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.

I really rate santini shorts, have tried many. Can do 100 mile + rides and combined with chamois cream no discomfort. One of the girls in our club got a set and now half a dozen of us sport them.

Jerseys are much of a muchness, i have many but wear the same ones over and over. You do get what you pay for so if you are doing longer rides I would advocate buying the best you can afford.

cardicorgi What exactly are you supposed to do with the chamois cream?! Treat the padding or your bits?

Had a bad day on the bike on Friday. Really do not like the clip in pedals, especially going up steep hills and the fear of falling to the left under a car. I'm sure it will come but despite having a good day on Tuesday on the cycle path Friday wasn't. Dh is going to adjust the bike as my knees hurt but I think I need my confidence and brain to be adjusted as well. P'd off as until dh got involved (as he always does) I was enjoying myself. I'll never be a racer, too old for that but happy to potter along giving myself weekly goals. Df & I got up to 52kms on Tuesday though just managed 43kms on Friday before collapsing on the sofa for the rest of the day.

bikerunski and for those of you with bib shorts how do you have a pee without stripping off?

horse whisperer I don't think the Decathlon shorts are any better than my old C&A ones. Time for something better!

bib shorts mean you have to strip to pee. not handy.

chamois cream, on your bits. your immac'd veet'd bits.

I put the cream on the padding. Mostly where my sit bones are - I have a dip in my saddle where my lady bits are which takes the pressure off quite nicely but does put more on the bones.

No veet here.

I did read a nice story about a cyclist who used his girlfriend's moisturiser as chamois cream. He noticed after a while that his man-bits were going a funny colour and was about to go to the doctor in a panic when he realised that the moisturiser had a self-tanner in it

Are bib shorts comfortable for those who are large of nork? Do you wear them with a top as well?

I am trying to go out more than twice a week so need to get some new kit.

What sort of cleats are you using mountingirl? I clipped in for the first time a couple of weeks ago and am getting on fine. I had the clips and cleats adjusted by the bike shop so they are quite easy to get out of.

You def need to top with bib shorts! They are a bit like cycle short dungarees, the top part is generally just straps so you don't have to have a waist band round your middle. They are a faff for toilet stops tho, especially if it is a wild toilet break rather than in a cubicle!

Reading this is making me sad I don't get out on my bike much these days, and my road bike is gathering dust in the shed as it can't take a child seat.

Mountaingirl - forgot to say, OH told me that Chain reaction post free to france so they would be a good bet for you!

Oh, I just thought. There is a women's cycing forum. It's US-based but is a mine of information: Team Estrogen

I'd really recommend getting a pair of fingerless cycling gloves. DP never wore them, and then he got knocked off his bike. Of course the first thing you do is put your hands out to stop yourself and the injury was quite severe. Of course once it's happened, you notice that everyone else is already wearing them .