Help me with my list please.

gerroffandmilkit

Been out for my 1st ride today with minimal gear.

Got the helmet, gloves and padded shorts, what else do I need?

Hoping you people of knowledge and experience may be able to help me out. What do I need. Looking to invest on gear for winter riding and summer riding.
What do I need for winter riding and summer/spring riding? New to this cycling lark so I'm a bit baffled at the moment.

Are proper shoes and cleats a good buy? Currently on naff plastic clips and trainers which are very fiddly at the moment.

Any advice on clothing etc greatly appreciated.

aleslie22

specs, to keep the midges out.

herb71

Shoes and cleats, spd would probably suit you best, should be high on your list. Also eyewear I would consider essential. Nothing worse than grit or insects in your eyes whilst riding.

You don't need to spend a lot, if anything. I use proper glasses on my road bike, but free safety glasses from work on my MTB so my good stuff does not get damaged. Not flash, but very effective. They cost a couple of quid at most.

The rest of your kit can come later when funds allow, or when Santa comes.

Mikey41

gerroffandmilkit wrote:

What do I need for winter riding and summer/spring riding? New to this cycling lark so I'm a bit baffled at the moment.

Are proper shoes and cleats a good buy? Currently on naff plastic clips and trainers which are very fiddly at the moment.

Any advice on clothing etc greatly appreciated.

First, you'll be surprised how cold it has to be to need to really wrap up, and that buying cycling clothes becomes addictive :shock:

So far, I've got:
Winter
Long padded bib tights, slightly fluffy on the inside, much warmer than they look!
Thermal compression underwear (won't need the leggings until below 0C I think)
Long sleeved jersey
Thin wooly hat to go under the helmet and keep my ears warm.
Softshell fleece jacket (don't bother above 5C, tis very warm!)
Full finger winter gloves.

Summer
Padded shorts
Short/long sleeve jersey
fingerless mitts

If you find you are too cold, add another thin layer.

I wouldn't panic about the clipless shoes just yet, I'm still using the clips and straps although I will go clipless sometime next year. I have found my trainers are not that warm though, brrrr.

simon_masterson

I'd get a warm jersey - look for 'Roubaix' in the name; that goes for most cyclewear. Windproofness is probably the most important attribute. Something to go underneath is a good idea. I just wear my short sleeve jersey, but base layers are the obvious thing if you're looking to spend money.

Shoes and clipless pedals are a good thing to have, but then again so are clips and straps. Unfortunately (having read your other thread) I'm assuming that you have the pedals that the Triban bikes come with, which are stupid; the strap is crucial. If you're going to buy anything, objectively I think it has to be clipless rather than good clips and straps, much as I like them. I'd suggest MTB or touring shoes with recessed SPD cleats. Shimano make good ones that don't cost much. I strongly recommend that you try them on.

Beyond that, things like overshoes, caps (which every cyclist should have anyway ) and winter gloves (which I don't use; I just wear cheap fleece gloves over my mitts) will all help. Wind chill will get you more than anything else and you'll feel it in your extremities.

mallorcajeff

to be fair you didnt mention a bike in your list? I presume you have one?
A good Pair of wind proof gloves is essential. I thought £40 for a pair of gloves? jesus three pairs later I bought the £40 ones. Buy good stuff first and not three attempts at cheaper stuff that does not work would be a good place to start. No need to buy head to toe assos but i do find in a lot of stuff you get what you pay for.

Sprool

mallorcajeff wrote:

... I thought £40 for a pair of gloves? jesus three pairs later I bought the £40 ones. Buy good stuff first and not three attempts at cheaper stuff that does not work would be a good place to start. .

Wise words, never thought I'd spend this money on gloves but very glad today that I did, the expensive seal skinz ones are the only ones that work for me, dont get sweaty and keep your fingers warm.

dai_t75

gerroffandmilkit wrote:

Been out for my 1st ride today with minimal gear.

Got the helmet, gloves and padded shorts, what else do I need?

Hoping you people of knowledge and experience may be able to help me out. What do I need. Looking to invest on gear for winter riding and summer riding.
What do I need for winter riding and summer/spring riding? New to this cycling lark so I'm a bit baffled at the moment.

Are proper shoes and cleats a good buy? Currently on naff plastic clips and trainers which are very fiddly at the moment.

Any advice on clothing etc greatly appreciated.

Hi there, I am new too and started this thread a couple of weeks ago that may help you out:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40020&t=12882741

In my limited experience so far I can say that:

Shoes and cleats are a good invesment. I got some Shimano M520's for £17.50 that came with the cleats and picked up some DHB mountain bike shoes for £45. Haven't had any issues with them so far and the M520's seem to generally get good reviews.

If you do decide to get some shoes think about picking up some over shoes as well. Went out yesterday without them and my feet were freezing. Wore them today and they were fine.

Sunglasses are very useful - keep the crap out of your eyes and helps stop watering on downhill parts.

I picked up some leg warmers from Aldo for £7 which have done a very good job in combination with my bib shorts.

Hope that is of some help to you!

hairy_boy

I am new to road biking having been a MTB for a few years - went out on my new (2nd hand) Giant Defy for the 1st time yesterday and loved it.

Regards shoes I would recommend SPD's - as has been said they have a recessed cleat which means you can walk easily when you stop off at a cafe etc.

Chain Reaction are doing some decent deals on some Shimano spd shoes at the mo - depends on your shoe size as to which you could get cheap:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Sear ... s=337,1165

In both Shimano and Specialized shoes I need to go up a Euro size from normal - I am a UK bog standard size 8 shoe, I think that makes me a Euro 42 normally but a Euro size 43 in Shimano or Specialized shoes fits perfectly and allows for slightly thicker socks in winter !

zx6man

I have the M077's, and at 40 quid may just gets a spare pair!

simon_masterson

mallorcajeff wrote:

A good Pair of wind proof gloves is essential.

Essential? As said above, I don't use them; I just put a pair of fleece gloves over my mitts. They cost about £3 at the market. Aside from the fact that I don't own them (therefore they can't be that 'essential'), not all cyclists will go out in arctic temperatures, and therefore do not need the equipment that allows them to. A warm windproof jersey on the other hand is something you're likely to be thankful for as soon as it gets remotely cool in the mornings...