What gear do I need to start?

[tilda282]

What shorts to buy and how I stop the chafing and riding up?

Bib shorts will help (I use the ones with straps but don’t wear the straps as otherwise it’s a nightmare going to the loo) but to be honest you will still get a sore bum. If you do enough riding your bum will harden a bit and this will
stop. So you kind of have to just plough through for a while.

You can buy waist shorts @garlictwist😀 No straps then

A bike

What length of ride are you starting with? If it's a few miles, normal clothes and a padded saddle are fine. If you're going to be out for a couple of hours and covering 30+ miles, a pair of cycling shorts with a chamois, and a narrower saddle, will help. Some retailers usefully describe their shorts with the duration of ride they're comfortable for. Generally, the ones comfortable for 6+ hrs are more pricy than for 1-2 hours.

Even cheap cycling shorts will come with a gripper band at the bottom of the legs that prevents the shorts riding up. If buying waist shorts, look for ones with a broader waist band, and not just a bit of elastic around the waist.

If you're riding for a while, you might also want some chamois cream to prevent chafing.

Unless you're mtb-ing and looking for baggy shorts, for women, I'd suggest starting with something like this: Women's bibless endurance road cycling shorts, EDR black | Decathlon (3-5 hr rides, has pockets, leg grippers and broad waist band), using them a few times to see how you get on and using your experience to inform your next set of shorts.

Happy cycling!

A helmet.
It is unlikely to save you in a big crash but will definitely help if you fall and hit your head on the kerb, especially your temple or forehead.

Make sure it is fitted correctly.
I maybe teaching you to suck eggs but make sure the Y strap fits comfortably just past your ear lobes, you can have two fingers between your eyebrows and front of helmet, the chin straps dont lift up to give you a strap beard and when you lean forward with the strap fastened and wiggle your head it is not loose.

For me, not a serious cyclist but really enjoy it, I found getting padded knickers from baleaf and wearing under mtb shorts or leggings worked well.

While not overly relevant in a heatwave, though I still wore it at 5am today, I also got a cycling jacket in hi vis as this came with a back pocket for my phone and can cope with getting caught in the rain.

Sun glasses for eye protection are important and in normal weather gloves and ear cover like a balaclava are necessary. Thermal layers are good too.

I would just buy items as you need them and you will quickly end up with a full and practical wardrobe.

Assuming you're a lady get a ladies saddle and a pair of proper shorts with a chamois. You don't really need bib shorts this time of the year, but in the colder months they help keep the small of your back warm.