Starter Set of Cycling Clothes?

daniel_b

PhotoNic69 wrote:

Daniel B wrote:

To the OP - I would head on over to Wiggle ASAP, they have a load of gear, including dhb shorts etc in their clearance sale, and currently the ones I saw were in most sizes.

Shorts are £30, some jerseys even less - free returns, so order a shed load of options and sizes, and send back what you don't want - job done!

Many thanks to all for your great suggestions and comments, and apologies for not keeping up to date with this thread.

I indeed have been on a spree at Wiggle and yesterday received a lovely large box through the post (including Haribos!)

In the end I went for these:

1 x dhb M1.0 Mountain Bike Cycling Shoe Black/Silver 46
1 x Shimano SPD MTB Cleats Multi Release SH56
1 x dhb Aeron Cycling Bib Short Black/Grey Medium
1 x dhb Active Hi Viz Panelled Short Sleeve Jersey Fluro Medium
1 x dhb Flashlight Arm Warmers Black Medium
1 x dhb Regulate Light Leg Warmers Black Medium

I went on the reviews and comments and questions on the site and they proved to be very helpful in choosing the correct sizes. Turns out I fit a dhb Medium very well. Went for the mountain bike shoes so I can use them on both bikes and I can use them at spin classes too. The products seem like very good value and the quality is quite nice too. It remains to see how long they might last.

The padding on the Aeron Cycling Bib Shorts seems a little thinner than I would have liked but it seems to get good reviews. Any one have experience of the CyTech Elastic Interface ‘Veloce’ chamois?

Leg warmers? Are the tops worn under of over the shorts? I'm guessing under so the gripper is against the skin then the shorts pulled over the tops?

Just need to get a nice windproof jacket next. Got to wait until payday for this next purchase though.

How much were your cleats out of interest?
You can generally get pedala and cleats for around £15/£16.

Were the Aeron shorts as cheap as they are now - not sure if the sale is more advanced now?
If they have come down in price, either e-mail them and see if they will price match, or just order a new pair, and send one back.
3% cashback through quidco adds up nicely too!

I ordered some of the Castelli gloves to try - at 50% off thought worth a look.
EDIT: Just re-ordered from CRC, as they are 60% off there!
Also ordered a pair of these bib shorts to have a mosey at for £29.99:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-classic-bib-shorts/

And yes, for me, I would wear leg warmers on skin, and shorts over the top of those.
At this time of year, you can potentially get away without the windstopper jacket, and will likely see some bargains in the summer if you keep your eyes peeled.

Enjoy your new wardrobe!

photonic69

The cleats were £8.99 The bike I bought off a forum member already had pedals so I only needed the cleats.
The shorts were £29.99 so in the sale.

Yup, keeping a constant eye on Wiggle. Must do some proper work though!

indyp

That's a good haul to be starting with, and some real deals on dhb stuff at the moment.

You are right about warmers they go under. I've found the dhb light leg warmers to pucker behind the knees whereas the fleece ones don't but they have grippers on both ends. It's not something I notice after a few miles though.

The veloce cytech is recommended for medium distance so unless regularly 50+ they should be fine, best way to find out is to get out in them.

wiggle also putting some nice designs together with dhb new range
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ss15-dhb-blok/mens/

ai_1

As others have mentioned I'd say Wiggle's DHB brand is decent value. Not as comfy or long lasting as some more expensive brands but good on a budget.
If you want to share shoes between MTB and road and want to be able to walk about just go with inexpensive SPD pedals (M520s?) and a pair of MTB shoes.
I wouldn't bother with a long sleeve jersey for now. You may never feel the need for one (I just use a long sleeve base layer under my short sleeve jersey in winter or arm warmers on marginal days). Unless you're commuting or you love getting out in pouring rain I wouldn't bother with a waterproof jacket until next winter. However a packable lightweight windproof jacket is very useful at any time of year. It'll keep you warm without getting you sweaty when it's a little cool and unlike extra base layers, can go back in the pocket if conditions change. It'll also keep the worst off if you get some rain. A full waterproof rarely fits easily in a pocket and you'll end up wet whenever you wear it, warm, but wet. They keep the rain off but the sweat in. Good for staying warm on rides that are both cold and wet from the start but not something I use much at all except in winter.
Arm warmers and leg warmers are worthwhile. DHB Pace Roubaix arm warmers are good.

You don't mention eyewear. If you don't already have something suitable and want to keep the cost down - a pair of safety glasses will do fine. I don't like getting occasional insects in my eyes and I need the wind protection to keep a good view on fast descents. Protection in the unlikely event of a car flicking a stone towards your face is an added bonus.

Enjoy the road!

RobSomerset

To get me started and not spending to much just in case it wasn't for me, I went to sports direct and got the Muddy Fox gear except for my Dare2B windproof which I got half price in sale at Halfords. The Muddy Fox gear I have found to be really good quality (not the bottom end really cheap stuff). Am just on the hunt soon for some shoes and cleats at a budget as well. Ones you can walk around in without it looking like you've just given birth.

ai_1

RobSomerset wrote:

.... Am just on the hunt soon for some shoes and cleats at a budget as well. Ones you can walk around in without it looking like you've just given birth.

This is pretty simple.
Basically there's two categories of shoes and 2 categories of pedal system:

Road shoes - minimal thread for walking and mounting for 3 or 4 hole cleats (sometimes 2 hole MTB cleat mounts also)
MTB shoes - Proper thread for walking and recessed mounting for 2 hole MTB cleat
Road cleat - relatively large, mounts to shoe with 3 or 4 bolts (3 most common), projects below sole of shoe and makes walking tricky
MTB cleat - small cleat, mounts to shoe in a recess with 2 bolts and has minimal impact on walking

Road shoes are designed for riding and only riding. Whether you fit road or MTB cleats they won't be good for walking. You can make it to and from your bike and in and out of a coffee shop but they're not made for walking.
MTB shoes should be a better choice if you want to be able to walk around mid cycle without changing footwear, say if touring. You can only fit MTB cleats to MTB shoes, they won't accept road cleats.

photonic69

Well, went for a quick ride this evening in my new gear. It all worked very well. Shorts were comfy. Jersey was fine with base layer. Shoes and cleats were great (apart from a couple of iffy bits on a hill where my son was going to slow and I had trouble pedalling that slow and trying to unclip!). Arm warmers were a revelation. Leg warmers were kinda kinky ;-) felt like I was wearing hold-up stockings and should be on BabeStation wiggling my ass! Lol!!!
But they work very well which was great.

Thanks for all the help with this. I'm now kitted out for the next few months.

photonic69

Well, so far so good. Apart from the chilly early mornings or current daytime temps.
Legs are fine. Arms and body getting chilly. Need a jacket or warmer top. Wearing above mentioned kit plus DHB short sleeve baselayer.

What do you advise? Jacket or gillet?

dj58

A gilet is a really useful item of clothing to have, I have one of these, other makes are available and do the same job.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/endu ... lsrc=aw.ds

daniel_b

CRC have some big reductions on jackets (and other clothing) at the mo.