Whether you’re looking to get another ride out on the road, or you started taking some spinning classes at your gym, here are a few tips to get you thinking about what you might want to make a part of your cycling outfit or spinning outfit. Your ultimate goal is to feel comfortable on the bike – this means clothes that are breathable and allow for flexibility, among other things.
This list will give you a chance to know what’s out there in terms of cycling gear for comfort and style, and uses bike-fabulous pink cycling gear as an example! Now, although pink is used as the example, these pieces of cycling clothing are also offered in other colors if you’re looking for a little variety outside of pink.
Much of this list is more relevant for biking outdoors, but for those who are looking for spin workout outfit ideas, there are a few items on this list that could work for indoor cycling too. So take a look!
Basic components of a standard cycling outfit
Side note!
See about the best shoes for hiking in Hawaii and what to wear snorkeling in Hawaii! And for Hawaii vacation ideas, see the best things to do in Waikiki that will give you Hawaii vibes!
Cycling jersey
If you’re out for a bike ride on a warm day, cycling jerseys can be helpful for a number of reasons. They are designed to help regulate your body temperature to an extent. They are usually partial zip-up so you can zip up and down depending on how hot or cool you feel. They are also made of material that is breathable and moisture-wicking to keep sweat from soaking up your clothes. All of this can contribute to a comfortable cycling experience.
Cycling jerseys are also designed with rear pockets to store small items. These pockets are deep enough and secure enough so that you can place your keys, phone, and even a snack in your back pocket without having to worry about the items falling out as you are biking.
A quality cycling jersey can typically start at around $50 on the cheap end if you get it on sale. The (PINK) Pearl Izumi Ride Select Cycling Jersey has the qualities you’d expect in a standard cycling jersey and fits into this price range. One thing that makes this jersey different from many others is that this one features a full-length zipper down the front. You may notice that this cycling jersey is not overtly pink. However, don’t be disappointed! Pearl Izumi does offer super pink options
Bike shorts
Bike shorts are probably the first piece of cycling-specific clothing many people buy. The biggest reason that people like to have shorts that are specific to cycling is for the comfort factor. Because of the way they are padded, cycling shorts can make your time on the bike a whole lot more comfortable than a regular pair of shorts.
Much like all other cycling gear, the price can range greatly with bike shorts. The (PINK) Louis Garneau CB Carbon 2 Cycling Shorts are towards the higher end and are for better performance. They are made with a material that’s designed to last longer. The shorts are also made with special material that’s designed to help you recover faster with better support for your muscles.
Cycling shoes
Bike shoes allow you to pedal more efficiently. Since your bike shoes have stiffer soles and are clipped in securely to the pedals, the energy you put into pedaling takes you further. This allows you to go further with each pedal stroke while saving energy compared to pedaling without bike shoes clipped into your pedals.
For outdoor biking, if you’re getting bike shoes for the first time, you’ll also need to get special pedals for your bike, as the standard flat platform bike pedals won’t allow you to clip in with bike shoes. If you’d like to be able to conveniently use your bike with your bike shoes as well as your normal shoes, you may want to consider getting bike shoes compatible with pedals that have a flat platform on one side and the clipless capability on the other side. This makes it easy to go for your training ride with your bike shoes, and then the next day go for an easy ride around the neighborhood with your family in your running shoes, without having the hassle of switching out pedals.
For entry-level cycling shoes, it won’t be unexpected to find them for around the same price as quality running shoes, or maybe slightly less, which would be a bit under $100. The (PINK) Louis Garneau Ruby Cycling Shoes aren’t quite entry-level so the price is a bit higher. But with that higher price, you get higher performance value. It is designed for better breathability and airflow around your feet. It also comes with a more lightweight and aerodynamic design than standard entry-level cycling shoes. And it comes in a flashy pink color. That counts for something. 🙂
Cycling gloves
For cycling, gloves aren’t just for cold weather. Regular cycling gloves are not full-fingered gloves which makes them suitable for warmer temperatures. They also tend to be padded well in the palm areas, and many cyclists like to wear them to minimize pressure from the palms on the handlebars. Gloves are also useful so that the gloves can absorb some of the vibrations from the road. These gloves are something that you can do without, but your hands may have a more comfortable experience if you do use cycling gloves.
As part of your cycling outfit, the (PINK) Louis Garneau Blast Cycling Gloves are a relatively affordable pair of quality cycling gloves. They offer padding and ventilation in key areas to make for a more comfortable bike ride to reduce pressure on the hands, as well as reduce moisture from sweaty hands.
Socks
If you’re new to cycling, you may not put much thought into the socks you wear when you go cycling. But a good pair of socks designed for active people or workout purposes can make for a more comfortable ride. As an example, the (PINK) DeFeet Aireator Joy Rides Socks are moisture-wicking socks so a ton of moisture from your sweat isn’t trapped on or around your feet. This design for better air flow compared to your normal socks can make for a more comfortable ride… and a less stinky experience after your ride. 🙂
Cycling glasses
Your eyes are precious. Some people experience discomfort with the wind blowing into their eyes while biking, resulting in dry eyes. Not only that, it can become a dangerous distraction if something gets into your eyes while you are biking on the road. When you’re riding on the open road, debris and bugs can come at you from all directions at a high speed before you have time to react.
This is especially so if you’re biking on roads right alongside cars. So riding with cycling glasses, even if it’s not sunny, are an added level of protection for your eyes. There are also cycling glasses with clear lenses so you can still have that protection on cloudy days, and then there are the standard tinted lenses when the sun is shining bright.
Cycling-specific glasses are different from regular sunglasses in a few ways. They tend to be polarized so you won’t be bothered from any glare on the road while riding. They also have vents in key areas for better air flow around your eyes. Cycling glasses also tend to have a grip that’s better to prevent them from becoming displaced while you are on the move. Many cycling glasses also have a feature that allows you to easily interchange lenses so you can wear appropriately tinted lenses based on how sunny it is outside.
The (PINK) Smith Optics PivLock V2 Max Sunglasses are designed with cyclists in mind. In addition to many of the features that are helpful for biking outdoors, these glasses have a nose piece that is adjustable so you can make it more narrow or wide to better fit your face.
Bike helmet
And the last piece of cycling gear that will be mentioned in this first section: a bike helmet. It’s not mentioned last because it’s the least important, but because hopefully it’s the most obvious! If you’re doing any kind of biking outdoors, as they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry! And quite honestly, if you’re geared up in a cycling kit without a helmet, it’ll look weird! 🙂
In the extremely unfortunate scenario that you crash your bike, your helmet is your first line of defense for your head if it hits the pavement. The helmet will absorb some of that impact to keep you from being further injured, if not save your life. So don’t skimp on buying a helmet.
If you’re doing any kind of decent riding in which you’ll be sweating, you want to try to get a helmet that will allow for a good amount of ventilation through the top. You don’t want your head to become uncomfortably hot when you start to sweat. Vents on your helmet can help with the air flow it allows.
Decent adult helmets can start at around $50 and go up from there, and you’ll come across helmets that are significantly more expensive. One such helmet that has a high price tag that might shock you a bit is the (PINK) Louis Garneau Shine RTR Bike Helmet. This helmet is designed to be lightweight and more comfortable. It also has more of an aerodynamic design to reduce the drag from wind resistance as you’re riding along. There are also reflective elements to this helmet in the case that you’re biking as it starts to become dark. There are a number of additional form, comfort, and performance features that your standard helmet doesn’t have that adds to the quality of this helmet.
Recovery
Compression socks and sleeves
You may not see cyclists wearing compression gear when you’re out riding. Although, there are some cycling shorts that are compression cycling shorts which may have the appearance of regular bike shorts, so you wouldn’t necessarily be able to tell just by looking.
In addition to compression cycling shorts, there is also compression gear you wear on your calves in the form of socks and calf sleeves. So if you see cyclists wearing tall socks on a warm day, it’s likely that these are not just plain socks. They are probably compression socks. The idea behind any kind of compression gear for cyclists, including pink compression socks like the Zensah Tech+ Compression Socks or pink compression calf guards like the 2XU Compression Calf Guards, is that they aid in muscle recovery.
People who wear compression socks will tell you that if you wear them during a tough training session, you will find yourself a speedier recovery than if you hadn’t worn the compression gear. There is a bit of controversy about their true value, but those who do use compression gear regularly will tell you that it works! (Oh, cyclists who drink tart cherry juice may say the same thing about cherry juice! That if you drink tart cherry juice during training, it will help you to recover faster! :))
Cycling in cooler temperatures
Just because the temperature is cooler doesn’t mean that the bike needs to be stored in the garage! You just want to make sure that you bundle up well for the weather conditions and you can be good to go! There are a few additional items you want to keep in mind specifically for fall cycling or spring cycling when you have cooler temperatures outside. And so, here are just a few clothing items you’ll want to consider for your cooler weather riding.
Keeping your head warm
When the temperatures start to drop, it’s important to start thinking about how to protect your head and ears from the cold wind. If you’re still braving the weather conditions when it’s super cold outside, you’ll want to think about having full coverage over your head and ears with material that is breathable.
But if you’re experiencing cooler temperatures without the harsh winter conditions to go along with it, a headband like the (PINK) Louis Garneau Method Headband is something you can consider. You can wear this headband conveniently under your helmet. It’s designed to provide warmth and comfort without adding a sense of bulkiness to your head.
Keeping your upper body warm
Layers
In cooler temperatures, a system of layering can work to keep you protected from the weather elements while being comfortable enough to not let your sweat be a bother. Generally speaking, this layering strategy could be grouped into 3 layers: your base layer primarily designed to wick away your sweat from your skin, your insulating layer to trap air to keep the warmth closer to you, and your outer shell layer to protect you from weather elements like wind. All of these groupings of layers may not be necessary when the temperatures are on the milder side.
If the temperatures are not too cold, you could wear something like the (PINK) Louis Garneau Edge CT Long Sleeve Cycling Jersey on its own. Or if it’s colder, you could wear a base layer under it, or you could add a layer on top of this long sleeve jersey. Or… really, there are many possibilities! A lot of it depends on what makes you comfortable and what the outdoor temperature is.
If it’s a bit cooler than just wearing a long sleeve cycling jersey, it’s time to think about layering up a bit more. Along with a base layer, and possibly an insulating layer, you’ll want to start looking at cyclist-friendly jackets. Oh hey! It’s the (PINK) Pearl Izumi Ride Elite Pursuit Softshell Jacket! This jacket is ideal for cold weather cycling because of the wind protection is provides, as well as the warmth and insulation that goes along with it. The jacket was designed with a cyclist’s riding position in mind so you can ride comfortably while staying warm.
Arms and hands
Yet another outfit choice for temperatures that are a bit cool, but not extremely cold: You could wear a normal short sleeve cycling jersey to go with a pair of (PINK) Pearl Izumi Elite Thermal Arm Warmers. As the name indicates, these work to keep your arms warm when the wind blowing on your arms is a bit too cold without any clothing.
And finally, it’s also very important that you not let your fingers get too cold when you’re out riding. This is because you need to keep your fingers mobile so you can safely brake and shift your gears. If your fingers are cold and stiff, it makes it hard to be a safe cyclist!
Standard cycling gloves won’t offer full protection from cold weather elements, so you’ll want to wear a pair of full-fingered gloves. If the temperature is just cold enough to warrant extra protection, you could try wearing a pair of thin yet warm wool liner gloves underneath your normal cycling gloves.
For more protection than that, while still getting the padding in your hands, you can start to look to something like the (PINK) Pearl Izumi Elite Softshell Gel Gloves. These cold weather cycling gloves are the winter version of Pearl Izumi’s most popular regular cycling gloves. This means the cold weather gloves have everything you’d expect in cycling gloves, but with the added insulation to keep your fingers warm and mobile.
Here are more ideas for cold weather cycling gloves.
Keeping your lower body warm
If you’re out biking on cooler days, it’s especially important to keep your lower body adequately warm. You don’t want to increase your chances of getting one of the common cycling injuries because of muscles and joints of your legs that are too cold.
Tights can help to keep your legs warm on those cooler days. When you’re looking for tights, you’ll want to check if they offer the padding for comfort on the bike seat. You can go for tights without the padding, and just put your regular bike shorts on underneath them. These types of tights can be helpful so that you can use your tights for activities other than just cycling. Or you can find bike tights that have the padding to wear a single layer.
The (PINK) Louis Garneau Pro Cycling Knickers are ideal for cooler temperatures you may experience at the beginning of fall or spring. These are 3/4 length tights that reach to about half way down your calves. These tights do have padding, so as long as the temperature isn’t too cold, you can wear this single layer and be on your way out the door.
On the other hand, the (PINK) Louis Garneau Solano 2 Tights that are full-length tights can also help to keep your legs warm on crisp day, but these particular tights don’t have the padding. This means you would be wearing your bike shorts with them if you want the comfort that the padding gives you. If you don’t want to have to layer up with both your bike shorts and the tights, there is a version of these Solano tights that comes with the padding.
If cycling in cold weather is something you’re interested in doing, see >> What to wear for cold weather cycling
If you’re interested in more cycling gear tips, see >> What biking gear do you need for training?
HAPPY BIKING!
pink swim / pink bike / pink run
HOME > TRIATHLON 101 > CYCLING 101
There are affiliate links on this page. Among other partners, as an Amazon Associate, I may receive a commission.
🐠 Here are things you must consider packing!
- Swimsuit or swimming shirt aka rash guard
- rash guard: swim set for women and swim shirt for men
- Water shoes
- Waterproof phone case (so you can capture pictures of fishies underwater!)
- cheapo phone case OR waterproof camera
- I also have this "camera" wrist float to attach to my cheapo waterproof phone case so my phone won't sink to the bottom of the ocean in case I somehow let go of it. (Mine does stay afloat - test this for yourself before completely trusting it!)
- Swimming goggles or snorkeling mask set
- Reef-safe(r) sunscreen
- lightweight travel towel:
- walking sandals:
I also don't go snorkeling without a personal swim float buoy. Not only does it help to keep me visible, but it makes for a perfect way to rest out in deeper water! Oh, and it also serves as a dry bag so I can take stuff into the water with me.
Another way I have taken valuables into the water with me is to wear a travel money belt that I don't mind getting wet with salt water (it's not waterproof but I have several so I just use one of them) and then I put things in a ziplock freezer bag, and put that freezer bag in the money belt.
There are also designated waterproof waist pouches that you can store your valuables and take into the water with you.
see more:
- What to wear hiking
- What to wear snorkeling