Hi im new to road cycling And need some clothing advise and Forgiveness

[hamster]

Personally I'd avoid that Chinese stuff. You can get decent kit for the same cost in the UK and be protected by UK consumer law.
Have a look at Lusso - nice stuff,it's even made in the UK.
https://www.merlincycles.com/brand/luss ... -clothing/

[Ashaman42]

I'm another fan of Wiggle's dhb range though I'll concede that it's been a couple years since I've bought anything new.

[mjr]

You'll be more comfortable wearing separate padded underwear or shorts with sewn in padded underwear.

That's not certain. You might be or might not be. Personally, I feel squashed, grated and/or overheated by every brand I've tried: Endura, Altura, Revolution, dare2b, dhb...

Walking kit is fine until you want to wear long trousers then best to get something that tightens around the lower leg or buy lycra longs. No need to spend real money on the whole kit.

Could just use ankle clips or snap bands to keep trousers away from the chain.

[eileithyia]

Agree about buying stuff from abroad, no chance to check if sizing fits, and likely to carry an import tax, last item I bought was £20 t-shirt, by the time I had paid import tax and PO handling charge it was nearly double the price...... you are far better buying from a domestic venue and returning, or going into a shop and at least having a chance to try some kit to check sizing...

[JohnW]

Not everyone gets on well with bike shorts.......................

That is absolutely true. Never a truer word spoken (or written).

After years and years of cycling I've found that my personal ideal is Corinne Dennis men's touring shorts. These are not cheap though, and watch your waistline as you get older - waistlines often expand!!!!!
www.corinnedennis.co.uk
Some people are good with body-hugging lycra, but I like a bit of ventilation.

For upper-body clothing, make sure you're hi-viz. The phrase : "I never saw him" are the stock excuse used by motorists.

[JohnW]

You'll be more comfortable wearing separate padded underwear or shorts with sewn in padded underwear.

That's not certain. You might be or might not be. Personally, I feel squashed, grated and/or overheated by every brand I've tried..............

mjr quotes the pragmatism born of experience.................finding YOUR ideal cycling shorts is a journey of discovery. Beware of insufficient ventilation, and the sweat that insufficient ventilation can generate, and discomfort that generates if you don't notice it until too late.

I've no connection with the Corinne Dennis company, I'm not advertising, but I've found her 'Men's Touring Shorts' to be the best for me - by miles - 120 - 150 mile days..............takes me all day nowadays, even for that modest ride, but I do look to be comfortable all day.
http://www.corinnedennis.co.uk

[mjr]

For upper-body clothing, make sure you're hi-viz. The phrase : "I never saw him" are the stock excuse used by motorists.

There really should be a ghetto for hi-viz trolling too. Motorists claim never to have seen people in garish clothes with lots of reflectives and lights. It's not because the people are hard to see - I feel it's that motorists primarily look for other motorists because that'll hurt them. The solution is obvious - carry a petard on a madrier projecting in front of you while cycling

[Roadster]

Motorists claim never to have seen people in garish clothes with lots of reflectives and lights.

Well, they would say that, wouldn't they, because their primary concern is to exonerate themselves from any blame.

[JohnW]

For upper-body clothing, make sure you're hi-viz. The phrase : "I never saw him" are the stock excuse used by motorists.

There really should be a ghetto for hi-viz trolling too. Motorists claim never to have seen people in garish clothes with lots of reflectives and lights. It's not because the people are hard to see - I feel it's that motorists primarily look for other motorists because that'll hurt them. The solution is obvious - carry a petard on a madrier projecting in front of you while cycling

I'm not sure whether you're for or against what I'm saying. Are you saying that I'm wrong in advising a young and inexperienced cyclist to make himself as visible as possible? Sorry mjr, but you certainly won't change my mind on that.

If a motorist isn't bothered, or even capable, of looking what he's doing then that is another matter, but I've seen enough near misses and incidents due to cyclists wearing 'dark suits'. It seems that there are those - and they've posted on this forum - who see bright and visible clothing as garish and in bad taste - but I'd rather be comparatively safe and look like a Christmas tree, than buried in a funeral suit.

I've been around a lot of years, and I've ridden a lot of miles, and I could go on forever with examples...............but recently a fellow accident witness told me that she'd seen me from half a mile back - she'd noticed my hi-viz orange.

Not all drivers are bad - many of them will avoid hitting us if they can see us - and the roads are so busy now, there's so much going on in the background - we have to give them the best chance to see and avoid us.

[ianrobo]

Get some decent bike shorts - DHB stuff from Wiggle is good quality and reasonably priced. Your hill walking gear will be fine at first, although I would add a jersey (the pockets on the rear are dead handy).

Not clear from OP how serious he will be and indeed his budget but if 16, imagine restricted.

If serious and about road cycling then I would 100% recommend DHB. I have gradually transferred over my old worn out gear to them and it is fantastic. They do have some strange designs at times. If cost is an issue, the look at sales, for more winter gear buy that now and summer int he winter and esp the old lines.

[mjr]

There really should be a ghetto for hi-viz trolling too. Motorists claim never to have seen people in garish clothes with lots of reflectives and lights. It's not because the people are hard to see - I feel it's that motorists primarily look for other motorists because that'll hurt them. The solution is obvious - carry a petard on a madrier projecting in front of you while cycling

I'm not sure whether you're for or against what I'm saying. Are you saying that I'm wrong in advising a young and inexperienced cyclist to make himself as visible as possible? Sorry mjr, but you certainly won't change my mind on that.

Exactly - no amount of evidence of ineffectiveness in reducing casualties seems to work on hi-viz zealots. It's almost as bad as the other H topic for difficulty in changing anyone's mind.

I would advise a young and inexperienced cyclist to look as human as possible when cycling near motorists. Sit up. Turn your face to them if you can do so safely. Recognising things that look like other people is deeply ingrained in most people and there's a subconscious understanding of their capabilities and vulnerabilities. Still cover your brakes and be ready for some seriously strange movements, though!

On the other hand, dressing up as some sort of armoured alien apparition can easily turn you into the so-called "invisible gorilla" or "somebody else's problem" where, because a motorist isn't expecting to see you there, then they simply don't.

Like John, I've been around a lot of years, and I've ridden a lot of miles, and I could go on forever with examples, especially contrasting the years where I wore hi-viz yellow with the ones before and since. It doesn't really matter that an observant witness saw John from half a mile back - it matters whether the motorist who would hit you sees you. I don't doubt that ugly colours are easier to see against suitable contrasting backgrounds, but I do doubt that it matters much.

There's also a broader social drawback to dressing like an alien in that it helps make cycling seem like something alien and doesn't encourage uptake. I believe mildly in a "safety in numbers" effect, including that the more ordinary people who cycle, the more chance there is that a motorist may know someone that they actually care about who cycles.

[Flinders]

Aldi/Lidl sometimes do bike kit. It is cheap, the quality isn't too bad, and might be a way to get going with an item or two without having to spend too much. You just have to watch out for their special bike weeks. If you go to the " cycling goods and services' section of this forum on a regular basis, there is sometimes a heads-up on such promotions.

It really can be difficult for a driver to see a cyclist when the light is poor if they blend in with the surroundings. At night, obviously we should have lights, so clothes are sometimes less of an issue at night than in bad daylight- but if it suddenly gets misty in the daytime a brighter coloured top can be helpful, and there are some stylish options, like Foska's, https://www.foska.com/cycling-jerseys/road/mens-road/ though like foskas, they are not always cheap. Could be a birthday present option in the future!

Some winter cycling tops have fleece fronts/arms and thin almost net-like backs, because when you cycle, unlike when you walk, windchill from your speed cools your front, but your back sweats like mad! They also have longer backs than walking gear, so you don't get a 'gap' when you bend forward if you use drop-bars.

I used to cycle in jeans back in the day. These days I prefer padded shorts, but I'm now getting on in years and as a young man you will no doubt have thicker skin than I do now. I find Altura gear is reasonable in price and in quality. I'd be tempted to get at least my first pair from a local shop, so I could try on for size. Bike kit sizes can be peculiar, you do need to measure carefully if you buy on line. Some serious cyclists are very very thin, and the sizes seem to be adapted to that.

The other evening, a cyclist entirely in matt black + black hoodie up, with no lights well after lighting-up time, came up the inside of the car I was in while we were stopped at lights, went straight across the red light (across a motorway exit slip road), and proceeded up the road. He was very difficult to see.
He was on the phone as well. )
Stay visible, and stay safe.

[MikeF]

You'll be more comfortable wearing separate padded underwear or shorts with sewn in padded underwear.

That's not certain. You might be or might not be. Personally, I feel squashed, grated and/or overheated by every brand I've tried: Endura, Altura, Revolution, dare2b, dhb...

Walking kit is fine until you want to wear long trousers then best to get something that tightens around the lower leg or buy lycra longs. No need to spend real money on the whole kit.

Could just use ankle clips or snap bands to keep trousers away from the chain.

I've never worn padded underwear. And yes trouser clips/angle bands are fine. I do usually wear bright clothing and often a helmet - mainly because it would rebut any disclaiming arguments a driver might put forward. But otherwise normal clothes. Cotton shirts are good.

[JohnW]

.................Stay visible, and stay safe.

Absolutely.