Cycling Clothes vs. Street Clothes for Biking
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- Опубликовано: 18 сен 2024
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Are cycling clothes actually better than street clothes for biking? Not always. The right choice of street clothes can be just as comfortable, more stylish, and perform just as well for most people. In this video we compare cycling clothes vs. street clothes for biking, talk about why I never wear cycling clothes, and some common objections to riding in street clothes and why they aren't issues.
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#cyclingclothes #bikecommuting #bikeriding
I wear plain clothes (shorts, and T-shirt) while riding to and from work, and get changed into a full Lycra skin suit for the 8 hours I’m at my desk.
It helps me work faster and more efficiently. 👍
Cue Radiohead's "Creep"
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👆
Welcome to the dutch club. Almost everybody rides a bicycle. Almost nobody wears special bicycle clothes.
Sounds familiar, as a Dutchie i ride a hybrid bike with casual clothes on.
After 5+ days in a row riding, padded shorts under your jeans are a blessing
It's really nice to have a realistic normal cyclist channel on RUclips. I think a lot of other channels are great but really made me overthink the process as far as aero, gear, etc. Anyway I appreciate your video's, they are always interesting and raw.
When I first got into road cycling, 15 years ago, I not only didn't wear cycling specific clothing, I didn't even clip in. Over the years, I slowly immersed myself in roadie culture. Now, I'd never consider riding without being in full kit. For me, it just feels right. With that said, I can absolutely confirm you can not only ride comfortably in regular clothing, you can also do it for many miles at a time. It wasn't out of the question for me to cycle 100+ miles a day, two or more days a week, when I was still wearing regular clothes. So, as I'm sure is your opinion as well, who cares as long as you're riding. To each their own.
Plus cycling clothes help with being more resistant to wind
This guy would run a marathon in jeans and a button down
If I don't wear the jersey from my favorite local brewery, how will people know that I like to drink beer?
True
plain and simple if you wanna ride fast or far wear a kit, if you wanna just chill then it doesn't matter.
Agreed. I don't want to ruin my street clothes in a workout. Plus, wearing kit makes you feel faster, and perhaps (in my case) motivates you to lose a few pounds through riding.
Disagree, I consistently smoke lames in bike uniforms... While smoking a cigarette for good measure.
@@thec.tysonsynopsis7280 you sound lame af, I can't imagine how you're gonna act when you're older, or God forbid you *are* older lmao
@@wachowski9525 lame is wearing a kit when you're NOT in a race, even good at cycling, or actually fit enough to wear a size XL or lower... Riding fast and wearing a kit, two different things. Just like YOU and people that actually get laid, two different things...
*Man leggings
The fact that everyone is enjoying a bike should be enough to bring people together, if you like to show your bulge, then do it, if you like to look ready for Starbucks after dismounting your bike, then do it. Other than that, excellent video 🤙
I put cycling shorts under my street clothes
isn't it hot down there?
I have a set of cycling underwear for super long rides.
@@Kiragaus I do the same, is not that bad and is a lot more comfortable than having the full cycling kit as an overweight person in public, I don't look like a tight sausage
I do the same
I think cycling gear looks dorky as hell!
@@ricardotclarke same dude
I´ve been cycling since 1968 (during the Johnson administration) and the only bicycle kit I've put on is a helmet and gloves. Otherwise, it's just ordinary pants and jackets.
I started riding in the Nixon administration, but I got sucked into carbon fiber & lycra in the early 2000s (fuck you, Lance!). By the end of the naughts, I was riding a fixie in jorts on the streets of Chicago. Now I'm an old guy with a gut riding a mostly original, Japanese built, '85 Bianchi mountain bike.
@@genericsomething
A Japanese built Bianchi doesn't exist. They're Italian.
@@hurricaneheli79 ~ It has a Made in Japan sticker on the lower seat tube.
People can buy stickers
You make a good point about cycling more when it's just a part of everyday life, just a way to get around town, avd wearing full kit for that quickly becomes impractical.
As a roadie: full kit all the time.
The padded shorts do seem silly it at first, but after 2 hours in the saddle it's day and night, especially if you have to jump in and out of the saddle for climbs often (not to mention how bad it feels hitting a pothole in regular pants). Similar situation with gloves. After putting your upper body's weight on the drops for more than an hour your palms hurt like crazy. The jerseys also seem useless at first, but over a 100kms the drag adds up when you are wearing baggies. That's literally how parachutes work.
Of course, when I go somewhere in town on my fixed gear I wear regular clothes, but when you go out just to ride, there are 0 reasons to go in anything else than full kit.
Ride what you want, ride when you want, wear what you want. Simple. I'm a lycra clad mamil and happy with that.
I was pleasantly surprised by how fair and unbiased your points of view were. I expected you to be more heavily biased towards your own preferences. However, the choices you covered did seem a little extreme. For many people there is a happy medium.
Padded mountain bike shorts don't show your bulge. You can also buy a conservatively styled cycling jersey and simply size up, so it's loose enough to feel comfortable when you're off the bike. You don't have to buy skin-tight kit if you're not racing and you don't need to be covered in logos. Simply buy whatever size makes you feel comfortable. The pockets are convenient and the material doesn't hold sweat. Yes, I know that linen and merino wool breathe, but in this day and age, well-made synthetic fabrics are simply better at shedding water. It's important to note that not all synthetics are equal. light weight cool-max type fabrics definitely feel better than normal synthetics.
As for saddle comfort. I've experimented with different styles and I prefer a narrow saddle. I can ride without padded shorts just fine, but shorts with slight padding simply feel better on long rides.
pros and cons of cycling kit from a dude who doesn't wear cycling kit
And claims he had never worn cycling kit
but hes not uneducated about em
Seems unnecessary.
Cut him some slack!
@@logank.5198 given that there are no cat 1 fixie crits, no I wouldn't watch
Well presented. I work solo and use my bike as second car. My favorite clothes on a bike are my hiking clothes. Not Everest stuff, I mean pants with a gusset in the crotch, long sleeve fishing shirts that are cut to be worn untucked, and only bike shorts / chamois on longish rides. So far. I have upgraded my saddles and venturing further with chamois. Learned about your channel from ACN and you have a new grandfatherly fan.
Zach, unless I missed it, you left out visibility. Most cycle specific clothing is eye catching (for this reason) and has sewn in reflective material. Your black shirt and jeans are going to make you damn near invisible at night.
It's super cool that your skin is impervious to chafing from seams, but we mere mortals tend to have a horror of our inner thighs bleeding on the regular. If I'm just riding a few miles to the market, sure, I'll wear street clothes. 15 miles or more? In my kit. Maybe with a skirt over my shorts.
I worked as a bike messenger for some time and quickly found out that bike kit in those circumstances are just awesome.
Since i did not want to look like a complete dufus i bought some pants that are made for bike tracking (vaude), urban biking (chrome industries) and downhill (TSG). All did their jobs greatly some better than others and all eventually failed in the contact area with the saddle. But so do normal jeans and they do it way quicker. It to me is not about not sweating or what ever it is just about what feels better to wear.
Zac is completely wrong about how significant clothes drag is. Your body is the most important factor for drag on a bike. Bike clothing makes a greater effect than frame, wheels, helmet combined. A good fitted kit can increase avg speed by 0.5 to 1mph
Casual clothes will never preform just as well as race cut kit in any situation, on any rider.
True. But still valuable only to a racer or a long distance rider. For casuals it doesn't matter that much.
@@STruple12 this could be said for any element of a bike: bling wheels, crankset, frame ect. The only difference is that clothes make significantly more of a difference.
@BeboSaab what's wrong with being gay. Why care about what others think. You have mad aero gainz
@BeboSaab life isn't about just getting laid. Also plenty of people get laid and wear cycling kit. You are insane for thinking that people that wear it don't get laid. Seems like you have a lot of internal issues I would recommend getting professional help.
_"...and got brainwashed into it by popular culture."_ ~ @BeboSaab
LOL ...whut? This is hilarious😄
I wear the clothes that I need when I arrive. That’s it!
When I have to ride a longer distant I take a new shirt with me
I wear normal everyday attire, I’m SoCal 92% of the year is perfect for riding. My attire of choice is banana republic shorts and graphic tees. Both are always high quality and seem to last a very long time even if they are bit more pricey, I will wear long sleeve duo dry fit if I’m going on a long ride. I like riding a lot to work, and I am not trying to get clowned over silly looking cycle gear. My job requires i wear a brown uniform, when I get off the clock I wear what makes me comfortable for the ride home. Tomorrow I will ride to work my new birthday gift from fiancé, a brand new Kilo TT Pro. I ride single speed because I’ll be 40 next year and fixed is for the youth, but that bike is a straight steal for the price, wabi must make insanely awesome bikes. 💪🏽
Joe Solo I love that bike honestly it’s crazy great for the price. Get one you’ll love it too, I’ve converted the front wheel to quick release and put brake levers with hoods on my handle bars with lizard skin grip tape. You always customize a bike to your liking at least a bit.
Joe Solo oh yeah I forgot I changed those too, I put wtb thick slicks 700x28 tires with puncture resistant tubes as soon I got the bike. My fiancé bought me the bike for my birthday but it showed up about 3 months after but I was surprised by how light weight it was for a steel frame.
Yes it was ordered from bikes direct, I think the kilo tt was on back order. I’m pretty sure that the site mentioned something like that.
Pearl Izumi makes fusion clothes btw the two. I wear cycling clothes with high visibility colors to exercise. I sometimes go grocery shopping in my bike clothes 😂.
Love your points, and you do have a solid argument for street clothes over cycling clothes. But for me, kits are preferred when riding for exercise, for a few reasons. I don't want to spend a lot of money when I continuously ruin my street clothes due to wear and sweat. I went through four pairs of pants one year at school when I rode around campus (I wasn't even riding far). I looked into pants made more for riding, and they were more than $100 a pair. Not justifiable. I have 5 cycling kits, a couple of them I've had for more than 4 years. I've spent about $150 on them combined. In addition, I have some socks specific to riding. I like wearing this because these fabrics are designed for the stress and use wirh cycling, and will not wear like normal, everyday fabrics. These clothes are used only for riding, as well, so they get used less frequently, but more specifically. I also have two pairs of padded shorts I can wear underneath normal clothes, which are great for when I want to look more casual when riding. I just couldn't justify wearing street clothes for my workouts.
Always rocking an oversize T-shirt on my bike
Same here, kinda.
If I'm going out for a workout, I will always wear cycling clothes "kit". I'm not a pro, but am happy seeing marginal gains during training that makes me motivated to keep getting faster. The performance benefits are obvious to anyone that has worn "kit" before. The comfort over a long ride is huge especially with my tree trunk thighs not rubbing together causing chaffing. I have tried tons of saddles and now use the same saddle on all the bikes I ride regularly. No matter what having padding in your clothing will help on a long ride.
If I am simply commuting I will most likely wear comfortable clothes that fit the weather. I usually have to carry a fanny pack or some other type of bag to carry things that I would normally carry in my pockets. I do not like having bulky items in my pant pockets while riding as these things get in the way.
I am lucky to have a mostly fixed but all inclusive group ride every Monday (Shoutout to Smashbros Las Vegas!). Depending on how I feel, I will wear full kit or street clothes with a cycling short underneath for comfort. The group overall has a nice mix of people that will always wear kit, partial kit or street clothes.
I feel like he made this video in haste instead of taking a step back and asking why the people at the track were upset. The people at the track didn't tell him to wear a kit everyday
I argue that riding naked is the best. People just see a brown blur going 30 down the street anyway.
Free the bulge! Cant hide this monster anyway
Plus riding naked is even more aero dynamic than cycling jersey and shorts 😂
@@ScoutJoe Your hair will give u some resistance.
Brown blur? At least get off the bike when you start shitting, man.
Nice video. Now show us some of the bike rides around there.
Most road saddles have been designed with the use of a chammy in mind
Me: Chill rides & commuting: Regular clothes. Training/Group rides & Road/Gravel racing: Bibs & Jersey. Track & CX racing: Skinsuit.
If your bike geometry and riding style doesn’t require you to be aggressive or aero, then ya get a comfy saddle. If you want to go fast and ride with hard efforts, then get an aggressive race saddle and wear kit. Acting like the saddle is the problem because you wear padded kit just means you aren’t riding hard enough. Some people want to ride hard, and enjoy the benefits of kit.
And as you like to say, whatever bike, gear, etc that gets you riding your bike more is what you should do. Rationalizing your own choice to avoid cycling kit is a good topic for a video though I guess.
I can name one situation where cycling kit wins hands down - when it rains... I'll ride wearing anything. Casual clothes, full Lycra, whatever. But if it rains, you don't even feel it when the skin tight Lycra is soaked. But casual shirts and shorts or pants? Oh I very quickly become a wet and miserable...
A valid point using a saddle that suits the individual. All my bikes have to be useful so my everyday clothes are employed. I have never found the need for special trousers and padded shorts having used Brooks saddles on most of my bikes. For a gentleman of a certain age lycra is not a good look! For touring rides I find my hill walking strides and shirt are multi purpose: breathable, wicking and quick drying. For wet weather (in the UK this is a common event) a cape and light weight overtrousers are used. Each to their own; wear what you are comfy in.
I'm a roadie, so I usually wear kit. It gets hot AF in southern Arizona this time of year. But for short commutes or errands, I'm fine riding in street clothes. In fact, I'm about to buy a single speed commuter bike. But just a cheap one. Gotta see if I like it first. 👍
I'm a daily rider and commuter and I freaking LOVE my Betabrand Bike to Work Jeans 10.0! Tapered legs, gusseted crotch, stretchy, and built-in reflectors..they're worth the $$. The originals are awesome too for cold weather riding because they're pretty heavy cotton mixed with a little stretchy-something.
I don’t even own a bike and I’m watching this at 12:23 am
go get one
you got one?
@@12823matthewkao haha no
I sweat through my ass/back too much. With this 100+ degree weather in SoCal summers, a full kit is a musssttt for me to cool off and feel comfortable. Winter on the other hand, i can almost wear whatever. More often than not, I'm usually kitted up just cause that's what most comfortable for me.
update: i simply don't care when getting coffee/lunch fully kitted. Rock those bulges, baby.
But seriously... I have my street/track bike for somewhat casual and my road/race bike for strictly riding.
Normal for riding around town ,and lycra when training ,wich really helps with weight ,aero eficiency and breathability!
Also ,winter cycling gear is unmistakably a must. They are design to be light ,good insulant ,confortable ,and most of all warm.
This new rider just started researching bicycle clothing with some reluctance. Can not believe I found this video first. I'm going to find the most comfortable "street" clothing I can. Thanks greatly for this video.
When I go out for a ride for exercise, I wear a loose fitted synthetic sports t-shirt, padded cycling shorts under loose fitted sports shorts with a pair of mountain bike styled SPD cleats. This helps keep me cool, wick sweat and I don't look like a Tour de France wannabe. If that's a look you like, cool. But I think most cycle specific clothing looks silly and is grossly over priced. Any other type of ride for me is in casual clothes and my pedals are dual platform (flat one side and SPD other) so I can wear regular shoes.
Thank you Zach. Your videos help me motivate myself to continue cycling in my everyday life to get to my jobs, hang out with friends, do groceries and everything else in between. I wear linen shirts, cotton t’s and jeans too with a cap. I use my bike as a tool and it’s become easier for me in my experience to just get on my bike and go as you’ve mentioned in this vid. I’ve had my doubts at times about cycling. Like if I really need kit to ride around.. and I’ll admit it did halt me from cycling everyday because I felt like I needed to own kit. Like I needed to fit into the look of cycling to ride my bike. I felt like a poser or like I did not belong. However you helped me snap out of that, and now it’s so easy to just hop on my bike and go wherever. My mind is set on cycling as a part of my life, in my everyday. Again, thank you and best regards.. Katherine.
It’s the people who feel like they have to have full cycle kit to ride that are the posers, real cyclists, like you Catherine, care more about getting onto their bike than they do about what anyone else thinks about them.
It really depends on the weather man. I would wear any clothes on a cold weather day. But I live in the Philippines so sometimes the cycling gears is better as it will not absorb water that much and easily drys off.
In the recent Great British Divide endurance race cyclists spent 10hrs plus in the saddle. A common complaint was sweating so much in cycling shorts salt crystals would form in the chamois and shred the butt causing sores and blisters. 😮 i wear merino wool leggings or basic cotton shorts and cover 50km with no problem. Let your butt breath…
Fixed gear I'm always out in regular street clothes cuz I typically rided fixed in the city or to get lunch. I ride my road bike for longer distances and trails, and I have to be in cycling clothe for that. The cycling short pockets are amazing and so are the Jersey pockets.
Can we aknowledge that he was called out on a velodrome instead of the city streets
Cycling clothes. To look cool. To feel like a cyclist. And for comfort. And if they get dirty, that's okay. I wear commuter shorts over my bike shorts, for modesty sake. They're super breathable, comfy and look better whilst walking about.
@BeboSaab you don't know much about girls, don't you?:)
I'm new to riding and considered going the cycling shorts band aid option due to a "slightly" uncomfortable saddle that doesn't seem to be able to dial in. I decided to stick to regular wear, but fear the amount of money I'll have to drop to find the "right" saddle--because being new, makes it hard to know what I would even need to be more comfortable in the first place.
One day, riding into a very strong headwind on a long stretch of open trail, a fully kitted guy on a fancy geared carbon bike couldn't catch up with me (on a Wabi fixed gear). I was wearing a flannel shirt and jeans; when I stopped at a trailhead intersection to check my phone/email, he caught up, and the first thing he said was something to the effect, pretty fast for a guy in jeans no less. I guess that's a compliment with a trace of sarcasm mixed in...
Cargo bid and a tshirt is my summer time go to kit
I hate cycling clothing. The fashion show not as bad on the mountain trails. Wear what is comfortable. But cycle shorts under regular clothes make a difference.
The one thing you didn’t mention is the pockets you get with jerseys. You can fit most tools you’ll need for a short ride, energy bars, bottles, phone etc.
Turbo Yoda he did
When I use my bike to go to work I wear normal every day clothes, but sometimes I have to bring with me a change of clothing depending on the weather conditions. But, I also like to wear the full cyclist attire when I'm out on a long ride or when I go for a not so long ride but with the solely purpose of ride my bike.
Fully agree with the comment of bicycle shorts (with the padding sewn in) vs the comfort of the saddle. I'll ride around in regular clothing for most rides, and will only use bicycle shorts for bumpy rides (when I know they're coming up).
While I do wear normal clothes most of the time I ride my bicycle, I do find the lycra jersey useful for the convenience of having those 2 or 3 cargo pockets in the lower back. You can stash money and repair kit in the back without having to carry a backpack / messenger bag.
I probably wear "cycling clothes" 2 to 3 times a year, whereas I ride a bicycle around 200+ days a year.
I live in Wisconsin, where it rarely gets super hot. I mostly wear regular/street/casual clothes during most season. On my summer commutes, I will usually wear a jersey while riding and change into another shirt when I arrive. During the winter I almost always have tights on under my jeans/regular clothes. Longer rides (50+ miles), when the ride is the most important thing and not any other destination or activity, I'll usually wear cycling shorts (sometimes under looser shorts). I have gone through a lot of saddles over the years though, finding what works for me and what does not.
I wear cycling shorts and wear regular t shirts ,its hot and humid here in Chicago
U lowkey right
Another Chicago viewer!
x_money 5 yes low key
Valeria Martinez yes chicago viewer
By the way, I really appreciate how you just do your own thing, not seeking to fit in with the crowd. I'm the same way; I'm a free thinker. I like to see people who are unique (real humans), as apposed to the mindless drones that seem to be taking over the world these days. Dare to be different...Note, I don't even ride a fixie, except for my beach cruiser (all of my other bike have gears), but I like your channel.
Lycra for life! A good quality racing kit feels right even when you not racing. And shave my legs too, can't look sexy wearing Lycra with hairy legs. Tried wearing jeans and t shirt one day and felt miserable on the bike.
Totally agree that cycling kit can get in the way of riding. I very seldom ride longer than 20 miles and almost always just for transport. It's very liberating to just ride in good fitting clothes of the right materials.
Fixie plus street wear is so cool like a skate boarder with street wear
Of course you can ride in Street clothes. You can also ride a single speed bike, or even fixed gears. Sometimes making things unnecessarily hard and uncomfortable is part of the appeal.
But just as I like my derailleur, freewheel and brakes, I also like my cycling clothing.
Now if I just have 5km to a restaurant in nice weather, and if I have all the time in the world, of course I will wear street clothes. But any distance longer than that, or anywhwre I need to get in a hurry, or if there is any chance of rain, and it's cycling kit for me. Disappearing into a bathroom, get the sweat off, and change into a second set of clothes is much less annoying than spending a day in the office drenched in sweat and smelling, or being miserable spending an evening in wet and muddy clothes because you happenend to get caught in two minutes of rain.
Seersucker? Seersucker?!! Zack, I've discovered a new level of respect for you.
Group rides I wear cute cycling clothes. Riding daily or to work, I wear regular without clothes tank top and leggings and i wear whatever I’m wearing that day for work. Ride happy ride wear what makes you comfortable
It’s funny, I’ve been wearing these Dickie’s cargo pants that are large on me and I roll the legs up enough so they don’t interfere w/ my bike’s mechanisms. But these pants over time just became my “cycling pants”, they’re so damn comfortable and useful. Cargo pockets are perfect for snacks, keys, earphone holders, whatever. Definitely my go to at the moment and for the last 2 years. The size of them also allows for a fantastic range of motion and excellent breathability for short and long rides.
I wore street clothes riding a bike for 20 years of riding while mtb. I recently got into road cycling and while self conscious about my physique, I bit the bullet and went with a full kit, 10000% better than street clothes. I'm more performant, less drag and much more confortable and don't have to worry about my t-shirt getting sweaty and neck stretched from sweat.
If you doing city riding and not over exerting yourself and using it as an alternative form of commuting, regular clothes should be fine
For me I only wear a jersey when I’m training or racing. Everything else including riding the turbo trainer is in shorts and a t shirt
Agreed
Cycling shorts under those jeans is a godsend on rides.
I’ve been looking for easy commuter videos (20min to work) maybe stop at the market to or from, and NO ONE seems to make videos about it.
I want to ride my bike, but don’t want to bring street clothes/shower/the whole rigamarole, or look like a weird cyclist wannabe. I just want to look good and commute.
Thank you for making videos like this, I don’t care what anyone says.
Casual street cloths! 👍🏽👍🏽
I have only ever worn a tee shirt and shorts, possibly carrying an extra t shirt, when really hot. Works great unless the temps drop down into the 20's, at which time I will add a windbreaker. Keeps me cool as possible, yet still presentable in public.
My favorite thing to wear is cargo shorts for the extra pocket space. And a dryfit gym shirt. But yea wear whatever u feel comfortable in
Street clothes if you are just commuting its fine.
Cycling kit for serious riding, and the drag your clothes create is actually noticeable if you are traveling at speed.
If you don’t know the value of a chamois you haven’t ridden hard enough or long enough. Saddle sores and moisture rashes can happen even if you have the world’s best custom saddle. I appreciate your appeal to casual clothes, and your points are valid in favor of them, but I basically disagree with every “negative” aspect of cycling clothes you brought up. Elitism among cyclists is nothing compared to the grief dolled out by regular non-cyclists toward people wearing lycra. I only wear cycling kit for long rides and most of the time I dress casual, but there are very good reasons why cycling kit exists. Wind resistance being a huge one.
I find shorts and a t shirt mostly comfortable for all my rides. But when it is colder tapperd slacks and jeans are what I wear.
Hi Zach. I live here in Sacramento (sorry I didn't make it to your last group ride before you went overseas) and I wear normal clothes. I always have and always will. I agree with you that I am not a pro, never going to be a pro, so why try to look like a pro. Even in the heat just a cotton shirt and shorts are fine with me. I do ride a single speed because I am 59 years old and my knees would not take a fixed gear. Thank you for your content. It is always enjoyable.
I ride a combination, I do deliveries on my bike.
I always wear padded cycling underwear under shorts, that could be denim or some kind of quick dry shorts that look sharp.
I love padded cycling underwear, bc it's the best of both worlds, where you're on/off your saddle 8 hours a day.
Jeans when casual, lycra when I'm serious.
I like both.
If you ain't a pro rider. If you are in doubt, look at Copenhagen and Amsterdam, and how they do things, because they know.
Depends on what I'm doing. Group rides, cycle clothing. Out for a cafe crawl, family adventure, off and on the bike, wanting to look normal, normal clothes. Bike touring, a combination of both. Comfortable saddle, yes indeed. Watch out with baggy shorts and quick release on seats, especially in the wet. In the wet I prefer my cycling kit.
For longer rides, I put gel bike shorts underneath cargo shorts. I'm a big guy so I like having the cushion. Otherwise, I'll normally just wear whatever when I ride.
I only am willing to wear cycling clothes that I can wear off the bike without looking like a tool.
I had an amazing cycling jacket that was quite probably the only 100% waterproof garment I have ever owned, it just had one large back right pocket that didn’t buldge in an unsightly way, cycling jackets are really the main thing I will bother with because they are the easiest place to find a hood large enough to fit over a helmet.
I started riding with street gear more, but something that's breathable. I also wear cycling shorts underneath my shorts or jeans unless Im going on an endurance ride like a metric century or gravel ride in the heat.
Cotton/polyester blend tees are great too. Underwear can't be cotton though, synthetic boxers for running are better. I've stopped wearing cycling kits too, they look inappropriate when off-bike
I wear a cycling jersey. I'm like you Zach, I use my bicycle for transportation. Proper cycling clothes are more comfortable, as they were actually designed for cycling. I live in Florida where it is quite warm. The cycling outfit absorbs sweat; it could be soaking wet; however, no one can tell that when I'm off my bike, walking around in a store, for example. Also, the material dries out very quickly. I do not wear padded shorts, as I chose a seat that is very comfortable, without the need for padding. Like you, I don't like the feeling of wearing a diaper. Lastly, to avoid the embarrasment of walking around in tight spandex shorts whenever I'm off my bike, I bring a pair of nylon running type shorts with me everywhere I go, and I slip those on over my cycling shorts.
For many many people, getting the right clothes for the right situation is important, and it's also about getting in the trip of it. Obviously when you ride a simple looking city bike like he is, regular clothes do actually look better, but when riding a racing bike, or mountain bike, or some top name hybrids, people want to basically look the part. Image is an important part of their hobby. You can compare it to any other sports,or hobby. So to each their own I guess
It's true that hot and sweaty is hot and sweaty, there really isn't a medium. It does matter though if you live in a more northerly climate and you commute through the winter.
When it's -20 c and I'm on my bike I need more technical fabrics simply to avoid excessive weight and bulk while riding all layered up.
In summer, more technical fabrics are nicer for long rides because wet natural fibers can start to chafe pretty badly, pretty quickly.
I like to wear casual clothes on my bike if I'm just going around the block and getting am ice cream or saying hi to my mates. But i strongly prefer proper lycra if I'm going to be pushing for my regular 100 cadence and trying to get to 20 mph. It's all about the situation, yup. No point in getting kitted up if you're just going for a leisurely pub ride
I could not agree more. I do not need those diaper padded bike shorts at all, just a good fitting saddle. Finding a good fitting saddle is actually more difficult for women, but in my opinion, Specialized finally addresses this issue with the Women's Power Saddle with Mimic. Also, get your sit bones measured at a bike shop that offers this, or learn how to measure them yourself. There are plenty of videos that show you how. Also for both men and women, Specialized makes the Power saddle that began as a women's specific saddle. Just what works for me. Saddles are personal for everyone. For clothes I never where a kit, I have cycling specific clothing made by Chrome, SWRVE, DUER, and I almost always go for natural materials that breathe like wool for socks and tops. For shorts, knickers, and jeans, I make sure the seam is gusseted. I personally find Chrome Union shorts, and the knickers they sell sometimes to be the most comfortable of all. For shoes I also love Chrome cycling shoes. I am not a pro racer, and like to be able to get off my bike and do stuff like errands and socializing. I do understand the need for a cycling kit if you're racing or training for events, but I used to do 100 mile centuries and never found padded cycling shorts to be right for me, just a great saddle.
I live in the Philippines were the weather is either hot and humid (32 to 38C) or it's overly raining. And I wear normal clothes when I ride to and from work. However, if I'm planning to ride my bike for a fitness ride or a century quick ride, then I find cycling clothes work better for me since I heat up easily.
I ride and commute with both kits and regular clothing depending on my mood and the weather. I have noticed that vehicles tend to leave me alone more when riding kits, somehow conveying I'm an athlete (totally not) instead of Hipster On Bike. Not sure if others experience the same treatments but it's odd to get harassed and almost hit way more when riding regular clothing vs kits. For that reason I prefer kits.
most of my close calls were in normal clothes. Both accidents were in normal clothes. Honestly, ima gonna go full tour de france daily
@@derekpoosbug dude I'm tellin' ya. It definitely shows, in my opinion, part of the bias against cyclists is in the perception of who they are beyond the bike. Hope you're okay from the accidents.
@BeboSaab Interesting! I don't know about passing space but I definitely get less aggressive drivers and almost no heckling/junk thrown at me when all bibbed up.
I don't wear cycling specific clothes but I do wear hi viz reflective vest over my Tshirt in warm weather and a hi viz Hoodie with reflective sewn in strips in cooler weather. My thought being I don't want to be hit for lack of being seen when riding. Maybe I look like a dork but if keeps me from an accident with a car I'll be your Dork!
love to wear baggy clothes and scream "DRAFT ME!" at some middle aged spandex men who spent 10k on their canyon bikes during their midlife crisis, just to zoom past them a minute later.
I know this is 3 years old. But I am here now. I prefer street clothes, so that I don't have to change when I am running around. The only benefit in my opinion is the great pockets on a jersey. I have a couple cycling jerseys that I buy a baggy fit, to fit more like street clothes if I want the pockets
Cycling kit if long ride, jeans and a tee for short ride
lululemon makes these slacks called ABC (anti-ball crushing) pants with a reflective internal inseam that's visible when you roll them up. they hem them for you if needed and they have a freaking lifetime warranty.
Jersey when I go for a club ride or endurance ride. And casual clothes when commuting in city
Good video Zach! I agree with most of your points made. I ride a minimum average of 60 miles per week for the last year and have only worn regular street clothes the entire time.
I am right with you on the clothes part. I live in Sedona soooo a fixed gear doesn't work. I do share your love for steel bikes. This is why i found a lugged Bianchi MTB and converted it to a 1 x 10. Oh! You are so dead on correct about the bike shop thing!
I think at least cycling shorts under my pants or shorts is the best of everything. If you are going for style, then a properly fitting saddle might go against your style points. I also think the cycling shorts will provide more so protection to fatigue which will happen on any saddle after a certain amount of time.
I love cycling clothes but yeah, going to the cafe to work on graphic design or going to the supermarket in cycling shoes is ridiculous. So I have pedals with straps/cages for 9/10 times I’m riding my bike. But I have road pedals and shoes if I ever wanna pick up track racing again.
Certainly dress for the occasion and what makes you feel good but also just make sure you don’t injury yourself unintentionally.
I wear close to what you wear, Zach-t-shirt and quick-dry pants because they're breathable and light-weight.
I don't wear kit because the wardrobe change is not practical for me. It's also a scene I'm not personally into. Just a personal preference.
I love this vid! I agree completley. Except for the winter. I totally wear cycling winter clothes. Otherwise the wind would be biting through my jeans and I'd be wearing a huge coat while I try to climb hills in 20° weather for 12 miles to work at 5am, hahaha. But that's just me.
I wear both, depending upon which bike, and whether it's just exercise. Interesting San Diego story about this too. I rode the Adam's Avenue 100 in 2012. It was crazy hot that day. Full cycling kit and road bike. Saw a guy riding a really nice steel frame bike, while wearing cut-off shorts and a T-shirt. He was passing tons of people, like it was nothing, barely breaking a sweat. I was wondering how this dude looked so casual, but was just flying along on a vintage bicycle. Turns out it was Thor Hushovd, former World Champion, and multiple day Yellow Jersey in the Tour de France. So, if the former World Champion can ride fast while looking casual, it's just not an issue for anyone else. Just ride.