Clothing recommendations (beginner)



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Martin Roberts

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I'm very much a casual/leisure cyclist but I'm thinking that I should get some cycling-specific
clothing. I'm not a racer (yet) so I think I'll look silly in brightly coloured lycra. Instead I go
to the shops and make relatively leisurely trips eg for exercise. I'm thinking, therefore:
- baggy shorts
- summer-weight top
- light jacket for rain, pref bright colour for visibility
- a warmer top for autumn/spring

What brands/products should I be looking at? I've seen stuff in the cycling comics but what do
people *actually* wear?

tia,

Martin

mob at freenet dotcodotuk
 
On Thu, 05 Jun 2003 22:04:29 +0100, Martin Roberts wrote:

> I'm very much a casual/leisure cyclist but I'm thinking that I should get some cycling-specific
> clothing. I'm not a racer (yet) so I think I'll look silly in brightly coloured lycra. Instead I
> go to the shops and make relatively leisurely trips eg for exercise. I'm thinking, therefore:
> - baggy shorts

Rohan are good, long lasting, but expensive. <Fx: takes shorts off & examines label> "OutdoorScene"
seem to be OK and a lot cheaper. Longevity not yet established.

> - summer-weight top

Rohan.

> - light jacket for rain, pref bright colour for visibility

From CTC at Mildenhall Rally.

> - a warmer top for autumn/spring

Various sweatshirts with either waterproof or windproof coverings as appropriate.

Money saved on fashion can be ploughed into bits for the bike (or drink of course....)

Mike
 
"Martin Roberts" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I'm very much a casual/leisure cyclist but I'm thinking that I should get some cycling-specific
> clothing. I'm not a racer (yet) so I think I'll look silly in brightly coloured lycra. Instead I
> go to the shops and make relatively leisurely trips eg for exercise. I'm thinking, therefore:
> - baggy shorts
> - summer-weight top
> - light jacket for rain, pref bright colour for visibility

Altura (Nevis?) for rain. I've used one for two winters and been well pleased. They retail at £50 -
full price. Other models are available, pockets etc.

John
 
"Mike Causer" <[email protected]> wrote: ( Rohan are good, long lasting, but expensive.
<Fx: takes shorts off & ) examines label> "OutdoorScene" seem to be OK and a lot cheaper. (
Longevity not yet established. ) ... ( ) Mike

Are you just going to sit there without you shorts?
 
Mike Causer wrote:
>
><snip>
>
> > - light jacket for rain, pref bright colour for visibility
>
> From CTC at Mildenhall Rally.
>
>

When is this event? It's not far from where I live!

Thanks for the info.

Martin

--
mob at freenet dotcodotuk
 
Mike Causer wrote:
>
><snip>
>
> > - light jacket for rain, pref bright colour for visibility
>
> From CTC at Mildenhall Rally.
>
>

When is this event? It's not far from where I live!

Thanks for the info.

Martin

--
mob at freenet dotcodotuk
 
On Thu, 05 Jun 2003 21:22:51 +0000, Geraint Jones wrote:

> "Mike Causer" <[email protected]> wrote: ( Rohan are good, long lasting, but expensive.
> <Fx: takes shorts off & ) examines label> "OutdoorScene" seem to be OK and a lot cheaper. (
> Longevity not yet established.

> Are you just going to sit there without you shorts?

Nope, I'm still holding them. Any intruders will have to take their chance on whether there was
anything underneath.

JPEGs Just say no.

Mike
 
On Thu, 05 Jun 2003 22:35:56 +0100, Martin Roberts wrote:

>> From CTC at Mildenhall Rally.

> When is this event? It's not far from where I live!

August Bank Hol weekend. I'm lead to believe that it's the second largest bike rally in the UK
after York.

My general plan is to take a Moulton on Sunday and transfer to the Dark Side on the Monday.

Mike
 
Martin Roberts wrote:
> I'm very much a casual/leisure cyclist but I'm thinking that I should get some cycling-specific
> clothing. I'm not a racer (yet) so I think I'll look silly in brightly coloured lycra. Instead I
> go to the shops and make relatively leisurely trips eg for exercise. I'm thinking, therefore:
> - baggy shorts
> - summer-weight top
> - light jacket for rain, pref bright colour for visibility
> - a warmer top for autumn/spring
>
> What brands/products should I be looking at? I've seen stuff in the cycling comics but what do
> people *actually* wear?

I take pains to avoid cotton, especially in the groinal regions, as it can get very unpleasant when
mixed with sweat. So its padded cycling shorts under baggy shorts. The cycling shorts I got in
France, so I've no idea what brand they are, but they were cheap and they are good. The shorts are
cheap polyester ones so they dry quickly. If I need to look normal when I arrive in the summer, I
stick a pair of lightweight trousers in the bar bag to change into when I get there. I did also pick
up a pair of "cycling briefs" in Halfords sale recently, but I can't recommend them, due to the
cotton problem I mentioned earlier (no wonder they are getting shot of these). But I do recommend
cycling shorts for any journey of any significant duration. Get some which wash easily and dry fast.

My summer weight top is also my winter weight top - a plain dark blue Pearl Izumi microfible
polyester cycling jersey I picked up half price in a sale. Even though its the same design as
a "lycra lout" jersey, the plain dark colour means it just looks like a polo neck shirt to
most people.

In the same sale, I got a Pearl Izumi Zephyr lightweight jacket in dark blue, light blue and white,
with plenty of reflecting stuff on the back and arms. Packs into its own pocket when not in use. I
use or carry it all year round. I'm not convinved the Pearl Izumi stuff is worth the list price, but
it does work for me. The standard thing I have been recommended to use for this is the Karrimor
Vail, but this doesn't have the reflective stuff, although I have seen it half price at a certain
internet bike shop recently.

For winter riding, I've got some nylon overtrousers - the ones with an internal mesh, so they don't
get too sticky. Also, to keep the upper half warm, I grab whichever fleece comes to hand as I'm
leaving the house.

Don't forget gloves, glasses and sunscreen.

In general, this lot allows me to turn up at any pub in London looking reasonably normal, and not
too dishevelled, sweaty or uncomfortable, at any time of year, having beaten all the other forms of
transport available to regular mortals.

For really short journeys like 2 miles to the local supermarket, I don't go for specialist clothing,
or a specialist bike for that matter - I go for the Shopping Bike (soon to have gears, too, thanks
to Bob Fleming)!.

Jim Price
 
On Thu, 05 Jun 2003 22:04:29 +0100, Martin Roberts wrote:

> I'm very much a casual/leisure cyclist but I'm thinking that I should get some cycling-specific
> clothing. I'm not a racer (yet) so I think

The best bargain I got recently was from Aldi. A loose fitting polo shirt, which was being sold as a
golfing top. Made of Coolmax fabric, black, for a fiver!

Another top which I like is a Craghoppers brnad one, which you can get from a walking/mountaineering
shop. As everyone else will advise - get a top with a wicking fabric, not cotton. Someone else
recently recommended Adidas Drifit(?) to me - so just visit a sports shop or a mountaineering shop.

As for shorts, I got a pair mail order from Parrot. They're called singletrack, black and baggy, and
I think look quite good. I wear these with shorts liners I got from Tchibo.

So good advice is to follow this group - and head for your local Aldis. Lidl or Tchibo when the
cycling stuff is in.
 
In message <[email protected]>, Martin Roberts
<[email protected]> writes
>I'm very much a casual/leisure cyclist but I'm thinking that I should get some cycling-specific
>clothing. I'm not a racer (yet) so I think I'll look silly in brightly coloured lycra. Instead I go
>to the shops and make relatively leisurely trips eg for exercise. I'm thinking, therefore:
>- baggy shorts
>- summer-weight top
>- light jacket for rain, pref bright colour for visibility
>- a warmer top for autumn/spring
>
>What brands/products should I be looking at? I've seen stuff in the cycling comics but what do
>people *actually* wear?
>

Lidl/Aldi have regular offers of good cycling wear at decent prices. The tops are usually in a range
of colours from muted to loud. Running T-shirts (non-cotton) are also an option. My light
jacket is a Lusso Aquacape which isn't the most sophisticated piece of kit but folds up

cooler periods layering is the answer and I wear long sleeve running tops and thin fleeces (M&S had
ideal golfing fleeces on sale at Christmas) topped out with a Ronhill running jacket and reflective
bib. Running tights go on the legs. If the weather was going to be really bad I'd consider wearing
my lightweight Goretex walking jacket (which I also use skiing).

Baggy shorts tend to be favoured by mountain bikers.

My general method is to mix and match any of the technical clothing I have depending on the
conditions. I hardly ever wear anything with cotton in it.
--
Michael MacClancy
 
"Martin Roberts" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I'm very much a casual/leisure cyclist but I'm thinking that I should get some cycling-specific
> clothing. I'm not a racer (yet) so I think I'll look silly in brightly coloured lycra. Instead I
> go to the shops and make relatively leisurely trips eg for exercise. I'm thinking, therefore:
> - baggy shorts
> - summer-weight top
> - light jacket for rain, pref bright colour for visibility
> - a warmer top for autumn/spring
>
> What brands/products should I be looking at? I've seen stuff in the cycling comics but what do
> people *actually* wear?
>

I always wear (this time of year) ...

Lycra shorts under baggy shorts. The padding is essential, and the lycra stops chaffing. A t-shirt
.. Fingerless cycle gloves. A large grin.
 
John Hearns wrote:
>
<snip>

> They're called singletrack, black and baggy, and I think look quite good. I wear these with shorts
> liners I got from Tchibo.

Are shorts liners padded for use with non-padded shorts?

Martin
--
mob at freenet dotcodotuk
 
In article <[email protected]>, Martin Roberts
<[email protected]> writes
>I'm very much a casual/leisure cyclist but I'm thinking that I should get some cycling-specific
>clothing. I'm not a racer (yet) so I think I'll look silly in brightly coloured lycra. Instead I go
>to the shops and make relatively leisurely trips eg for exercise. I'm thinking, therefore:
>- baggy shorts
>- summer-weight top
>- light jacket for rain, pref bright colour for visibility
>- a warmer top for autumn/spring
>
>What brands/products should I be looking at? I've seen stuff in the cycling comics but what do
>people *actually* wear?

On my Brompton I tend to wear ordinary leisure clothes - polo shirt and carpenter style baggy shorts
both from Nautica, Gold Toe shortie white socks and Simple suede sneakers. Oh, and Endura padded
underwear.

If I'm on the FW Evans, it's usually a De Marchi t-shirt and Gore bikewear shorts, short white socks
and SPD boots. And the padded underwear as above.

If it's coolish I also have a Pearl Izumi light fleece top - good for autumn and spring.

On very cold days over the usual bikewear I put on fleece pants from Zoic, sadly no longer in
production, a windcheater from Gore bikewear, and a fleece beanie from M&S. And M&S fleece gloves
over my fingerless mitts.

In summer I carry an old Caldo Goretex jacket in case it rains - it rolls up very small.

For cold wet days in winter and spring I have another Goretex jacket and pants both from Mountain
Equipment Co-op (in Canada, but can be mail ordered from http://www.mec.ca).

So - no lycra at all.

--
congokid Eating out in London? Read my tips... http://congokid.com
 
In article <[email protected]>, Jim Price <[email protected]> writes

>for this is the Karrimor Vail, but this doesn't have the reflective stuff, although I have seen it
>half price at a certain internet bike shop recently.

None of the stuff I see available in London has enough reflective material for my liking, so when I
saw what was on offer at Mountain Equipment Co-op during a visit to Vancouver some years back I
snapped it up (http://www.mec.ca).

--
congokid Eating out in London? Read my tips... http://congokid.com
 
In article <[email protected]>, Martin Roberts
<[email protected]> writes

>> They're called singletrack, black and baggy, and I think look quite good. I wear these with
>> shorts liners I got from Tchibo.
>
>Are shorts liners padded for use with non-padded shorts?

My Endura ones are. There's not a lot of padding, though, but they wash and dry much easier than
padded lycra shorts.

--
congokid Eating out in London? Read my tips... http://congokid.com
 
congokid wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, Jim Price <[email protected]> writes

> None of the stuff I see available in London has enough reflective material for my liking, so when
> I saw what was on offer at Mountain Equipment Co-op during a visit to Vancouver some years back I
> snapped it up (http://www.mec.ca).

I just had a look there, and although you don't get a picture of the back of the jackets, I didn't
get the impression there was any more reflective material on them than on my jacket, to be honest.
There's a picture of mine (again only from the front) here:

http://www.roadcycling.com/reviews/pearlizumiprismjacket.shtml

Looks like I got the name wrong - its called a Prism, and its made from a fabric called zephyr.

Jim Price
 
Jim Price wrote:
> congokid wrote:
>> In article <[email protected]>, Jim Price <[email protected]> writes
>
>> None of the stuff I see available in London has enough reflective material for my liking, so when
>> I saw what was on offer at Mountain Equipment Co-op during a visit to Vancouver some years back I
>> snapped it up (http://www.mec.ca).
>
> I just had a look there, and although you don't get a picture of the back of the jackets, I didn't
> get the impression there was any more reflective material on them than on my jacket, to be honest.
> There's a picture of mine (again only from the front) here:

Nor are the prices anythng to get excited about - almost retail over here.
 
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