Cheap cycling clothes

[I'm With Stupid]

I've got a 25 day trip coming up in February, and I need to get some tops and shorts. But it's quite expensive here, so I'm going to buy from a UK website and then have my mum give it to me when I see her next. I need to buy quite a few, because it's 25 days without a great deal in the way of laundry facilities and a very hot country.

The cheapest place I've found so far was cycling-clothing.co.uk, where short-sleeve tops are about £17.

Actually, now I think about it, perhaps a better question would be how necessary are proper cycling clothes? Or which bits are vital and which bits can I get away with normal sports clothes?

 

[Alembicbassman]

Decathlon or Sports Direct are good cheap sites. The Muddyfox clothing is good quality from Sports Direct. Handwashing of technical clothing is quick and easy, stuff dries in hours, cotton takes much longer.

www.decathlon.co.uk
http://www.sportsdirect.com/cycling/cycling-clothing

 

[aberal]

You don't need "proper" cycling clothes for a tour on a bike. Other than shorts/undershorts (two pairs) and stiff soled shoes. Don't wear cotton though and definitely not jeans. Man made fibres for your tops and socks and a waterproof jacket. And something for the evening.

 

[johnr]

I got a decathlon shirt for £2.99 last year - not the best quality but does the job well. I'd avoid cheap shorts though. If you look on the main sites (Wiggle, Evans etc) they are off loading last year's kit at substantial discounts.

 

[2wd]

I just bought a Muddyfox shorts sleeve cyling top from Sports Direct for £8.00,well pleased with it

http://www.sportsdirect.com/muddyfox-cycling-shirt-mens-636182?colcode=63618247

 

[Falwheeler]

These may be worth a look http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search?i...toshibauksearch-21&index=blended&linkCode=ur2

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

These people are great, they've even tried stuff on to check the size for me!

It's all last year's/end of line etc so they don't have every size but it's a lot cheaper than retail.

Plus when I've ordered stuff which has been out of stock, I've been offered a better alternative at no extra charge.

Thoroughly recommended.

 

[DCLane]

eBay? Buy a load of cheap second-hand items and leave them behind as you go ...

My parents ran a B&B on the Pennine Way and lots of walkers did this. Apparently they'd go to a charity shop en route, buy items and then leave them to save weight!

 

[wakou]

Tenn outdoors seems to have good reviews on various forums, find them on Ebay..

 

[I'm With Stupid]

I got a decathlon shirt for £2.99 last year - not the best quality but does the job well. I'd avoid cheap shorts though.

Why? I'm currently doing 50km training rides on a pretty hard seat, in just normal sports shorts, and I can't say my arse is crying out for padding tbh. Just on this issue btw, if you want padding, is it best to have it in the shorts or on the seat?

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I should point out that weight won't be an issue, because there's a van coming too.

 

[wakou]

These people are great, they've even tried stuff on to check the size for me!

It's all last year's/end of line etc so they don't have every size but it's a lot cheaper than retail.

Plus when I've ordered stuff which has been out of stock, I've been offered a better alternative at no extra charge.

Thoroughly recommended.

They may be great but that has to be one of the worst websites I have ever seen. Why make potential customers plough through the whole stock on the off-chance that there might be something in stock that is appropriate? A truly un-usable trainwreck of a site!

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

It did strike me too that the website could be improved.

However it's a bit over the top to describe it as "un-usable" [sic] and you don't have to look through their whole stock: it's broken down by sex, type of clothing and then brand.

It's like going to TK Maxx: you have to trawl through the rails to see if they have what you want.

Either way, I wear the clothes and not the website.

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

Just on this issue btw, if you want padding, is it best to have it in the shorts or on the seat?

Shorts.

With a padded saddle your sit bones sink into the cushioning which can put pressure on your perineum.

Having said that, there are plenty of saddles with a central cutaway to avoid that.