Need some cycling gear recommendations

My husband and I have decided to do a cycling vacation at the end of May! I know we have some cycling commuters and competitors on the forum, so I thought I’d ask for advice on what to wear.

I do ride, but it’s a secondary form of exercise for me. I usually do it only in the summer (I like to be warm), and I just wear running gear for the most part (except I do have proper shorts with chamois).

So the question is, what would you wear for a ride in 60-70 degree weather? Assume a morning start, breaks throughout the day to explore, and a finish in the afternoon. Short sleeve top with jacket? Just a long sleeve top? Tights or shorts? I’m honestly feeling clueless.

Thankfully, we will have similar weather here during the month of April so I can test everything. But before I start swiping the credit card, I thought I’d ask for some feedback (cycling gear is expensive)!

ETA: Sizing? From my research it seems there are a wide range of fits. In normal clothes I’m a US 6 on top - would that translate to a S or an M? Or is impossible to generalize!

5 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

That is ideal riding weather in my book! How many miles a day do you expect to be putting in? Are you ok with wearing cycling gear to explore on your stops, or is it going to be more leisurely riding with more focus on the stops themselves?

I wear Gore or Pearl Izumi cycling shorts — for those temps, either shorts (above the knee) or Capri length would be fine (I prefer the Capri length personally). Gore are expensive but hold up well, and the chamois is a little less bulky than the PI. I would wear a short sleeve jersey with a light long-sleeve jacket for mornings as you warm up. I like how cycling jackets give you rear pockets.

I also recommend cycling gloves if you don’t already have them.

It sounds like a blast!

Meredith

Thank you so much for the recommendations, Janet.

It will be 20-40 miles/day over four days. We will be sightseeing, but I’d rather focus on dressing for the ride vs. town. It’s a well-established cycling route, so I think tourists in gear are expected. We will be traveling only with panniers, so I’m planning on rotating through two cycling outfits and then I’ll see how much room there is regular clothing for the evening.

Will definitely take gloves, good socks, sunglasses.

Oh, that sounds like a nice trip — not too demanding! I did RAGBRAI, the week-long ride across Iowa, a few years ago. Fifty to 75 miles a day (with an option to make one day a century — I passed on that). By the last day, my butt was done! LOL It was so much fun though.

Anonymous

Chamois shorts? Where do you find those? The seat on the stationary bike is like sitting on a pointy rock....

Suntiger, treat your tush to some padding! You can find the shorts at a cycling shop or order them online from somewhere like REI or other sporting good store. Here are two highly rated styles I like:

http://www.terrybicycles.com/A.....Rise-Short

https://garneau.com/us_en/wome.....ts-1050416

You can also buy underwear with a chamois if you want to wear them under normal shorts (I have not tried these): https://www.urbanistcycling.co.....s-panties/

Janet brings up a good point about chamois fit, and it is worth noting that they are all a little different, so you might need to test more than one pair before you find the right shorts.

Sal

How fun!! You will have a great time.

I have Tinelli shorts - love them but they run small as do all the Italian kit / men’s and women’s, Jackets tops and shorts. I think they are designed for Tour De France mountain riders. - with a very small frame. It is a lovely brand though.....

Classically Casual

I second the Terry shorts rec. above from Meredith, they ‘re comfortable, sturdy and have mesh POCKETS. If you’ll be riding in traffic I also vote for tops/jackets in highly visible colors. Have a great trip!

Sal-I’m not familiar with that brand but I will check them out. Thanks!

Classically Casual-Great tip about visible colors.

Thanks! There's a couple bike specialty shops about an hour away I could check, as I'd want to try them on irl. Thing is my tush has a lot of natural padding

Runcarla

I like Sugoi shorts, but also have Saucony and Loius Garneau. You may need to consider a seat adjustment based on padding! I have mega padding for long rides (50k+) and light padding for short rides (under 50k). I generally prefer the lighter padding. You might want to bring/use glide as well. Saddle sores are a pain!

...and, make sure you hit the back of your legs, especially calves, with sunscreen!

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