What do you wear

As you all know I'm new to this recumbent/trike thing.

I have been wearing my DF clothes (padded short etc.) to ride my trike, mostly because I have them and it is what I am used to wearing when riding.

I have noticed in some of the videos on the forum, that some of the trike riders have been wearing jeans and tees. So the other day I went out and rode about 11 miles wearing jeans. Interesting since I have not done that in many years. No chaffing no rubbing no sore spots.

Now let me get to my question, which is pointed towards the trike riders but anyone please feel free to comment.

What do you wear to ride in

• bike clothes
• everyday clothes
• something else

Thanks,
Gary

 

My dominatrix outfit...

Well actually I wear non padded bike shorts because I don't like to feel like I am sitting on a large pile of doo etc. I used to wear wicking shirts but now that my horse riding instructor has started carrying loose fitting wicking shirts with a non elastisized waistband I have been wearing them. The looseness of a t-shirt with the breathable capacity.

 

Long sleeved, moisture wicking shirts, cycle tights (unpadded) with a pair of running shorts over those.

This past year, I've tried wearing normal casual type clothes with mixed results. The day cycling in Copenhagen, they worked fine except for leaving me with sunburn on my shins and around my neck-line because I forgot to refresh my sunscreen. The day I rode around Bruges, I started getting a bit of a chafe.

Still, felt better to be in a city environment and not looking COMPLETELY odd. As if a 'bent trike and a cycle helmet with a huge brim isn't strange enough.

Terii

 

I wear bike messenger shorts I found at Bike Nashbar. They come down just below the knee and have no padding. They protect my thighs from sunburn but the fabric is just a bit heavier than I'd like.

 

I am still relatively new to recumbent riding so playing with various aspects including clothing. Coming from a DF background I have a few pairs of bibs and cycle jerseys but also because I tour, I have cycling shorts and loser fitting shirts.

I have found that I was getting a sore backside from wearing the bib shorts on the Giro so I have now switched to wearing my Ground Effect Supertankers and I am experimenting with just wearing Coolmax sports underwear with them or whether wearing something like these Ronhill running "shorts" under them is the way to go.





Shirts wise I wear my cycling jerseys or my looser fitting Ground Effect jerseys or my Icebreaker GT150 t-shirts.

I notice that Ground Effect also have a new technical tee shirt on the market, the Haywire which comes with a security pocket on the side. I might give these a try.



I am more and more inclinded to go with t-shirt style tops preferably in merino or technical fabrics over cycling jerseys on the recumbent. Just seems more comfortable for me.

Andrew

 

Mostly wear triathalon shorts. The padding is minimal, more for privacy if you get my drift. When it gets colder imhave various thickness cycling and non cycling tights I wear. Mainly because they are tight at the ankles so as to not interfere with the chainline.

Bent specific cycling jerseys are the best. I like Bend It Cycling's jerseys. The pockets are on the side and work well for me. However, I liked the older ones better than the newer style. The older ones didn't have the large silicon bands on the sleeves which makes me sweat.

Winter wear includes an Underarmour balaclava. This beauty is very lightweight and yet keeps the neck and face warm when it's quite cold. Northwave Artic cycling boot is the bomb for keeping feet toasty warm when it's cold. When very cold ski gloves were better than gloves for runners. They block the wind better.
A helmet cover is also a cheap and easy way to keep the noggin warm. Covers all those vents up nicely.

 

Thanks for the heads-up. I notice they have "recumbent" bib shorts which appeal to me ... going to shorts seems like a step backwards. Has anyone tried these? I am a little worried about the value of a chamois in them.

Andrew

 

The triathalon Shorts have a very thin chamois, almost nonexistent. I think it adds a bit of softness where it's news without the bulk. I usually find them on sale for $30-$50.

Never tried the recumbent shorts from Bend it.

 

Thanks for the details ... I wonder if anyone as tried a tri-suit is that getting over the top?

Andrew

 

Yep, tried one I hate to admit. Picked it up real cheap too. Nice and cool for riding in the heat. However, it is a real pain in the butt when you have to pee. Unless you don't mind doing like the pros.

 

I don't see why they just make a small slit and use Velcroto for easy access etc.

 

I have tried just wearing tailored shorts on the trike. Problem I have is that they ride down... ummm ...move away from my knee.... or in other words move toward my bottom - so not really a good solution.
- Do the DF cycling shorts resist the migration toward the bottom when riding a Trike ?

 

Yup!

You can also get mountain bike shorts. They have an inner mesh lining and adjustable elastic around your legs at the bottom of the shorts leg. Keeps legs from creeping up.

 

Almost all of my riding shorts are Canari Baggy Cycling shorts. For whatever reason, Canari didn't put any padding into these particular shorts, so they have been very comfortable for use with both the trike and bike without alteration and without feeling like I'm wearing a full diaper. I like the baggy shorts because they have great pockets that are deep enough that they do not drop things out while riding. The inner spandex lining has elastic around the legs so they never ride up, but the looseness of the outer short allows them to ventilate comfortably. I've tried other types of shorts but many have seams that chafe or cause pressure, spandex alone does NOT look good on the average person, and loose shorts without a liner can cause some serious concerns about privacy issues when riding a recumbent. Lightweight athletic shorts with a pair of light compression shorts underneath, however, can give you everything you need for a bargain price. Cycling shorts can be stupidly expensive. I bought all of my Canari shorts on sale so I never paid full price.