How to Dress for Cycling

Wondering how to dress for cycling? Remember to keep three things in mind: comfort, safety and performance. If you’ve got these covered, you should be good to go. There is nothing worse than being halfway through a long ride and realizing you’ve chosen the wrong gear, and that you’re a long way from home. Read on to find out more about how to dress for cycling and why it will help.

1. Helmet and Sunglasses The most important part of how to dress for cycling is to wear a helmet. It’s easy enough to put on. They don’t look quite as bad as they did a decade ago, and they have plenty of vents to keep your head cool. Best of all, in the event of an accident, you’ve got a much better chance of riding again tomorrow if you’re wearing a helmet than if you’re not.  Sunglasses are also a good addition to keep sun, dust, wind and bugs out of your eyes.

2. Jerseys The next step to dress for cycling is to pick a good shirt or jersey. Do yourself a favor and avoid cotton, as it will just get soaked with sweat and become uncomfortable. Jerseys today are made from high performance materials to help keep you cool. Consider choosing one that has a half-zip on the front and a couple of pockets in the back. The half-zip will give you the freedom to let get more airflow on your skin to cool off more. Keys, snacks and an ID can be within easy reach but out of the way in the pockets. To dress for cycling in cool weather, some people like to get arm warmers, while others prefer wearing a long sleeved, warmer jersey with a zip. The bright and flashy colors might not be your favorite, but they make you much more visible to drivers, which is comforting knowledge.

3. Shorts Do not overlook shorts when you dress for cycling. Shorts are a critical part for comfortable padding and to help prevent chafing. While not much of a factor on short rides, long rides can feel very long without a good pair of shorts. Further, if you’re going to be riding for several consecutive days, soreness can really add up if you’re not prepared. If you do not like the look of the tight Lycra shorts, you can buy baggy shorts that have the same padding and protection.

4. Gloves and Shoes Be sure to remember your extremities when you dress for cycling. Get a good pair of cycling gloves and consider cycling shoes. Cycling gloves will protect the palms of your hands from getting torn up if you fall. Further, they cushion a lot of the shock your hands receive over the course of a ride. Some people like to use cycling shoes for a couple of reasons. There are no laces, which means they are easy to adjust and there is no danger of a lace coming untied during a ride. Also, the shoes clip in to the pedals, the biggest benefit being that power is put into the pedal and crank on the upstroke as well as the down stroke. However, these are not critical and some people do just fine without.

Now that you know how to dress for cycling, it’s time to get out and ride!