One of the prerequisites for cycle touring is to keep your weight down. one of the areas this impacts most upon is the clothing that you can take with you.
The clothing you need to take has to be lightweight, strong, wear proof, and fit for the purpose. Stylish also helps but that in the eye of the beholder.
The images on the page below are of the cycle clothing I use and are hyperlinked to the online shop I bought them from. I am not affiliated in any way with the products, I use them and recommend them, that's all, and the images can serve as examples as well.
Cycle Shorts
Often when cycling people just use cycle shorts and no underpants. Personally I find that disconcerting and it means you have to wash your cycling shorts frequently.
When touring I wear cycle shorts with a padded rear. Under them I wear underpants. The secret to being able to wear underpants is to make sure you get ones where there isn't a seam where you sit.
Last
time I was touring, I forgot about the seam problem and found after 5 days I
had literally worn a hole in my rear. It blistered and went raw. At the time
I couldn't work out why my cycle shorts were so uncomfortable and why I had
trouble on the bike seat. It was a painful and embarrassing lesson.
The cycle shorts I use I have owned for years, they are tough, wear well, and very comfortable, they also pass a cursory glance as 'normal' shorts. Unless you are cycling in the winter shorts such as these also are comfortable in the rain. Whatever you use they must be easy to wash, dry fast, be lightweight, and give good movement.
In more conservative countries, lycra cycle shorts might not be appropriate, especially for women, but even for men. Don't put your comfort over the sensibilities of the locals, getting stones thrown at you is not a nice experience. If you wear lycra shorts then a lightweight pair of ordinary shorts over the top is a good compromise.
Cycling tops
Lightweight, quick drying, non smelly, modern clothing is fantastic for
cycling. Materials like Coolwear, Drytech,
Intercool,
type fabrics keep you dry and keep the sun off. Never wear cotton, it just
holds the water and smells quickly.
These fabrics are not expensive, although dedicated cycle wear can cost money, if you look carefully around a clothing discounter, or cheap clothing outlets, you will find normal sports clothing that are just as suitable. My favourite shirt came from an "Aldi" outlet in Germany, and cost only 10 Euro. its a dedicated cycle shirt with a big pocket at the rear, great for putting biscuits in for a quick munch when you are riding.
You only need 2 or 3 shirts at the most and they take up no weight at all.
I have met cyclists, predominantly German, who wear Merino tops summer and winter, They swear by them being cool in summer and warm in winter. Personally, I find merino tops a needless expense, but everyone needs some luxuries.
Cycle jackets
Being seen on the road is of primary importance when cycle touring. The
last thing you need is an accident with
a
vehicle miles away from a hospital or in a 3rd world country. To that end we
wear very lightweight visibility vests. These vests are fluro yellow and
have a mesh back on them. They are great in the cool of the morning to keep
the wind off your chest, yet in the heat of the day the mesh prevents
sweating. They have never faded in the sun and can act as a shell layer in
the cool.
Cycle gloves
You need them. Nothing worse than sweaty hands on the handgrips. They also
double as sweat wipers for your forehead. On an earlier tour, though Turkey,
I splashed out and bought an expensive pair of cycling gloves,
with
gel inserts for better cushioning. I was really pleased with them and used
them constantly. However one day I lost one glove, and had to resort to a
spare pair of 2 Euro gloves I threw in the bag just before leaving. So for
about 1500kms or more I had one expensive glove and one cheap glove.
My conclusions? There was no difference between the two, despite the cost and gel of the expensive glove my hands didn't notice the difference, in fact the gel inserts worked loose and were lost, while the cheap glove just carried on.
Also after wearing gloves for a while you develop a strange tanning situation, where you arms are bronzed yet your hands are white with the tips of your fingers and one spot by the thumb brown. You start to resemble a character from the Black and White minstrel show.
The best thing about gloves is the psychological boost they give in the morning, putting your gloves on means you are getting ready to move out, and for me that led to anticipation for the new day.
Cycle rainwear
The rainwear you take depends on where you are cycling. New Zealand has a
very changeable climate and particularly if you are cycling the West Coast
of New Zealand you can expect rain, and heaps of it. However in
![cycle rainwear](cycle-touring-images/cycle-rainwear.jpg?cycle+pic=class="img-pic")
Turkey we
only had rain for a morning the entire time there.
For New Zealand I took a Gore-Tex jacket, sure it was heavier than a normal cycling jacket, but I knew it would go 8 hours without leaking. Overseas I took a more lightweight jacket. Rain coats double as pillows at night as well so some extra size comes in handy.
Whatever you get make sure that they are breathable and flexible for cycling. Dedicated cycling jackets have arms that are pre-bent at the elbows and thumb tags that go around your thumb to keep the sleeves down. They may also come with storage pockets at the rear to hold other gear and fold down to very small packages.
I have never taken cycle leggings, preferring to let my legs get wet, and my socks soaked and worry about that at the next camp. You can't get too soft cycling.
Cold Clothing
Even in the middle of summer you might encounter conditions needing warm clothing. To this end I take a lightweight polypro long sleeved shirt and leggings. As I only take a summer sleeping bag these double as night wear if it gets cold. Such gear is not expensive, and lasts for ever. If cycling in the cold the leggings can be worn under the shorts, and although the style police might arrest you they are functional and warm, even in the rain
Cycle Touring clothing Summary
- "Purchase in haste, repent at leisure". Take care with buying the correct the clothing you use.
- Don't feel you have to buy the most expensive, cheap clothing suitable for cycling can be found in any sports shop or clothing discounter.
- Never wear cotton, always go for modern dry tech type clothing
- In the cold polypro is a cheap and functional alternative to expensive materials.
- Higher glove cost does not equal to increased comfort in the long term.
- If you wear underwear, make sure you do not sit on the seams, choose them carefully
- Take a visibility jerkin to be seen on the road. A mesh backed one keeps you cool
- Take a rain coat to meet the conditions you expect. Nothing worse than cycling in the rain when your coat fails.
- Consider the cultures you are visiting and dress so as to not offend them.