When you’ve your bike you’ve got to decide what to wear to go cycling. It’s important to have the right cycle clothing to ensure that you’re comfortable and protected as much as possible.
Different types of cycling require different clothing but generally mountain bikers go for a more relaxed look than road cyclists, such as baggy shorts rather than lycra, tight shorts. Specialist mountain bike shorts look like ordinary shorts but they’ve got a padded lining to keep your comfortable when riding.
To go with your shorts you’ll need a base layer and then another layer and maybe a jacket, depending on the weather. Make sure your movement isn’t restricted at all by your clothes as body movement is more important than aerodynamics, unlike in road biking. Nowadays there are lots of brands making technical but stylish mountain bike clothing.
It’s also advisable to wear something waterproof as you’re likely to get wet even if it’s not raining, and you’ll definitely get muddy as you won’t be riding around puddles and mud but straight through them. It’s a good idea to carry a lightweight extra layer to keep warm when you stop as well.
One essential bit of kit to make sure you wear at all times, regardless of the weather, is a pair gloves to protect your hands from scratches from bushes as you speed past them. Falls are also an occurrence to be prepared for as they will happen, but if you’re wearing gloves and the right kit you’ll be protected from grazes and minor injuries.
Glasses are of paramount importance to protect your eyes, as grit, mud, stones and all sorts of flotsam fly up from your wheels. Glasses are also useful for shading from the sun or to protect your eyes from rain. Helmets are equally as important, to protect against head injuries caused by falls but also, more commonly, by low-hanging branches.
Lastly but not least, it’s important to think about what to wear on your feet. Most experienced mountain bike riders use a type of pedal where a cleat on their shoe attaches to the pedal to secure the foot in place, so they wear special mountain bike shoes. They can be easily released with a sharp outward movement of the ankle or a sudden movement such as a fall but they enable you to handle your bike with much more control as you can steer with your feet and body. They also enable you to perform jumps and over rough terrain your feet don’t slip off the pedals.
If you’re not comfortable with this style of pedal you can use flat pedals with jagged edges to provide grip for your shoe. To begin with wear a pair of trainers with grip, before you go out and buy some specialist mountain bike shoes but bear in mind that as you progress you’ll recognize the benefits of a good pair of cycling shoes. Generally the more expensive the shoe the lighter they are, and the more secure.
You can also get overshoes, which fit over your cycling shoes if you want to ride in poor weather conditions but keep you feet dry and keep your shoes in good condition.
If you’ve been riding for a while and you’re into more adrenalin packed riding such as downhill, freeride or BMX, body protection becomes an issue so you’re going to need some body armour and pads. You can get pads for elbows, forearms, knees, shins, chest, in fact for just about every part of your body. What you need depends on how extreme your riding is going to be.
It’s really important to have the right cycle clothing, whatever your discipline or cycling preference, so think about what you need to buy and get your kit together before you even venture out on your bike.
