Bibs, jerseys and cycling shoes: why cycling clothing matters

Why bibs if you already have shorts

Ordinary shorts start to chafe after 30–40 minutes: the seams sit exactly where you meet the saddle. Bibs have a seamless pad there, often called a chamois. The straps keep the shorts in place when you lean towards the bars, and nothing digs into your waist.

Bibs are worn without underwear. That is how they are designed: underwear is what causes the chafing.

Why a jersey

A jersey fits close and doesn’t flap in the wind. The fabric dries quickly. There are three pockets on the back: phone, energy bar, keys. The front zip helps you cool down on a climb.

Why cycling shoes

Cycling shoes have an almost rigid sole. In a trainer, your foot bends around the pedal and part of your effort disappears into the soft sole. A stiff sole passes everything you put in straight to the pedal and spreads the pressure across the whole foot instead of one point under the arch. After an hour on the bike your legs and feet are noticeably less tired.

A cleat on the bottom of the shoe clicks into a clipless pedal. Your foot always sits in the same correct position: it doesn’t slip on a climb, over a bump or in the rain. Best of all, you don’t just push the pedal down — you can carry it all the way round: nudge it forward at the top and draw it back at the bottom. Your pedalling becomes smooth and round, and you feel it at once on climbs and at high cadence. Your knees benefit too: with a well-set cleat they track in a straight line.

There are two kinds: road shoes — a large cleat that sticks out, awkward to walk in but with the stiffest sole; and MTB shoes with SPD — a small cleat recessed into the sole, so you can walk into a café normally. For a first season, MTB shoes are a good choice.

In the first days, practise unclipping while leaning on a wall or on grass. You release by twisting your heel outwards. Unclip early, a few metres before you stop — almost every beginner falls over at the lights at least once by forgetting.

What to do now

1. Buy one pair of mid-range bibs. This is the last place to save money.
2. Try them on in a riding position, leaning forward as you would on the bike.
3. If you ride clipless pedals, get MTB shoes with SPD: easier to ride and to walk in.
4. At first, a quick-drying sports T-shirt can stand in for a jersey.