The Gear You Need To Be Comfortable

Spring and Fall Cycling Clothing

Atlanta's climate is pretty friendly to year round cycling. However, if you do ride year round, you will find that you acquire a fairly diverse wardrobe in order to be comfortable in all kinds of conditions. Riding in Atlanta can vary from tank tops and shorts to being bundled up for a 30 degree day with plenty of wind-chill. Interestingly enough, these conditions can often occur in the same week! Since Spring and Fall are often almost identical temperature wise, usually fairly mild without any real extremes, most of the clothing you'll wear will be fine for both seasons. Generally arm and leg warmers, a wind breaker and light gloves for hand protection will do on the coldest days. Often you will peel these things off as the day (and you) warm up. Some days you will need to remember a rack bag, big fanny pack or adequate pockets to carry all the clothes you've taken off while riding

Basic Spring and Fall clothing consists of shorts, jerseys, sports or cycling socks and appropriate footwear. You will find that cycling specific clothing will keep you more comfortable on the bike, prevent chafing, allow for free movement and muscle compression, keep you cool by wicking moisture away from your body, won't get stuck in the chain and with the variety of styles - look good on anyone.

A Word About Underwear
Generally, underwear is not worn with cycling shorts as it can get twisted and cause chafing. Cycling shorts are equipped with padding called a chamois, that prevents chafing and wearing underwear may eliminate that benefit. There are products out there designed for men - somewhat similar to a jockstrap - that some men prefer. Depending on the conditions a woman might be riding in, a sports bra can be beneficial. If a woman is engaged in serious, technical mountain biking, any sports bra that restricts bounce is helpful. Even woman riding casually on the pavement may be more comfortable in a sports bra - and any athletic type wear is more likely to wick moisture than other kinds of bras.

Why Bike Shorts?
Cycling shorts are simply the most comfortable thing to wear while riding your bike. Freedom of movement, muscle compression, elimination of chafing, moisture wicking, protection from the sun and elements are all benefits of cycling shorts. Cycling shorts come in sizes and styles for all genders, ages and activity levels. They also come in wide variety of prices as well, so here is a general guide to what you might want to wear Spring and Fall on your bike. If you ride a lot, get several pairs. You might choose a higher end short for long distance riding than short rides - and please read the care instructions before you wash your shorts! Remember, you need a clean pair every time you ride.

Kids
We don't find the exact same range in quality and style for kids as we do for adults, but we do stock a basic 6 panel, Lycra construction short, with a comfortable chamois for kids. Since some of our clients bring their children on rides like Bicycle Ride Across Georgia every year, even a 10 year old needs the same comfort as an adult when that child spends a week in the saddle. We also usually can get baggy shorts for kids as well.

Shorts Configurations - 3 General Styles

Liners, which are like underwear with a minimal chamois built in, turn any pair of comfortable shorts (avoid jean shorts with the lumpy seam in the crotch - it defeats the purpose) into a light use pair of shorts.

Baggy shorts may or may not have a removable liner and a light or heavier chamois. Baggy shorts are frequently worn for mountain biking and casual cycling, but sometimes the material on the outer short may twist up and get caught in the saddle if you are moving around a lot. Baggy shorts may be the only option for downhill mountain bike riders using body armor, which most of you reading this are not. Baggy shorts often have zipper pockets, which are great for keys, wallets and tools. However, baggy shorts may not wick very effectively simply because they have more material than traditional cycling shorts.

Lycra form fitting shorts come in many quality, style and fit options. First, men's and women's shorts are cut differently because women are generally longer waisted than men. Women's shorts have smaller waistbands and a more tapered fit just above the hips. Most clothing manufacturers cut the front inseam longer in women's shorts. Another difference is leg length. In general, women prefer a shorter leg length than the traditional men's short which is long enough to cover the quadriceps muscles. Now that's not to say that some women aren't more comfortable in men's shorts!

Construction & Materials
4-Panels... 6-Panels... 8-Panels... More?
Bike shorts are constructed of panels to contour the garment to fit the body in the cycling position. The more panels the shorts have, the more curvature they have, too. If you are in and out of the saddle, a multi panel short will move with you. If you have worked up a good sweat and soaked through your shorts, shorts with more panels won't sag and bag. Also, nicely constructed 8 panel shorts usually look better on less athletic body types. Clever contouring of panels can make a pair of shorts look really good. Seams are important too. Flat seams won't rub or snag and nicer materials constructed with flat seams are going to stay in place and not twist. Leg grippers can vary as well. The gripper should be comfortable on your skin, not pinch and high quality shorts have grippers that will hold up longer over time. Good grippers means shorts won't ride up!

You won't find too many 8 panel shorts with made of cheap, thin, lightweight nylon. Shorts are made from nylon spandex, (Lycra is a brand name) which has stretch and durability. However, nylon spandex does not have the ability to wick moisture (a major benefit when you're sweating) and breathe unless it is mixed with other yarns such as polyester to promote moisture transfer and are more breathable. Shorts made of these materials cost more and are more complex to manufacture, which increases pricing and is the main reason bike shorts come in such a wide price range.

OK, What is a Chamois?
The chamois in your shorts is your best friend because it prevents chafing from moisture from sweat accumulated in the seat area while you pedal! Back in the "olden days" of cycling, shorts were made of wool and the chamois was soft leather. One had to wash shorts carefully and treat the chamois with special conditioners to maintain softness. Because the chamois was organic, it could carry bacteria. If a cyclist got a saddle sore, they could get a severe infection from the bacteria a chamois could harbor. No more - chamois are made of man made products. A pair of properly washed and air dried shorts with a manmade chamois requires no special treatment and does not harbor infection. So why are there so many different kinds and why does it matter which one you use?

If you compare the most expensive pair of shorts with the least expensive shorts we stock at Bicycle South you will find the chamois are constructed completely differently. The less costly shorts usually has a shaped foam chamois pad covered in a soft material. The pad has no pin hole vents, does not vary in thickness - its just a pad. The most costly short we carry will have a vented chamois covered in super soft smooth material. The chamois will have no seams and vary in thickness, with the thicker parts located where the body has the most contact with the saddle. Chamois like this feel thick (we hear "hey, its like a diaper!) when you are standing around, but really nice on the bike for any kind of distance. The functional difference, is that the higher quality chamois is going to be much better at preventing chafing because it moves moisture away from your behind more effectively. The variance in thickness means that places on your behind that have the most saddle contact get the most padding from rubbing. If you do any distance riding or perspire a lot, the more expensive short with the higher quality chamois is a good investment into comfort.

Getting The Right Fit
Shorts, or liners in baggy shorts or shorts liners should fit like a second skin. Bike short sizing can vary in styles within the same company, and also from one company to the next. Try on several different shorts before buying. Don't assume the style you liked last year will fit like the one with the same name from this year! Remember, you are purchasing clothing for a specific activity. Cycling clothing is not going to fit like other kinds of dress or recreational clothing. When you put on clothing, put yourself in a cycling position. Ask to sit on a bike!

Leg Length
We see lengths from 3" to 10 ½". If shorts are too short, leg grippers can actually irritate tender skin high on the inside of the thigh while you pedal. A man of smaller stature may not want very long shorts because they may bunch below the knees. Triathletes can use a very short, short, and can even use the same short for all 3 events. Many women want compression of the thigh to just above the knee. Ask, if we don't have the length you want. We usually know our product lines pretty well and can order in something special for you.

Waistbands
The shorts we stock have both covered elastic waistbands, and waistbands with a drawstring. Bend over into the cycling position when you try on shorts to see how the waistband feels. If you don't like the feel of elastic around your waist, try a bib short (these have built-in suspenders), which are available for both genders.

Jerseys And Such
Cycling jerseys will insulate your body from cold, wick moisture when it's hot to help keep you cool, no bind and move with you when you ride, provide storage pockets for snacks and keys and such, and some women's cycling tops even have built in sports bras. In the Spring and Fall you may choose to wear a lightweight long sleeve jersey or just add a vest, arm warmers or windbreaker on top of a lightweight short sleeve jersey. Some jersey fabrics are designed to be visible either because they are brightly colored or have reflective material bonded to the fabric or reflective piping sewn into the seams.

Styles and Construction
Jerseys come in men's and women's sizing as well as kids sizing. Cuts can vary from pro style cuts that fit tightly for the very athletic, to looser fit, longer models that fit like a t shirt for more casual cyclists. Long and short sleeve jerseys can have zippers that open all the way, or shorter 4" zippers. You will find sleeveless, tank style models for both genders, with some of the women's tops looking pretty much like a decorative sports bra! Women's tops may also have different styles of built in bras and spaghetti straps. Just like shorts, jerseys may have multiple panels for better fit and just like shorts, flat seams may be used in construction of multiple panel tops. Just like shorts, try the jersey on and bend over to simulate your cycling position to make sure the parts of your body are covered that you want covered. If the jersey is short - think, how do your cycling shorts fit on your body?

Materials
Fabric weights can vary from thick materials with a fuzzy inner backing to thin, wicking or waffle materials to insulate and/or move moisture from the body. Most jerseys on the market are made of nylon based materials. Wool jerseys and wool blends have made a comeback in classic cuts and colors. Modern wool cycling clothing has a nice feel to the hand, often is machine washable, comes in both summer and winter weight knits, and tends to not retain odor like polyesters do. Many of the polyester fabrics have trade names such as Airlite, Coolmax or Thermax. Many cyclists use running tops or other sports clothing as cycling wear. Again, length of the garment, fabric materials and construction are critical when selecting cycling clothing.

Dressing For Year Round Cycling
It's not hard to ride three out of four seasons here in the Atlanta area. Adequate cycling clothing for Spring and Fall consists of leg warmers, a wind breaker and knit gloves on the coldest days.

Winter cycling
Here in the South it can be surprisingly cold (unless you live far South of us here at Bicycle South). While you won't generally be pedaling in the snow, there may be days that the air temperature hovers near freezing and the additional wind-chill from a good breeze can be a little more than bracing. Clothing for Winter riding is not just a matter of layering the clothing on until you look like the Michelin man on two wheels. Winter cycling clothing insulates the body and blocks wind, breathes (you still perspire when you ride even when it is 26 degrees out) and allows you to move freely. How the clothing fits is critical too - insulating clothing is most effective when it keeps a nice layer of body heated air between you and the elements. This is why the big city bicycle messengers use plastic bags between their socks and shoes. The plastic bag keeps heat in and water out. Those plastic bags don't breath very well though and sweaty feet are the result. This is why a shoe cover is more effective.

The best way to think about cycling clothing is from the top down. Also, keep in mind, what one person thinks is terribly cold, another person might find pleasant. So it's not entirely reasonable to give a temperature range for each article of clothing, just what it is designed for and what you can generally expect from it.

Head
A thin skull cap under a helmet is the first degree of protection from the cold. Fabrics should be sporting orientated and wick moisture from your skin as opposed to just being sweaty, like a t shirt. As the temperature drops, you'll find that a cap that goes over the ears (ears can get painfully cold, even when the rest of you is toasty) or an insulated earband by itself is adequate. In very cold weather you may want to extend the protection you gave to your ears to your nose and mouth. Balaclavas are tightly fitting hoods with an oval hole for your eyes and are usually a thin fabric layer that covers the ears and extends over the nose and mouth. As you heat up while you ride, you will find yourself pulling a balaclava or Headgator (a fabric tube that can be worn many ways) away from your mouth and nose, but it sure is nice to start with. Beware though, full face coverage can cause your eye protection to steam up! Goggles or glasses with ventilation or anti-fog protection are necessary here.
Body
Keeping your upper body insulated from the cold and protected from the wind will go a long ways towards keeping the rest of your body warm. Since your chest and the fronts of your legs are exposed to the most wind-chill, concentrate your wind protection here. Remember, layering like the Michelin man is not as efficient as starting with thin layers of fabrics designed both insulate and wick, and finishing with breathable wind blocking fabrics. You may just wear one thin moisture wicking layer under wind protection, some add a jersey on top of that first layer. The next layer can consist of a wind breaker with armpit and back ventilation (or not), a fleece vest, arm warmers, or a cycling specific jacket that blocks the wind and is breathable. Again, how much you need depends on your own personal tolerance of cold, the air temperature and how much both you and the climate will warm or cool during your ride. Keep up with the weather forecast when planning a winter ride.

Legs
With the exception of keeping knee joints insulated to prevent injury, you may find that your torso requires more protection than your legs. Most cyclists where the winter is short and not extremely cold, wear tights of different thickness and wind blocking properties over shorts or leg warmers. Having tights with a chamois built in is nice, but not an essential. Basically, tights with a chamois won't do you much good on days that start chilly and warm up and tights are sauna-like in the summer, so they'd sit idle then. Shorts are functional year round, even under tights or over legwarmers and you always have the option of removing that outer layer of tights or leg warmers on a nice day. Knickers and kneewarmers provide that most minimal of leg protection by covering just the knees, leg warmers come in many different thicknesses - as do tights.

Extremities
We've already covered ears and noses in the section on head protection, but a good rule to keep in mind, is, if it sticks out from your body and it doesn't get a lot of blood flow, its going to get cold. When cycling, your body is being efficient and keeping that blood flow in your legs where it is needed, not in your fingers and toes, therefore they get colder than the rest of you. Gloves that allow you to grip the bars, shift and brake comfortably, block the wind and possibly have some water resistant properties are the best. Many cycling Glove can accommodate a thin liner without being bulky and are especially useful because you can layer up as the weather requires. The liners wick moisture and provide insulation, can be worn separately, or added in on the coldest days. Serious winter cycling shoes are available, but like tights with chamois, nice to have, but not an essential here in the South. We don't recommend cycling shoes that fit so tightly they cut off the blood flow in the first place, but if you have an older pair that is a bit looser, you can wear thick socks with them. For socks, wear wool, which stays warm whether you're dry or wet. Most cycling shoes are designed with vents for normal conditions, but vents let in the cold in winter. You've got a couple of different ways to handle this. If it's not too terribly cold, pulling out the shoe insole and blocking the vent holes in the sole with electrical tape can keep the breeze from blowing in every time your pedal comes up. That fix doesn't address the mesh over the toes on a lot of cycling shoes though, and the best bet then is to wear booties or toe covers. Like most winter cycling clothing, you'll find a variety of shoe covers that vary from Iditi-bike level of protection (like the Iditarod, but you ride a bike instead of having a dog pull you through the snow), to little neoprene covers that go over just the toes of your shoes. Some are waterproof and not insulated, some are just insulation.

Remember, wind, rain, snow and altitude changes affect your temperature drastically. Wind-chill worsens as the temperature drops. For example, riding 20mph into a 10mph breeze makes you feel 12 degrees colder at 40 degrees and 19 degrees colder at 20 degrees. The ability to remove or vent layers as you ride is very helpful. For example, if you are going up hill, you aren't as exposed to the possibility of wind-chill making you cold and you are perspiring as you climb. Downhill, you'd want to be much warmer while you aren't pedaling and are face first in the wind.

When It's Raining?
Once you've started riding through the year, what's a little rain? Surprisingly, riding in the rain can be rather pleasant. Remember though, you won't have as much traction, your brakes won't work as well and neither will other cyclists or cars. Being vigilant is always critical, being hyper vigilant is a good idea in the rain. The best thing about riding in the rain is raingear has made a quantum leap in the last few years. Waterproof wonder fabrics that breathe to prevent overheating, allow you to ride for hours remaining warm, dry and comfortable.

To understand what raingear works for you, you need to know a few facts about the technology. To be waterproof, rain gear must be made of waterproof fabrics and have sealed or taped seams so that rain cannot leak through the small perforations made by sewing needles during construction. Sealing and taping seams takes special equipment and extra time and adds to the garment's cost. However, being waterproof means that moisture won't pass through the fabric so rain can't come in. But sweat can't go out, either. Riding generates so much heat and sweat that the only way to stay dry inside and out is to have a garment that's not only waterproof but that breathes and wicks moisture, too. Breathability and moisture management are obtained through venting and/or fabric construction. Vents can be simple mesh panels or specially designed zippered or Velcro fastened openings which you open and close to adjust your body temperature. Simple mesh panels that can't be opened and closed let air in, but are not designed to keep water out. Water-resistant fabric means that a coating has been applied to the material to help repel water. Water-resistant fabrics work well for light rain and drizzle. Water resistant won't work in steady rain. If you're looking for real protection, get true waterproof fabric.

You'll find that rainwear is made out of the following materials:

PVC or poly-vinyls: This stuff is completely waterproof, but can't wick moisture or breathe without exterior vents or mesh panels, so you may be as sweaty on the inside as rainy on the outside. This material is found in basic plastic rain jackets.

Coated fabrics: These are fabrics that are coated with a waterproof material, rather than laminated. These materials tend to be a little softer and not feel like a plastic bag. However, nylons or polyesters with waterproof coatings are not completely waterproof (and often less expensive then the other materials, read the label!). Examples of coated fabrics include: Hydro-No, Power-Tex, Ultrex, Breath and Hydroflex.

Laminated fabrics: These are your best investment into raingear. Materials are nylons or polyesters laminated to a microporous membrane (2-ply laminate), and sometimes to an additional layer of fabric designed to wick moisture (3-ply laminate). Laminates are layers of fabrics glued or heat bonded together. Laminates are more waterproof than coated fabrics but they tend to be a little stiffer and heavier. Examples of laminates include: Aqua-No, Bosui, Challenge, Dermizax, Gore-Tex and XALT.

What Makes it Cycling Specific?
Besides the materials being friendly to strenuous activities when the wearer can create almost as much moisture as is falling from the sky, the type of construction is also very important. A jacket designed for cycling in the rain is going to be designed much differently then one you might go walking in. Cycling-specific rain jackets have elongated tails. This means the jacket's back is cut long to cover and protect your lower back and butt when you're bent over the bars. Jacket collars are often fleece lined. This adds comfort and keeps the wind from blowing down your neck. Plus some fleece wicks moisture. For optimum visibility on rainy days, most rainwear is brightly colored and has some sort of reflective tape or piping. Some jackets have clips on the back for mounting taillights. Beware simple elastic cuffs. Higher quality technical jackets and pants have adjustable cuffs, which allow adjustment for a snug fit (with and without gloves) so wind doesn't balloon the sleeves/legs while you're riding. Shockcords allow adjusting the jacket's fit at the hem or waist, keeping the wind from inflating the jacket. Cycling rainpants will fit better over commuting clothing when equipped with a shockcord. Underarm vents are important for adjusting body temperature while riding. Good pit zips are easy to open and close with one hand while riding. More expensive jackets have mesh panels or other methods of preventing them opening and flapping in the wind. Rain jackets and pants need zipper covers to keep the wind and rain from blowing through. These covers can be inside the garment or out. Some manufacturers contour jacket sleeves to follow your natural arm bend while cycling. This bend is called an articulated elbow and it adds comfort. Most high-end rain jackets have hoods that fit over helmets. These store in the collar or are detachable. Most rain jackets have rear pockets for storing items you may need during a ride. Good quality jackets will have rear openings that allow access to your jersey pockets. Well-designed rain pants should also have Velcro fastened or zippered slits allowing access to your pants pockets underneath. If you travel with your cycling clothing, it's important to have something that stuffs or folds small for storage in a pocket or pack. How small a jacket (pants, too) folds depends on the type of fabric and construction as the more features it includes, the more space it requires. Water-resistant shoe covers help keep your feet warm and dry as well as protect shoes, too.

We hope the tips help you ride year round. Cycling through the winter allows you to keep your fitness as opposed to trying to regain it in the spring. Plus, it'll help you stave off that dreaded cabin-fever feeling. We would love to help you enjoy these benefits. Come in and talk to us about winter cycling. We're here to help!