If you plan on making your first few miles on a road bike or mountain bike, you’re going to need more than just a good bike. In fact, proper cycling clothing will seriously enhance your comfort. Not to mention the most essential part of your cycling outfit: the cycling helmet! Stefanie gladly tells you more on the use and necessity of various types of cycling clothing for novice cyclists.

Riding your Bike while wearing a Cycling helmet has become all but commonplace these days. The fact that proper bibshorts and comfortable cycling gloves can also seriously improve your enjoyment of the bike is something most novice riders overlook.

Still, these seemingly small items can have a big effect on your cycling fun. So what do you look out for when you’re getting your first cycling kit, and just what do you need? How do you know something’s any good? We run you through it all from top to bottom.

Cycling helmet as the cornerstone of your safety

A good cycling helmet has become a standard item in any cycling kit. Fortunately helmet manufacturers came to the same conclusion and have since started producing helmets that go with any cycling outfit.

So what to look out for when you’re shopping for a cycling helmet? Firstly, you need to determine where your riding will take place. Different disciplines require different helmets. There are specific road bike helmets, mountain bike helmets, downhill helmets, or even helmets for high speed e-bikes.

Every type of cycling helmet is safe, and you can use the various different helmets in other disciplines without worry. So if you practice several different types of cycling, there’s no need to get yourself several different helmets to go with it. The only exception might be the full face helmet, because riding your road bike or city bike with that…

Cycling helmet for any budget

As soon as you’ve determined which cycling disciplines you’re going to take up, your search can begin in earnest. You often start with a budget in mind and search accordingly. The more expensive a helmet becomes, the lighter and better ventilated it often is.

More expensive helmets can sometimes offer a modicum of extra protection. That’s not to say that inexpensive cycling helmets don’t offer adequate protection though. All of our helmets are certified to meet the European safety standard for cycling helmets, making them all perfectly safe. Generally speaking, it’s a matter of taste as to what look of helmet you prefer.

It’s paramount that a cycling helmet fits you right. Picking the right size is achieved by measuring the circumference of your head. The number of centimetres measured is the number used to determine your helmet size. We’ve listed the size in centimetres under every helmet for the various available sizes. This way you make sure that your new cycling helmet actually fits.

You can be aware of the helmet sitting on your head, but it shouldn’t be too tight or you’ll end every ride with a headache! If your helmet is a little too loose then that’s no good either. Besides your helmet moving around being annoying, it’s also not very safe. Should you need its protection in the event of a crash, chances are it shifts on your head and won’t be able to protect you anymore.

A simple trick is to properly secure your helmet using the retention system (provided your helmet has one) and bending over forward. The helmet should just stay on your head. If it falls off at once, it’s too loose.

Cycling glasses to protect from wind, rain, sun, and bugs

Cycling glasses are a must. Proper cycling glasses don’t just protect your eyes from the sun, they do so much more. They prevent bugs from flying into your eyes, keep the wind out of your eyes as well as any dirt. This way, you’ll always have a perfect view of the road ahead.

Cycling glasses come in all shapes and sizes, and the prices follow accordingly. There’s a price gap of around 200 pounds between the cheapest and most expensive glasses. Are the expensive ones really that much better? Yes, but that doesn’t mean that inexpensive cycling glasses won’t be good enough for you.

Lenses make the cycling glasses

The lenses are what make most glasses particularly expensive. They come in all colours and shapes. Something which is quickly gaining in popularity are photochromic lenses.

These lenses change colour with the prevailing weather conditions. Is the sun out? Then the lens becomes darker. If some clouds drift by, the lenses will become a little clearer. This means you’ll only need one set of lenses which you can use throughout the year. This technology is difficult to produce, making the glasses more expensive.

Swapping lenses

Something you see with many glasses is that they come with multiple lenses. Dark lenses for sunny conditions, yellow lenses for overcast weather, and clear lenses you can use in poor weather. Ideal if you don’t want to break the bank, but don’t just ride in the sunshine either.

What frame or model cycling glasses suit you best partly depends on the shape of your head. Not all cycling glasses look good on everyone. Most glasses can be adjusted slightly by bending the nose piece, keeping it rooted in place. It’s a matter of trial and error to find which work best for you.

Finally, make sure your new cycling glasses are firmly planted on your face so they don’t come flying off on the first bump in the road.

Cycling jerseys and base layers

You get hot as you ride your bike, even when it’s cold outside. In order to get rid of this heat, your body starts to sweat. This sweat has to go somewhere too though. Wearing a cotton shirt as you ride your bike is far from ideal. In fact, your shirt will soon be soaking wet and takes forever to dry up again.

The result is that your jersey starts feeling cold to your skin. As it’s directly on your skin, you’ll soon cool down and the riding wind will just make you feel colder and less comfortable.

Base layers keep you warm and cool!

You can keep the cold at bay by wearing a proper cycling jersey and a base layer. A base layer ensures your sweat doesn’t stay right on your skin, but is moved away to the outer layer of your base layer. This is where your sweat can evaporate without cooling you down.

A base layer is worn on both warm and cool days. It serves as an extra insulative layer on cold days and ensures sweat is still moved away from your skin, preventing you from getting cold.

On warm days, it keeps you cool. By quickly moving sweat away from your skin, a base layer will cool you down. It helps you maintain an even temperature and prevents the wind from cutting through and cooling you down.

Cycling jerseys have a function

You’ll have to wear a breathable cycling jersey or cycling jacket over your base layer. A cycling jersey is designed to be worn on the bike. There are a number of key differences between a cycling jersey and a regular sports shirt.

A cycling jersey has a different fit to other shirts which you’ll need when you get in a cycling position. It also has a zipper which you can use to keep yourself cool while you’re on the bike. The large rear pockets are perfect to bring sports nutrition, a cycling jacket, or a rain jacket.

Cycling jerseys with various fits

Take the fit of your jersey or base layer into consideration when you’re shopping for one. A base layer needs to hug your skin in order to function the way it was intended. Your cycling jersey needs to have the right fit too. There are a number of fits to choose from: aero fit, regular fit, and comfort fit.

The aero- and regular fit are most common on road bikes. The comfort fit is found more on mountain bikes. Also take a look at the design of the rear pockets, as some jerseys are fitted with a zippered pocket to store your valuables in such as a phone, keys, jewelry, etc.

Wind jackets and rain jackets against the cold

Something else which should really be part of your cycling wardrobe is a wind jacket or rain jacket. A wind jacket is ideal for when it’s windy outside, conditions are changeable, or for when you get caught in an unexpected light shower. Wind jackets are capable of dealing with a little rain too.

A wind jacket can be folded into a really small package and is easily stowed in the rear pockets of your cycling jersey. This also makes a wind jacket ideal for keeping warm on those early rides. Once your body is up to temperature or if the sun comes out, you simply stuff it in your jersey pocket.

Make sure you don’t buy a wind jacket which is too big. A jacket blustering around your body isn’t very comfortable. Is there a good chance of some serious rain? Then you’ll need a rain jacket with taped seams.

Properly padded bibshorts

A bibshort with padding is as important as getting the right saddle. A cycling short, or bibshort, is an important part of your cycling outfit. There are different cycling shorts for men and women.

This is down to the shape of the padding. Men and women have different pelvic shapes, which the padding is designed to compensate for. A woman’s pelvic shape is wider than a man’s. This is why women’s bibshort padding is wider at the back than men’s padding, simply because women’s seat bones are spaced further apart.

There are differences in padding density as well. How thick you prefer your padding is a matter of personal taste and how hard your saddle is. Do you own a very soft saddle? Thinner padding might be best for you. Have a hard saddle? Then thicker, denser padding is often the way to go.

So why that difference in padding density? If your saddle is soft and your padding thick, the effect of the soft saddle is slightly reduced by the pad. This actually increases your chances of feeling pain in your seatbones.

The combination of a hard saddle with thick padding works better. You’ll sink into the padding but the saddle prevents you from sagging down too far. A hard saddle with thinly padded bibshorts can also work, but that’s a matter of personal preference. Experiment with various types of padding to find out what you prefer.

Cycling shoes complete your outfit

What cycling shoes you should get depends in part on what pedals you have. Do you have road bike or mountain bike pedals? And if you have mountain bike pedals, are they SPD pedals or flat pedals? So before setting out on getting some cycling shoes, first check what type of pedal you own. As soon as you know, you can start your search for the right cycling Shoe.

Road bike shoes have 3 holes placed in a triangular shape under the sole. These can be fitted with SPD-SL cleats. Do you own mountain bike pedals? Then you’ve got 2 holes placed side by side, called a regular SPD pedal. Flat pedals don’t require cleats, and you’ve got a choice of shoes from our Five Ten collection.

The sole makes the shoe

When you’re shopping for cycling shoes, it’s good to know that the sole of the shoe matters to the way your bike feels. The basic models have a sole which is predominantly made of nylon. The more expensive a shoe is, the more carbon is used in the soles. The top end shoes even have full-carbon soles.

The use of carbon in the sole makes a shoe a lot lighter, but more importantly a lot stiffer as well. This means the sole won’t flex when you really put down your power. A real advantage for the true powerhouses amongst us. It does come with its drawbacks though.

You’ll be less comfortable, something a novice rider will certainly have to get used to. So if you’ve not been cycling that long yet, you might want to look for a cycling shoe which has a mixed sole of nylon and carbon. This gives you the best of both worlds.

If you slip on your cycling shoes, they should feel comfortable right from the start. A pressure point in the shoe means you really shouldn’t get them. If you feel it now, it certainly won’t get better once you’re out riding.

The right size cycling shoe

It’s important to pick the right width and length of cycling shoe, making sure you can ride your bike comfortably. You should have a little free space around the toes when you wear the shoe, between roughly 0.5 and 1 centimetre. What works best for you is a matter of personal choice, but I’d recommend against going lower or higher than the previously mentioned range.

A good test is to put the shoes on and stand on your toes. Is one of your toes touching the front, then the shoes are just a tad too small. Do you slip out or slide deeper into the shoes? Then they’re too large for you. The width is more of a personal preference and should feel comfortable for you.

So not too roomy and not too tight. Once you start cycling your feet will expand a little because they heat up. A shoe which starts off feeling tight won’t be comfortable once that starts to happen. In order to get you going along the right track, you could use our shoe size guide. This significantly increases your chances of picking the right size the first time.

Cycling clothing for beginners: your outfit is complete!

Your cycling outfit should now be complete. Are you unsure about something or would you want some more personal advice? Feel free to contact our customer service, who are happy to help you with any questions you have.

Het bericht Cycling Clothing for Beginners – What do You need for Your First few Rides? verscheen eerst op Mantel.