The Best Cycling Clothes

The Best Cycling Clothes
Photo Credit man bicycling on beach image by Lijuan Guo from Fotolia.com

What To Look For

The best cycling clothes provide you with comfort, compact storage and a measure of safety. Cycling clothes can vary depending on what kind of cycling you do, but the best cycling clothes tend to have similar features. When looking for the best cycling clothes, look for fabrics that breathe well and effectively wick away sweat, shorts that have an adequate chamois pad to keep you comfortable in the saddle, and features that are specific to the way you ride. For example, if you're a downhill cyclist, you might want baggier shorts with a more durable fabric, while a road cyclist might want an aerodynamic lycra/spandex short.

Common Pitfalls

A lot of clothes are marketed as athletic clothing but fail to provide a cyclist's most basic needs like ventilation and the ability to wick moisture. Look for fabrics like merino wool and polyester blends, which are known for their moisture management properties. Avoid cotton clothing unless it's been treated with a moisture management agent, like PolarMax's TransDRY sportswear.

Where To Buy

You can buy cycling clothes in sporting goods like REI and Dick's Sporting Goods, as well as in specialty bike stores. You also can shop online, searching by price, by specific item, by brand or by user review rating. You can look in online specialty shops as well as general online retailers like Amazon.

Cost

The cost of cycling clothes varies widely, since the category is such a broad one. Cycling socks can cost as little as $5, while cycling jerseys can cost $300 or more. Websites tend to offer gear at discounted rates, so be sure to look around online before buying an article of clothing.

References

Article reviewed by Alison Gaynor Last updated on: Dec 7, 2010

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