twodownzero

So I've been riding for about a year and reading this forum for quite a while. I finally signed up and have been pretty much reading all day.

I don't actually own any cycling gear besides a pair of shoes and a helmet. My rides are getting longer and my ass hurts so I'd like some suggestions on how to get started on buying some gear. It's still 80 degrees here so I might as well get started with summer stuff. That said, I'd like to ride until it's 20-30 degrees and so suggestions for enough stuff for that kind of weather would be nice.

For many reasons, I'm quite broke and so I don't want to spend too much money, but $2-300 isn't out of the question, as long as the stuff is useful and versatile. I noticed there isn't a subforum here for clothing, and while I searched, I found it scattered throughout the forum.

I'd also like suggestions on where to shop and perhaps on some gloves for my hands. I also ride a motorcycle and I'm not sure why I've been riding my bicycle without gloves but I have and I should probably change that.

JonnyHK 

SUMMER

Minimum needs for cycle specific gear:
- Proper bike shorts with the chamois padding (your backside will love you)
- gloves (useful for minor falls as well as for grip/padding on the handlebars)

Other stuff (not necessarily cycle specific)
- lightweight jacket (wind proof)
- shirts in a wicking fabric

You could do all that for a way less than $2-300.

carpediemracing 

What size kit do you wear (jersey, shorts, etc). Where do you live?

As a general rule I spend my money on stuff that can go forward, i.e. I can keep using it regardless of my cycling situation.

So, for clothing, I get black tights, black base layers, black gloves, black head gear (skull cap, ear band, etc). I can always wear my team jersey and wear all black with it.

For clothing ("kit") I'd get, in order:
- helmet
- shoes
- shorts (generic black, maybe with a white panel or with contrast stitching)
- jersey (try and pick a neutral one, i.e. not a shop, not a pro team. Capo seems pretty good. Or get one from a fellow BFer who doesn't use a particular jersey anymore)
- wind vest
- use regular baselayers (like for running/skiing/etc), layer them.
- long/warm gloves (needs to be windproof)
- tights (thicker is better)
- booties (I have cheap Sidekicks, been using them since the 90s)
- knickers (bib)

hope this helps
cdr

twodownzero

I'm really small (5'5", 30" waist, 30" inseam) and I live in Iowa.

Both of these posts have been very helpful. Are there any particular websites that I can look at? $2-300 seems like a lot of money until you start adding this all up. Shorts seem to run 30-100+ alone, and of course being an amateur, I wouldn't know the good stuff from the junk either (but I bet my ass will).

I just got back from a 15 mile ride, which is fairly typical for me. My girlfriend goes with me sometimes, but she's pretty slow, so when I go alone, my rides are much more intense.

I have a decent helmet and SPD shoes right now. I may switch to carbon shoes and look/spd-sl cleats sometime, but the ones I've got are good for now until I get my mileage up.

mvnsnd

Spend money on a good pair of cycling shoes and shorts. Get two pair of shorts so you always have a clean pair. I like the Pearl Izumi Elite.

This is a decent cycling top: canari-hammer However, one can ride in just a performance/athletic top just as well. You loose the pockets and possibly a zipper in front.

Gloves are good to protect hands.

Since the weather is changing, almost all stores are having closeout specials.

www.Performance.com
www.nashbar.com
www.probikekit.com

are popular sites

Pokey Rider

Check out: www.bonktown.com

They have some pretty good deals on shorts, bibs and shoes among other stuff.

Grasschopper

+1000 Look for the Hincapie stuff...$49 for a jersey and $75 for bibs and it is high quality stuff. Bunch of Castelli and Capo Forma stuff on there too but they run $49 for the jersey and $99 for the bibs. There are also straight black Castelli bibs...I got a pair of them but I'm not sure I like the length of the legs...they are a little short but as you are shorter they may be fine for you. Look for their Cutter arm warmers as well, they get very good reviews. They have crazy good deals on Lake and Mavic shoes as well. Really I could go broke if I bought everything I wanted...LOL

twodownzero

Thus why I'm here asking you guys.

bianchi10

that sucks. no good can come from living there. YES offense lol. My wife is from Des Moines Iowa, her parents still live there and every year I am forced to spend two god forsaken weeks there.

Gloves are a personal thing. not everyone likes to ride with them. I personal cant stand riding without. If your looking to just start out, I would look into pearl izumi or endura products. I wasn't a huge fan of pearl izumi and would PERSONALLY chose endura over it, but thats just me. either will do you just fine I'm sure. as others have mentioned bonktown.com has some great buys, but with you not knowing much it would be difficult to purchase since you wouldn't be sure about the size you would need.

Being that your from Iowa I know that it will start turning colder fairly soon there. IF you are looking increase the amount of riding you will be doing between now and next spring I would possibly think about spending some money on some knickers or cold weather bib tights and a jacket. if you were to spend $2-300 on some colder gear now, that should allow you enough time to save up for some summer gear around march or april. just a thought.

twodownzero

Let me reiterate that I am not "from" Iowa. I just live in Iowa right now!

NukeouT

Goodwill, Salvation Army, Pawn Shops, Thrift Shops.

twodownzero

Almost everything that I wear (that isn't a suit) comes from these places, but I've never seen any cycling gear there. Perhaps I've been slacking, but I scour these places like you wouldn't believe.

Hapsmo911

https://www.hammernutrition.com/clothing/

Hammer has good clothing on the cheap. Just another option.

horus11B

The problem is, its all got the hammer nutrition logo on it! :-P

carpediemracing 

What size t-shirt or jersey do you wear?

carpediemracing 

When I started I had no money for gear.

For base layers I used to wear sweatshirts, although that's not the best material. Any wicking fabric is good, and when you buy clothing, try and get clothing that'll work for both cycling and whatever.

For gloves I used garden gloves. Nowadays I'd try the slimmer garden gloves (hardware store), they might be as little as $15-20/pair. Cast offs are good too, esp if someone bought them too small/large.

Booties I got hand me downs. Usually there are riders out there with broken zipper booties - if you can fix them, or get them fixed, they work well. Black duct tape for the rips and such.

Hat, just use a thin winter hat under helmet. Tape vents of helmet with electrical tape when it gets really cold.

Shorts you have to get. Ditto jerseys. Ditto vest.

Pug

Competitive Cyclist runs stuff on sale all the time. It can be hit or miss with sizing and style but it's worth monitoring. Best deals come at end of season, so now is best time to look for summer stuff. LBS' often have clearance racks for stuff they want to push out, too.

Hapsmo911

Heres decent Assos gloves for $15.00

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...AID=1011833493

If you dont mind Red,

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product..._202329_202113

Cold weather bib

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...202357_202329_

Theres deals out there.

twodownzero

Medium

twodownzero

So far I ordered:
shorts
long sleeve jersey
jacket
two pairs of gloves--full finger and half
tights
shoe covers

I hope I'll be prepared to ride at least through november.

joshnc

Make it a brief stay. Get out before the cows take over.

ericm979

Don't bother with carbon shoes. There's not really any difference other than being slightly lighter. You'll never feel that or even measure it. Save it for when you're old and have lots of disposable income. Anyhow, most "carbon" shoe soles are largely made from fiberglass.

You can find a lot of gear on sale. Keep looking around.

twodownzero

Thanks. I really don't see myself buying a set of shoes until I find myself a mountain bike and transfer my pedals/shoes to that. I haven't yet experienced the hotspots/pain that some roadies claim comes from SPD, so I'm going to keep rocking these pedals until I do.

canam73

Keep an eye on bonktown and buy stuff. Soon you will have more s**t than you could ever use in your lifetime.