Road biking clothes

[mountaingirl]

What make of cycling shorts would you recommend?
Also have any of you got the Montane featherlite velo jacket?
I'm new to cycling and have an old pair of Rodeo (C&A) lycra shorts with not a huge amount of padding and need a light, packable, jacket.
Thanks.

[OpusProSerenus]

It may not be upmarket enough for you, I don't know much about biking stuff but Aldi get biking stuff in their weekly offers every so often called Crane Sports. DH has some and loves it.

[nevergoogle]

Altura are good value.
I wear longs or 3/4 length though as i don't like my knees.
I also have a pair of winter longs from 'funkier' which are good.
Another good value brand is Craft.
try wiggle or evans websites.

[nevergoogle]

yep, the aldi stuff is pretty good.

[nocake]

My favourite bike shorts are made by Lusso. DHB are also pretty good for the money (i.e. not too much).

[mountaingirl]

Thank you all for your replies.
Don't think there is an Aldi here near me in France. I have looked at the Evans and Wiggle sites.... there is so much choice! Definitely cheaper to buy in the Uk than over here.

[ivykaty44]

Just remember that cycling clothing comes up very small I am a size 12 in normal clothing and would need a 16 or large in a lot of cycling stuff

[shelscrape]

Aldi and lidl stuff is surprisingly very functional. But I just love Wiggle!! Utterly faab website, DHB is their own make which wears very well. Altura is rather good too. Wiggle will ship overseas, just make sure you read all the product reviews to ensure you get the right size

[mountaingirl]

Do you have shorts with the ergonomic ladies shaped padding?! If so does it make a big difference when cycling?

ivykate Sizing really is an issue isn't it? Quite depressing when one has to buy an L or XL when one is a size 12. I tried various items on at our local cycling shop and felt quite huge afterwards!

Another question if I may. Do you all cycle with clip in shoes and pedals? Dh insisted on getting me some at the weekend. Tried them out yesterday but found my legs/ knees ached a bit. Suppose I just need to get used them and get over the terror of clipping in and forgetting to clip out!

[nevergoogle]

i'm clipped in, i had them set fairly loosely at first.
if your knees are aching it might be that your cleats are set at the wrong angle putting pressure on your knees, make sure you're knees are straight.
also check your saddle height. too low and you can get knee pain.

i wear ladies padded shorts as the padding is wider for my humungous arse.

[nevergoogle]

oh, and you will forget to unclip, or even unclip the wrong side.
it's all part of the fun.

[mountaingirl]

nevergoogle Thanks for that. I've had normal pedals with toe clips until Saturday so I know the saddle height is ok but will see if the cleats are ok. I did a fair bit of uphill last week so hope it was just that.

I am terrified of falling off the bike cleated in! I remember the pain of falling off my bike as a kid and am too old for that now! I accidentally cleated my left foot into the pedal when I went over a speed bump in the road then broke out in a cold sweat knowing I had to cleat out at the up and coming junction. I can only do my left foot though as that is the foot I put on the ground. Dh thinks I'm a wimp!

I think padded shorts are a must, my old shorts have very little padding but as I'm cycling for longer periods I think a pair with more padding are in order.

[IndridCold]

Altura progel shorts are quite comfortable and not too pricey. You can get them as shorts or undershirts.

Good luck with the clipless pedals! I'm too much of a coward, in spite of nagging by DH.

[IndridCold]

Also Chain Reaction often have very good bargains on women's cycling clothing...

[mountaingirl]

ingridcold thanks for that. If I was you I'd recommend that you take no notice of your dh! I think my dh's ears were burning yesterday when I fell off my bike with my feet still attached to the cleats! I am now sporting a grazed knee with gravel embedded in it and a few more new bruises and a drop in confidence. nevergoogle I'm not sure if falling off my bike is fun!

[nevergoogle]

ah, no, that doesn't sound like fun.
i always fall off from stationary. that's always hilarious especially if you take someone else down with you.
why did you fall off?

[mountaingirl]

I fell off because there were bollards blocking the cycle path and had to take an alternative route up to the road. I had unclipped when I started to slow down then turned up a steep path. It was steeper than I anticipated and didn't get into the correct gear. Thinking my left foot was unclipped I went to put my foot down when suddenly I was thrown sideways, landed on my knee and fell into my friends bike! Oops! Luckily my friend and I had a good laugh. Think I will have to practice a lot on gentle hills and the flat.

I must say after having spent a couple of years running and not seeing any difference in my body shape I have dropped a dress size and reduced the cellulite on my legs in the last few weeks cycling. Very motivating! I am surprised that there isn't more cycling chat on Mumsnet.

[nevergoogle]

shh, it's secret.

[mountaingirl]

Ha! Shame though. I find the chat on the cycle forums very male orientated.

[IndridCold]

I also think it's a shame that more women don't take up cycling. If you are overweight and aren't used to exercise it's much lower impact than running, and you can even combine it with shopping!

I started about three years ago so I could take DS cycling, but am now fitter and healthier than ever. DH started too (he was feeling left out) and has lost over three stone!

We are all waiting breathlessly for the Tour de France next month...

[Thistledew]

I started cycling in February of this year and am really enjoying it.
I have just got back from a 20 mile ride. DP is doing the London to Brighton today, and whilst I am looking forward to the 26 mile London Bikeathon next weekend, I don't think I would survive the 54 miles to Brighton, especially with Ditchling Beacon thrown in!
I have got Avenir shorts, which seem quite good quality and value for money. My bike has a very narrow racing seat so no way would I go for a ride in unpadded shorts!
I just bought cycling shoes yesterday but the shop did not have the pedals with the clips that I want so I will have to wait for those. I am looking forward to being clipped in because I feel that I am wasting energy at the moment with my foot sliding about on the pedal. Not looking forward to the inevitable failures to unclip though!

I would recommend trying to find a good independent bike shop. I am lucky that there is a really good one just around the corner from me, and DP and I have spent so much money there we get favoured customer status and mostly don't have to pay for services!

Is anyone else doing the Bikeathon next weekend? Or any other organised cycle rides this year?

[mountaingirl]

Well done Thistledown. Was it fun? Good luck with the cycle shoes/pedals. I'm back out on mine tomorrow. Hopefully I won't hurt myself again!

ingridcold that is a pretty impressive weightloss. Your Dh must be very pleased.

My Dc x3 all want road bikes now.

[BikeRunSki]

Gore or Pearl Izumi EVERY time. extremely well made, last for years.

I have a pair of Pearl Izumi women specif bib shorts and a pair of their knickers (3/4 length tights) which must be both getting on for ten years old, and were certainly used several times a week and at least one week end day all day for the first 7 years of their lives, less with DC/pg. I find anything else and uncomfortable false economy.

I have friends who swear by Sugoi and Terry too.

Lovely women specific cycling kit at Minx Girl. Really helpful too if you are confused about anything.

[hoarsewhisperer]

if you live in France I'd recommend Decathlon own brand...cheap and very effective. They have a website too.
if money is no object is Castelli all the way! They are the best shorts i have ever owned and relatively flattering to boot.

[CardiCorgi]

My favourite shorts are probably the Bontrager ones I got in a bargain bin. I also have a pair from Assos, but their kit is generally ????? (no pound sign, but you get the idea).
Another vote here for the minx, they are really nice if you need to contact them.

Does anyone else use chamois cream? Known round here as "minty bum cream".

[MorganMindy]

Gore or Specialized for me. Got Specialized shorts for road and a pair of their MTB shorts and they're all very comfortable. Gore does come up very small in size but is nicely made. I buy a lot of stuff from Wiggle, mainly out of season when it's highly discounted. I have got a pair of DHB long bib tights for the winter, they're very warm and weren't that expensive, padding doesn't feel quite as comfy for me as the Specialized ones though.

The cleats take a while to get used to but do make a huge difference in your cycling. Everyone falls off at first but it won't take long to become second nature. I'm even clipped in on my MTB now which was v scary at first, wouldn't go back to flat pedals now though. One thing I do is plan ahead, when I come up to a junction, even if it's clear, I change gear then unclip, if the junction stays clear I just clip back in and go but I'm ready for a quick stop if not.

There's actually lots of female cyclists/triathletes on the Runners World forum, it's not so male dominated as bike radar etc. I lurk between there and here