The Best Clothes for Bicycling, According to Cyclists

Houston-based cyclist Melvin Onyia also recommends investing in a pair of bib shorts. He agrees there’s “a learning curve” with wearing them, but promises that “they are so much more comfortable.” His favorite pair is this less-expensive one from cycling brand Rapha. “They have thicker straps than other brands I’ve tried, and don’t move an inch while you’re riding.”

A brand that came up many times while reporting this story (and previous ones about cycling) is Pearl iZumi, which Sawyer tells us his shop “sells a ton of, because everyone can find something with the brand that fits their budget and cycling level.” He recommends this “middle of the range” pair of bike shorts from the company because it has “nice padding and a nice strap.” While these are not overly expensive, they’re not the cheapest pair Pearl iZumi makes either, which Sawyer says is important: “Paying a little more for a better-quality shammy really makes a difference.”

“One of the best companies out there for clothing is Pearl iZumi,” says cyclist Robert Evans, agreeing with Sawyer. “They range from economical stuff to expensive stuff, but it’s all good quality.” For biking in cooler temperatures, he recommends the brand’s thermal, waterproof, and windproof bib tights, simply calling them “phenomenal.” Evans adds: “These really help, even as you get down to the gnarly temperatures.”

If you have a more athletic build, like Onyia, he says you may be more interested in the custom jerseys from Brandt. “I have larger-than-average biceps and arm circumference for a cyclist,” he explains. “Most cyclists tend to have a smaller upper body because it’s deadweight to them, but this brand makes custom jerseys out of quality material for guys with a bigger build. They’re a little more expensive, but worth it,” he promises.

Selzer says the “waterproof, windproof, breathable, and insulating” material on this shirt is a “little heavier, so it’s great for colder climates or rainy or windy days in hotter places.” Like the bib shorts, he says it may not feel great to wear when you’re off a bike — but that’s because it’s so well designed for wearing on a bike. “It’s tight in strange areas when you put it on, but then as soon as you’re on the saddle, leaning forward with your hands on the handlebars, the entire jersey disappears. You don’t even notice it.”

Editor’s note: Pas Normal ships worldwide but lists all prices in Danish krone, so the price shown is an approximate conversion in U.S. dollars.

“This is essentially a rain jacket and jersey in one,” says Evans, who adds its material is “warm, water-resistant, and windproof.” He told us it’s another great one for cooler (or yuckier) days, saying, “As long as it’s under 60 degrees, it’s entirely breathable.”

When it comes to outerwear, our experts told us that vests are a good place to start. Depending on where you live, a vest might be the only extra layer you need, according to Sawyer. “It’s totally climate specific. Below 60 degrees, you may want a vest.” He says a sleeveless vest provides extra warmth only where it’s needed: “Your core stays warm, but you don’t get sweaty inside a shell and overheat.” The vest he (and his customers) like best is this one from Pearl iZumi, which we’re naming best overall given its more affordable price and the brand’s esteemed place in the eyes of our experts. Most important, Sawyer says the vest offers “high visibility, so you can be seen by cars” while also being “really light, so you can roll it up and stick it in your jersey pocket if you get too hot.”

“Living in Houston, where I’m just facing slightly cool weather and a little rain, this is the only extra layer I’ve needed,” Onyia says of his go-to bike vest from Rapha. He puts it on when there’s a chill in the air or if the forecast calls for rain.

If you’re biking somewhere that gets brutally cold, you may want to layer a bike jacket over your vest. Unlike a regular jacket, bike jackets “have longer arms, so there’s no pulling or exposure of the wrist when your arms are stretched out,” Selzer says, echoing wisdom we heard from other experts. He adds that bike jackets are also “shorter in the front, so the fabric doesn’t bunch up around your stomach while riding, and longer in the back, so the jacket doesn’t ride up and let cool air in when you’re leaning forward.” Selzer recommends this Assos jacket, which wicks moisture, “is proportioned in all the right places, and insulates really well.” That last detail is why we’re calling it best overall — because if you’re buying a bike jacket, you will probably want one with superior insulation.

This jacket, which Evans loves, is less insulated than the Assos one above, but it’s entirely waterproof and boasts a unique feature in that it glows when any light hits it, increasing your visibility on the road. “If you shine a light on it in a dark room,” Evans says, “it looks like you’re fully illuminated.”

Onyia and Evans told us about a few smaller pieces of clothing they use while riding. Onyia, who’s a fan of POC’s bike helmets, also recommends picking up the brand’s cap, which you can wear under a helmet to absorb sweat. He says it fits comfortably under any helmet and has the shorter brim that cyclists like: “The smaller brim can flip up to increase your field of vision and flip down when you need rain or sun protection.”

Instead of wearing a base layer under his cycling jersey, Evans prefers to suit up in these arm warmers on colder days, because he can easily roll them down as his body temperature heats up. He promises that they are warm and, “though not advertised as waterproof, are also great for getting caught in the rain because the water kind of beads on your arms.”

“My brother-in-law did a couple tours in Afghanistan, and when he got back he gave me a spare pair of these socks,” says Evans, who will wear them over his cotton socks while biking because they’re “really thin, windproof, and waterproof — like all things Gore-Tex.”

The cotton socks Evans wears under his Gore-Tex ones is this mid-weight pair. “If I’m wearing these under the Gore-Tex Rocky socks with my bib tights, it has to be super-gnarly out for me to ever be uncomfortable,” he says.

The female cyclists we spoke to for this story also told us that bike shorts are their first recommendation for anyone looking to curate a proper cycling wardrobe. But they were less emphatic about bib shorts as a go-to style, and actually recommended a handful of pairs without any overlap. So instead of naming a best overall, we’re highlighting the most unique features of each to help you choose the right pair. Cyclist Brooklyn Bell has been biking on mountain trails near her home for five years now and says her favorite bottoms are these longer ones from Patagonia, which come with a removable padded liner that make them essentially two shorts for the price of one. “They wick moisture super-well, are really lightweight and stretchy, and move well with my body,” Bell says. She adds that the padding supports her on “long rides that are bumpy and rocky,” while the outer layer keeps her dry. “We get a lot of rain where I live in the Pacific Northwest,” she says, “and these always dry over the course of my ride.”

Adventure journalist and avid mountain biker Morgan Tilton told us these wind-resistant, water-repellent, and moisture-wicking shorts from cycling brand Norrona (which are designed for the slightly tougher conditions of mountain biking) are her go-tos. “The length is slightly longer than most other shorts, so the top of my knees are protected from the sun, wind, rain, and shrubs,” she explains. “The extra material contours the knee, too, so the fabric doesn’t feel floppy.” Most important, she says, the shorts’ waist is “very comfortable, with zero pressure points, and adjustable via two Velcro bands — plus the seamless snap closure never pops open.”

Bell’s favorite cycling jersey is also made by Patagonia. She particularly likes it for its merino-wool construction, which she says makes it wearable year-round: It “cools you when you’re hot, and heats you when you’re cold,” as she puts it. What’s more, the wool “dries out so much better than other materials,” she promises. And, important for some, “Patagonia’s bike clothes are still casual enough to bop around a bit after riding,” Bell adds. It’s for these reasons — but mostly the year-round wear — we’re naming this best overall.

This Pearl iZumi jersey is one of the most popular jerseys among the women who shop at CycleMania, Sawyer says, because it’s not too expensive and has all the quality riders have come to expect from the brand, including breathable, moisture-wicking fabric and reflective elements that make you easier to see as you ride.

Speaking of making you easier to see, Carter told us cycling brand Fitter’s jerseys are her favorite in part because she “really likes the bright colors.” She says their unisex claim initially made her worry they’d be ill-fitting, but that proved not to be the case at all. “I’m tall, and they fit me and another much shorter female friend perfectly,” she says. She now owns three of them, telling us the jerseys are made with “good fabrics, have deep pockets, and are really light.”

When Carter lived in Ohio, she says that she often wore this “really well-designed” vest from Castelli, which she’ll still throw on when its colder in her current home of L.A. “It’s compact, but then as you warm up really fast, you can take it off and shove it in your pockets.”

When the weather calls for more than a vest, “having a good-quality waterproof jacket is so important,” Ruskowski says. “Something you can take off and fold down really small, that has longer fabric and no hood, because hoods flap in the wind and are super-annoying. You also want pockets in the back.” Her favorite cycling jacket, from Pearl iZumi, boasts all of these features.

In this era of social distancing, Tilton says she’s found a face mask she actually likes to wear while riding. “The elastic ear loops are stretchy, soft, and don’t pinch my ears even after hours of use,” she says, adding that “the polyester-spandex fabric is constructed to fit over the shape of a face, so there’s no useless material.” Crucially, she says she can also “actually breathe with the mask on, even during intense rides.”

Many of our women cyclists, just like their male counterparts, told us about certain pairs of socks that are key to their biking outfits. Tilton likes this pair from cycling brand Velocio. “When I ride, I sweat a lot, including my feet.” She describes this pair as “like a refined women’s dress sock yet reinforced for miles outside,” adding that the fabric is ultralightweight and that the socks have a “mesh band across the top of the foot for breathability and cuffs that sit nearly seven inches above the ankle — and stay put.” What’s more, she promises that these “don’t hold stench even after multiple days of wear.”

Bell — like Strategist editors and Mayor Pete Buttigieg — loves to wear socks from Darn Tough. “These are merino wool,” she notes, and wick moisture really well, allowing her to “keep me warm without becoming super-stinky.”

Selzer likes these Pearl iZumi gloves because their construction shows the brand thought about the differences between male and female hands. “We used to complain that companies would just ‘shrink it and pink it’ to make women’s gear, but Pearl iZumi doesn’t just put the men’s palm pads in the women’s gloves and size them up. Instead, their palm pads are smaller, because women tend to have smaller hands.”