What are the benefits of cycling clothing?

Your regular street clothes are fine when you’re not going far or fast and the weather’s good, but for longer rides or when the weather turns nasty, you’ll be a lot more comfortable in cycling clothing. The use of our cycling bottom wear provides an extra layer of shock absorption is one of the first benefits. Modern shorts pads have at least one layer of foam inside them, often more or different thickness and density. The idea is to help reduce the road shock that gets through to your bum, working in tandem with the padding in your saddle. The further use of our jerseys and tops adds additional comfort with their breathable and quick-drying design really adds to a satisfactory ride.

Cycling gear moves with you as you ride. That’s especially important for legwear because your legs are the part of you that moves most. That’s why cycling shorts are made from Lycra fabric because it has enough built-in stretch that it doesn’t bunch up and chafe. Similarly, cycling tights.

The cycling clothing we offer can make you go faster by ensuring you don’t waste energy as you ride. The most important difference is that our cycling clothing is more aerodynamic than your regular gear because it fits closely with no spare fabric flapping in the breeze. It can also help in other areas such as our range of cycling shoes which have stiff soles, so your energy isn’t wasted flexing rubber over your pedals. That also makes for comfier feet because the pressure on the pedal is spread over your whole foot.

Wearing a fluorescent cycling jersey allows an attentive, alert driver to see the cyclist earlier and further down the road. The driver then has more time to plan his path around the rider safely, without inconveniencing himself.

Absolutely. Whether you’re cycling in the evenings or in dull, dark weather, wearing reflective clothing increases your chances of staying safe on the roads, so it’s definitely worth grabbing yourself some reflective gear. If you can be, say, 20% less likely to be seen by a driver at night, why wouldn’t you take that opportunity?

If you’re looking at the range of cycling clothing out there and thinking some of it looks a little specialist for your needs, then you might want to consider browsing for more casual cycling clothing. Our range includes this, and casual cycling clothing generally looks baggier and looser fitting when compared with more professional/enthusiast items. Be sure to check that the clothing you’re buying is still cycle-specific, insofar as it holds the important properties we’ve listed above, but with casual cycling clothing, you’re likely to look more discreet while you’re on your bike.

Aside from searching for clothing by item (jackets, shorts, etc), you could also search based on the type of cycling you’re doing. For example, mountain bike clothing is often specialised to fit off-road needs, while winter cycling clothing could help you stay warm on icy roads.