to air out.
  4. Wear bike shorts, especially for longer rides. Compression bike shorts are best because they do help your blood flow and they make you more aerodynamic. You may want to spend more money on proper 8-panel bike shorts with great pads (sometimes known as chamois). The pad will protect your sensitive parts from chafing. Again, brighter colored bike shorts can make you more visible on the road. In the cold months, you can wear cycling tights or unpadded tights over your bike shorts as well as leg warmers.
    • If you don't like tight clothing, there are also baggy shorts/pants options.
  5. Get some cycling socks. They will help wick sweat from your feet and keep your feet aired out. "No show" athletic socks tend to work well.
  6. Wear bike-specific shoes. These allow you to clip your feet into your bike and can help you perform better.
    • For safety reasons, you should practice clipping in and out before starting your ride.
  7. Wear cycling gloves (full gloves in winter). They help keep your hands and fingers from going numb and they make the ride more comfortable.
  8. Wear cycling face masks (usually compression materials) during the cold months to help keep your face warmer and protect you from the elements.



Tips

  • The more bright colors you wear, the better you will be noticed by drivers and the safer you will be on the road.
  • After your ride, change clothes and wash them for anti-bacterial purposes.
  • Always watch the weather before a ride so you know how to dress properly.

Warnings

  • Wearing loose clothing could result in clothing getting caught in bike components and causing a wreck.
  • Buying cheaper clothing and gear could result in a bad experience.
  • Wearing clothing that doesn't allow you to stretch could result in a bad experience.

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