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Bicycle Clothes-an overview
By mike | July 28, 2007
From Reg Gupton, special to ClydesdaleFitness.com
I see two types of cyclists on the road - those wearing regular street clothes when cycling, and those wearing specialized bicycle clothes. (The latter include a subspecies that looks like a moving billboard.) I started riding in cut off Levis and running shoes. Now I never ride except in clothes made for this purpose.
There are several principles that you must think about when dressing for cycling in most any weather and any location. Whether cycling in Chicago or Portland or Washington DC or Detroit the elements to watch out for are the same.
I ride in Boulder County Colorado. In the morning in the summer we often start rides with the temperature in the 60’s and end with temps in the 90’s. Oh yes, it will often rain in the afternoon for a few minutes. We need clothing that is easily adjustable for all these conditions.
The first principle for bicycle clothing is layering. If the weather is cold or wet, don’t choose a thicker material but add more layers. This system makes it easier to adjust to changing temperatures and heat from your body without having to carry a complete set of clothes for every temperature range. It is faster to adjust your clothes by opening a zipper or taking off a layer. Bicycle riding requires much more attention to just your clothing - too warm is just as bad as too cold.
Another principle is tight fitting. A baggy jacket not only acts like a braking parachute but also lets cold air get closer to the skin, which makes the wind feel much colder because sweat evaporates directly from your skin.
A last principle of bicycle clothing is to keep your skin dry by transporting sweat to the outside, where it can evaporate without cooling the body too much and without soaking the clothing. Wet clothes are cold clothes.
http://www.quality-cycling-gear.com
Content by Thomas Driemeyer, Edited by Reg Gupton, gupton@growthseminars.com
I am a 63 year old road cyclist living in Boulder CO.