How to avoid a nightmare. (Cycling Clothing)

Member Name: kensplace

Product:	Cycling Clothing
Date:	22/02/01 (496 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Warmth, Safety, Comfort

Disadvantages: Price, extra weight

Cycling can be enormous fun, but it can be an absolute nightmare if the heavens open and you are 50 miles from home, in the pouring rain and the howling winds, with only your mountain bike and your own rapidly decreasing energy to get you back home.

The driving rain (and how you wish you had a car to drive at moments like these) quickly soaks through your clothes, leaving you soaked to the skin, shortly after your shoes are reduced to a soggy mess of materials on your feet.

Fearing hypothermia, you have no choice other than to continue across the desolate moors,
hoping your fingers wont freeze to the handlebars.

This happened to me, and the one thing I vowed after that experience, was next time I would be better prepared.

It has cost me some money to buy the clothes I will mention, but believe me, they are a very worthwhile investment, they make cycling a much more pleasurable experience, and most importantly give me peace of mind.

Gloves
-------

Perhaps the most used article of clothing, I purchased a pair of GT Heat gloves from Halfords, they cost 19.99 which is expensive in my book, but they have certainly paid for themselves many times over, in the form of warm hands and enjoyment.

Made from Neoprene (the same material diving suits are made from) one the top, and synthetic leather on the underside, they are a full finger style glove (unlike many cycling gloves which are cut of mid-finger)

In cold weather my fingers feel cold at first, but after a short while they warm up nicely, and I feel comfortable (finger wise) to go out in snow and rain, which without good gloves I would never considering doing.

They are washable, and comfortable, and hard wearing, I have had them for a few months now, and they are not showing any signs of wear.

Waterproof Over Trousers
------------------------------

This was the last article of cycling clothing I purchased, I don
t wear them normally, but I carry them with me on long trips, so if it rains I can stop and pull them on.

Once again I found these in Halfords, and they cost me 30 quid, again I think thats expensive, but they are darn useful!

Made from waterproof, windproof, breathable material, they have scotchlite reflective strips on the back of the leg, and a articulated knee (which I find a pain when putting the trousers on) which is meant to allow flexibility of movement.

They are, as claimed, waterproof, windproof and breathable, you can wash them, and thanks to zips at the bottom they can be put on without removing your shoes.

The biggest problem with them is they dont have a pocket, so you get odd looks when fishing around inside your trousers (the ones underneath) for loose change.

T-Shirt
--------
The T-shirts I like to wear are usually designed to "wick" sweat away from the body, to keep me cool but still warm, this means that water is not trapped next to the skin in the material, but escapes up to the next layer of clothing.

They are often supplemented by a thicker T-Shirt made out of cotton on cold days, as a lots of layers is better than a single layer of clothing when outdoors.

Waterproof Jacket
-------------------
Purchased from a local camping store, at a very reasonable price of 20 pounds this is a waterproof, windproof, breathable jacket.

For those who are wondering, when I say Breathable, I mean the jacket does not allow water in, but it WILL allow water, i.e. sweat to escape so you dont boil yourself to death when you work up a sweat.

The jacket has a hood - which actually fits over my helmet and still allows me to move my head around, a feature that is missing on most jackets sadly.

It also has drawcords for tightening the hood and waist, and Velcro to tighten the ends of the sleeves around the wrist.

It folds up into a small back for
carrying, and I put my waterproof trousers into its pocket so I always have them with me.

It does not have any reflective strips but it is a highly visible yellow/orange colour, which is a handy aid for visibility as car drivers often miss cyclists unless they are lit up like a Christmas tree and wearing bright clothes.


My future purchases, when funds permit, will be a nice pair of waterproof socks, maybe some decent cycling shoes, but I think the socks may be sufficient.

And finally a balaclava for bank robberies, er sorry, windy days may also be on the cards, as long as it fits under my helmet.

Summary: