Bicycle clothing: what happens and how to choose the right one?

Riding a bike is such a kind of sport, even if many ordinary people ride only at an amateur level. At the same time, any kind of sport implies the obligatory presence of special clothing, which will meet a number of special criteria. You need to understand that for the most comfortable bike ride, you really need the right bike clothes.

An increasing number of cyclists today choose clothing that is comfortable for riding, which can be worn in both winter and summer. Modern everyday and professional cycling clothes have many important tasks in their functions, as they should:

• to provide high-quality ventilation of the human body - cooling during active skiing is extremely important;
• to remove sweat that appears, because moisture on the skin is the root cause of the appearance of not very comfortable sensations when driving;
• mitigate the negative sensations of the loads received on the body - all kinds of dressings and different amplifications will help you to feel less tired while riding and reduce the likelihood of getting injured;
• to create optimal aerodynamics - approximately 80% of the airflow resistance during riding will fall on the body of the rider, and the strength of this resistance with the help of clothes can be significantly reduced.

Bicycle clothing has its own significant advantages.

• The form. Equipment of this kind was created taking into account the fact that you very often when driving will bend to the steering wheel. This means that your t-shirts or jackets will be longer at the back to completely cover the bottom of your bare back. Sleeves of T-shirts and jackets are also made a little more authentic, so that the wrists are protected from the wind, and special shorts or tights will have bends on the knees and waist, so as not to slow down the rotation of the pedals when moving. That is why it is better to ride in special clothes.

• Motion. Elements of clothing for bicycle professionals “move” together with the rider during movement. The legs will most actively move here, so shorts and tights for cyclists are made of durable lycra, since this material is highly tensile and therefore tightly fits the body.

• Handling emerging sweat. An ordinary cotton T-shirt under a special jacket with a waterproof effect will quickly soak on the rider and get wet, because the cyclist may begin to freeze. Equipment for cycling is released from the tissues, which allow sweat to pass through and allow it to evaporate quickly.

• Veloform will be able to qualitatively protect you from various weather troubles - for example, from heavy rain and gusty wind.

• Stuffing. A piece of foam in special cycling shorts can look rather strange and even funny, in fact it is needed as another layer in clothes, designed to serve to reduce the impact of possible shocks. All modern cycling shorts have at least one layer of such foam. These pads will also provide another layer of fabric that will fit close to the skin (since underwear do not wear underwear). This will help to avoid the appearance of irritation on the skin and will allow you to carry out long trips on the bike without harming your health.

• Efficiency. Properly selected bicycle attire will help you move much faster, since you do not have to waste your energy. The main difference between this type of clothing from the usual will be its aerodynamic features. Specialized equipment fits much closer to the body and does not interfere with movement. Shoes for such trips are equipped with very rigid soles, so that you do not waste energy bending your leg while pedaling.

therefore its main negative feature is its “non-universality”. However, like any special clothing, veloform sometimes has a fairly substantial price and therefore is not available to everyone.

Most often, bicycles can be seen in warm and pleasant weather. That is why Summer types of clothing for lovers of such skating should be light, tight-fitting body, made of synthetics, which will cool the body and quickly remove heat from it. As an addition to a special T-shirt and shorts, experienced cyclists often use special leggings with a pull and bandanas that remove sweat from the body - they are pulled under a bicycle helmet.

In bad weather, a bicycle suit is selected with high-quality protection against moisture and wind.

A special set will be for cycling in the winter season. Clothing will be replaced by 100% for this period. Even special pants are complemented from within a special kind of materials with the effect of warming and “lose” all pockets with ventilation.

What types of clothes for the most active motorists are most often found:

They look like usual t-shirts, but they are made of synthetics, which allows moisture to pass through. Most often this kind of jerseys for cycling have a raised collar to protect the neck area from sunlight, a special zipper in the front (its length can be different) and pockets behind, there they are much more convenient to use. The most common types of jersey are made with short sleeves, but these days you can easily find jersey, in general, without sleeves - for an overly hot day.

In everyday life they are called shorts with diapers or cycling shorts. Specially created products were first produced for racing on special bicycles, and today many fans of riding on devices of the usual type also use them. “Pampers” is the main element of the bike racks that will be responsible for cushioning shock from the saddle.

Velocity pants also include elongated shorts, which tighten and remove the available heat and sweat from the body, and universal models. This primarily refers to “Gaiters” - they are put on in the cold season under very tight trousers or used separately in cool. In appearance, they will practically not differ in any way from the usual shorts, except for the presence of a strong elastic in the shin area. The universal type of bicycle pants - these are models with special pockets (with ventilation) and a leg that can be unfastened. Pants are needed to protect your feet from moisture in the winter and in the rain.

The overalls for the cyclist most often have a completely ergonomic structure. An ideal fit on the body is achieved through the use of new compression materials that stretch perfectly in four directions, reduce muscle vibration, maintaining their high performance, while also ventilating and cooling. The straps are made of lightweight mesh fabric with high elasticity and ventilation. The edges of many cycling overalls are laser-treated and have a silicone cuff for excellent fixation on the leg.

Separate thermal underwear for cycling is not available anywhere. Professionals and amateurs just use underwear for outdoor activities, but at the same time they select the size very carefully for themselves to apply thermal underwear with tight-fitting objects of their bike shape.

Jackets can usually be presented with a few criteria. The universal type of windbreaker must protect the body, fit it as comfortably as possible and at the same time not interfere with movement. Here, specially designed models are suitable (they have a comfortable fit to the body, elongated sleeves, etc.), as well as elements familiar to the look for active sports.

It is worth noting that this kind of jacket will clearly be divided into male and female, as their cut will also vary significantly - The men's cycling jacket is more durable, and therefore the protection will be enhanced.

Heavy or waterproof layers of clothing are divided into 3 categories: warm jackets (provide excellent insulation), hard shells, as well as soft shells - the latter have high resistance to moisture and excellent insulation. Warm jackets come in handy for very cold weather. Hardshells are produced from “breathable” modern materials so that riders do not sweat much during a long race. At first, they were extremely popular among real fans of mountain racing, now they are also used on ordinary tracks.

The vest can be attributed to the external type of clothing, which is designed to protect your body from the wind. Bicycle models are perfectly combined with any jersey both in the cool spring and in the warm autumn. They are made from fabrics with a "breathing" effect.so that you do not sweat seriously, while the selected materials are not at all afraid of high humidity.

Particular attention is paid to modern manufacturers of various kinds of accessories. They are much more often bought than large new items from the number of items of equipment.

• Leg warmers are gaining immense popularity these days.The first calf muscle contraction was appreciated by professionals, but among fans it is still not so in demand.

• Balaclava or winter goggles you need to purchase without fail, without them there is absolutely no reason to actively travel in the winter season. It can be both dangerous and extremely inconvenient.

• Underwear that will divert sweat from the body - It is very similar to thermal underwear, but at the same time it is called upon to perform the opposite function - it will cool the rider's body qualitatively and remove sweat from it, as do the elements of shorts with diapers.

• Cycling gloves - they must be selected in full combination with already purchased clothing.

Italian brand Rosti launches its products on the markets of Europe and the USA. It produces a special uniform, and today many teams of both professional and amateur levels go to it for racing.

Swiss manufacturer Assos appeared in 1976. Not so long ago, he began to release a bicycle form, but by today he had achieved simply tremendous successes in this matter. Assos produces fairly expensive and high-tech bicycle clothing.

Vermarc was founded by the champion of Belgium in 1973 - immediately after the end of his sports career. Nowadays, Vermarc clothing is most often in demand among professional cyclists from the Benelux countries, but at the same time, the brand is developing quite actively and promisingly, looking for new ways to enter interesting markets for itself.

Castelli - One of the oldest brands producing uniforms for cycling (the first cycling shorts were created by the brand back in 1910), and it is also the first company to start manufacturing cycling shorts from durable lycra.

Santini - fully focused on the release of clothing for various levels of cycling.

Fox racing - One of the most famous brands of specialized clothing in the world of cycling. The brand produces a line of cycling pants, a jersey, special gloves and protective helmets, a bot and other protective elements, as well as stylish clothes for every day.

Cycling clothing of the Italian brand Nalini Known in the world market as high quality products and stylish designs. In terms of performance, the company's equipment meets high international standards, providing athletes with comfort, convenience, safety during training and competition.

French company Mavic produces clothing for athletes with a full range of cycling disciplines.

Bicycle clothing should be as comfortable as possible while riding, so you need to:

• choose the right size so that the suit for riding tightly, but not too tightly fits the whole body, while maintaining complete freedom of movement and without squeezing anything on the body;
• it is better to choose trousers narrowed downwards, and ideally they should completely fit your legs so that the material does not fall into the bicycle mechanisms when moving;
• it is better to choose fabrics that are “breathing” as much as possible, which will prevent the body from overheating in the heat, and will not allow overcooling in the cold;
• pockets are best chosen with zippers, or they should be located on the back to completely eliminate the likelihood of losing what they are filled with;
• the back of the jersey or special jacket should securely cover the lower back of the rider in a sitting position.

When buying a full winter outfit, professionals advise choosing 3 layers of clothing: high-quality thermal underwear, an insulated layer of fleece, special outerwear from a special membrane fabric. Clothing for the summer should be light.

For women, the coloring of their cycling equipment is of considerable importance. The color value for lovers will have more taste value, for professionals - the color of their team. It is best for girls to choose not very heavy cycle jackets and cycling overalls.

And the choice of the most suitable clothes for the road and mountain bike tours will also vary significantly, because in the mountains the weather is more capricious, and such a trip with a high degree of probability can turn into an extreme adventure.