What is the best piece of cycle clothing you have owned ?

n.bassiri

Hi all,
I'm from a start-up developing textiles for performance wear.

I'm doing some background research into cycle clothing and was hoping to get the community's opinion on:

- What are the most important factors you are looking for in outdoor cycling clothing?
- What is the best piece of outdoor cycle clothing you have owned ?

If there are any industry experts or enthusiastic cyclist willing to have a quick chat about their cycling please also leave a comment or fill out our online survey

We really appreciate your help!
- Nadia & Amphibio Team

slowmart

Assos S5 bib shorts . Which have to be around 6 years old but remain comfortable and the chamois still works.

I bought some S9’s earlier this year and looking forward to seeing if they last as long as the S5’s.

Survey completed

shirley_basso

Rapha pro team jacket, from 2012 or so.

Shorts are too subjective to have 1 being the best. Tops, I would say less so.

The PT jacket is awesome.

flasher

shirley_basso said:

Rapha pro team jacket, from 2012 or so.

The PT jacket is awesome.

I agree, shame as this years design looks terrible.

topsey_turvey

Best bit of clothing? My Shimano winter boots. Never, ever go back to overshoes.

Upper body clothing? My dhb thermal wind/waterproof jacket.

Got to stay warm and dry in bad weather. In summer you can get away with almost anything.

dennisn

Many years ago I bought a fall winter fleece jacket. The front of the sleeves and the chest and shoulders were covered in a windproof nylon. Had nice stretchy knit cuffs. waist, and collar. 3 zippered rear pockets. Best of all, no Velcro. I wore that baby out.

pblakeney

Upper body clothing? Considering all the high quality, expensive and good kit I have, one item stands out. Aldi Pro Winter Jacket, £30. Super toasty and very breathable. Also appears to wave off rain as it is 3 years old and yet to get wet. I pack a Castelli rain jacket just in case and it always comes home unused. That item gets more use in the summer. 🤣

webboo

I have an Assos Prosline Airblock top that is about 30 years old and still going strong.

shirley_basso

I have one of those! I don't wear it any more though.

webboo

I have a more modern one with hood but if it’s cold enough to need to wear it. I’m not going out.

ajkerr73

Gabba - a basic human right for a Scottish roadie.

darkhairedlord

Gore phantom with zip off sleeves. Indestructible and long lasting.

magoo289

+1 for Gabba

photonic69

darkhairedlord said:

Gore phantom with zip off sleeves. Indestructible and long lasting.

I concur! Amazing jacket. Yet to zip the arms off as it's too warm to wear on a warm day with the arms off if you know what I mean

MidlandsGrimpeur2

- What are the most important factors you are looking for in outdoor cycling clothing?

It's going to depend on who you are asking and what type of cycling they do. An experienced cyclist that races and cycles 15,000km a year is probably going to have slightly different requirements to someone who goes goes out for leisure/social rides a couple of times a week.

As someone who rides six days a week all year round in UK weather I would say fit and function are the two most important things. If you notice the clothing you ride in, particularly if you are having to adjust it, then chances are it is not the correct fit/shape for you or the construction quality is poor. Seam placement is an issue, particularly on bibs when you spend long hours in the saddle. The right material and is also important, for example super lightweight/mesh material on jerseys is not that necessary in the UK, even in summer. A midweight fabric tends to be better. Basically there are lots of things to consider but to be honest, my guess is that many cyclists tend to worry firstly about cost and aesthetics and then bother about fit/functionality etc.

- What is the best piece of outdoor cycle clothing you have owned ?

Items that have use across the year and can function well in a variety of conditions are good. The rapha insulated gilet is great, you can layer it over a jersey pretty much most of the year in really cold conditions and even on coolish summer days, particularly if you are riding in the evening when the temperature drops.

The castelli alpha jersey (it's actually a jacket) is also good as it will get you through most of autumn and winter, you only need a base layer with it as it has an internal lining.

Personal bugbears are pockets (never large enough on most jerseys/jackets to carry provisions) and DWR coatings which wear off very quickly once a garment has been washed a few times and can never be restored IME, even with nikwax or other products.

ibr17xvii

Gabba & at the other end of the scale Castelli Toe Thingys.

Suffer from cold feet for probably 9 months of the year so pound for pound get more value out of them than anything else.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

PX Magma jacket, good range of temps while being breathable, plus zip off sleeves... Wish I'd bought another when they were £30 a year ago!

mrb123

Think I'd have to go with the Castelli Alpha jersey.

Brilliant piece of design. Collar, sleeve ends and lower hem all fit perfectly. Excellent fabrics, covers a great temperature range.

photonic69

One thing I have learned is to do your research properly and don't buy cheap, buy wisely. Wish I had known that years ago as I have two under-bed storage boxes full of stuff I no longer wear as it doesn't work as well as I had thought or was lead to believe. If you think paying £180 is a lot for a jacket you might have paid, £40, £70 and then £90 on the way to buying that jacket and eventually bought it anyway. SO now you have paid in effect £380 for that jacket! Makes you think doesn't it? I could sell items to get some money back but it's an effort I dont have time for at the moment.

Cargobike

Endura Humvee 3/4 baggy shorts, on a road bike, just to p*ss off the purists.
Being a courier I always have a need for pockets, something that is missing from lycra, to carry all the junk neccessary to do my job. They are long enough to keep the worst of the weather off my dodgy knees in the winter, but offer enough ventilation to keep me cool(ish) in the height of summer.
Couldn't live without them.

navrig2

Castelli Perfetto jacket - great for cold weather riding.

Plus

Louis Garneau winter gloves - no longer available but have great loft (insulation), waterproof and keep dexterity. No sure why they stopped making these.

https://www.cyclesetsports.com/en/winter-gloves/4794-louis-garneau-lg-shield-winter-gloves-.html

pippi_langsamer-2

webboo said:

I have an Assos Prosline Airblock top that is about 30 years old and still going strong.

This...

elbowloh

I'll join in with the Gabba crew (long sleeve, first edition)

daniel_b

mrb123 said:

Think I'd have to go with the Castelli Alpha jersey.

Brilliant piece of design. Collar, sleeve ends and lower hem all fit perfectly. Excellent fabrics, covers a great temperature range.

I'd second that, bought mine 5 off years ago for £80, and it's a great bit of kit, with that inner gilet type piece sewn in.
I have since bought a perfetto, and that continues on the quality, fit and performance of the Alpha jersey for me.

One other thing for me - Giordana Nordic gloves.
Windproof, warm, but criticaly amazingly thin (Comparatively) so no dexterity is lost.
Also has padding on the palm like a real cycling glove - bizarre how many LF gloves they seem to forget to put padding in the right places, or sometimes at all.

handful

Another vote for Castelli Alpha jersey. Mine has taken a hammering for about 6 years and is still my go to jersey for anything under 12C with just a different base-layer. Closely followed by my Gabba and Pactimo Summit bibs.

lakesluddite

A Morvelo gilet that they don't seem to do anymore. Thin enough to pack away easily, keeps light to moderate rain off, and a bit of a rarity for a gilet - three pockets!

darkhairedlord

ibr17xvii said:

...Castelli Toe Thingys.

..

These are great, I have them left on the shoes from October to the end of March.

joe2019

Assos Sturmprinz in orange no doubt.

paulbox

My first pair of Sealskinz back in my mountain biking days, they were a real revelation at the time.

joeyhalloran

Very tough to choose best but my top 3 are:

Castelli Fawesome Gilet (precursor to the gabba gilet and now perfetto), - so, so versatile and great in some many kinds of weather year-round

Endura Primaloft Gilet - Again, very versatile. I even wear it off the bike sometimes and has seen me through a few long days and tours in great comfort. Easy to pack, light and really warm when needed.

Castelli Alpha Jersey (not jacket) - I actually have both, and they are both amazing, but the jersey gets it for being more versatile. Its less heavyweight but can be made super warm with base layers or either of the gilets above. Absolutely great and was a bargain and the half-price I got it for.



Basically, I rate versatility. It's easy to make something just warm, or just waterproof but its great when garments can do it all. You can leave home before sunrise in the rain and still be comfortable at midday when the suns out.