Emma’s Guide To Women’s Cycle Clothing | What Cycling Kit To Wear?

Bibs or waist shorts, half zip or full zip jersey? And as for the accessories… Choosing cycling kit can be tricky, so Emma’s here to explain what clothing options are available, specifically for women cyclists.

Subscribe to GCN: http://gcn.eu/SubscribeToGCN
Register your interest in the GCN Club: http://gcn.eu/Sr
Get exclusive GCN gear in our shop: http://gcn.eu/Ss

In association with ASSOS.

There are lots of things about cycling that are just the same for men and women. But one thing that can be quite different, is clothing. Which is kind of obvious, really, because there are some quite fundamental differences in body shape.

So what should you bear in mind when choosing your kit? I get so many questions from other women who are getting into cycling about what’s the best kit to wear on the bike. And there is so much choice of women’s cycling kit out there these days that it really can be pretty confusing. Sometimes the advantages and drawbacks of certain kinds of cycling clothing aren’t all that obvious until you’ve been for a few rides!

So here’s the lowdown – well, ok, MY lowdown! – on the kit options for women.

The clothing you wear on the bike is one of the most important things affecting your comfort. So if you want to enjoy cycling, it’s absolutely crucial that you feel good in it. Part of that should be looking good too – because all cyclists want to look good – but for my money, looking good is not as important as being comfortable.

Your kit is what’s in direct contact with your skin, of course, and especially the chamois – padding in the shorts – that makes it the first thing you notice.

Plus, your clothing protects you from external influences – be that rain, snow, UV, or (hopefully not) the road, if you crash. And most cyclist have had a little tumble every now and then (I seem to have one crash a month at least!).

Cycling clothing that you don’t find comfortable, or which doesn’t protect you from the elements, will leave you feeling miserable on the bike.

It’s a hugely personal choice though: what IS comfortable at all? So let’s dive into some detail!

If you enjoyed this video, make sure to give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends. 👍

If you’d like to contribute captions and video info in your language, here’s the link – http://gcn.eu/Sq

Watch more on GCN…
📹 How is cycling kit made? http://gcn.eu/ASSOSFactory

Music: Suffer City – Lost And Blind (Instrumental Version)
Tigerblood Jewel – Razor Sharp
Friends with animals – Rotations
Anders Bothén – Wasted Education 2

Photos: © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Bettiniphoto / http://www.bettiniphoto.net/

About GCN:

The Global Cycling Network puts you in the centre of the action: from the iconic climbs of Alpe D’Huez and Mont Ventoux to the cobbles of Flanders, everywhere there is road or pavé, world-class racing and pro riders, we will be there bringing you action, analysis and unparalleled access every week, every month, and every year. We show you how to be a better cyclist with our bike maintenance videos, tips for improving your cycling, cycling top tens, and not forgetting the weekly GCN Show. Join us on YouTube’s biggest and best cycling channel to get closer to the action and improve your riding!

Welcome to the Global Cycling Network | Inside cycling

Thanks to our sponsors:

Alta Badia: http://gcn.eu/AltaBadia- // Maratona Dles Dolomites: http://gcn.eu/MaratonaDlesDolomites-
Assos of Switzerland: http://gcn.eu/Assos
KASK helmets: http://gcn.eu/KASK
fi’zi:k shoes and saddles: http://gcn.eu/fizikshoes and http://gcn.eu/fiziksaddles
Wiggle: http://gcn.eu/wiggle
Topeak tools: http://gcn.eu/Topeak
Canyon bikes: http://gcn.eu/-Canyon
Quarq: http://gcn.eu/Quarq
Orbea bikes: http://gcn.eu/Orbea
Trek Bicycles: http://gcn.eu/-Trek
Vision wheels: http://gcn.eu/Vision
Zipp wheels: http://gcn.eu/Zipp
power2max: http://gcn.eu/power2max
Wahoo Fitness: http://gcn.eu/Wahoo-Fitness
Park Tool: http://gcn.eu/-parktool
Continental tyres: http://gcn.eu/continental-
Camelbak: http://gcn.eu/camelbak-

Suscribirse a GCN en Español: http://gcn.eu/Suscribirse
The GCN Club – http://gcn.eu/club
YouTube Channel – http://gcn.eu/gcnYT
Facebook – http://gcn.eu/gcnFb
Instagram – http://gcn.eu/GCNInsta
Google+ – http://gcn.eu/gcnGPlus
Twitter – http://gcn.eu/gcnTW
GMBN Tech – http://gmbn.tech/subscribe
GCN Tech – http://gcntech.co/subscribe
EMBN – http://embn.me/subscribe

Leave us a comment below!

– There are lots of things about cycling that are just the same for men and women, but one area where we do see some differences is in clothing, which is kind of obvious
really, because there are some fundamental
differences in body shape. So let’s look at how to change
your kit if you’re a woman. (dramatic drum booms) I get loads of questions from women who are taking up cycling about what is the best
kit to wear on the bike? And there really is so much choice out there these days that
it can be super confusing. Sometimes the advantages and disadvantages of certain kinds of kit aren’t really that obvious until
you’ve been for a few rides. So here is the lowdown, well, okay, my lowdown, on the kit options for women. (relaxed music) The clothing you wear on the bike is one of the most important things affecting your comfort, so if you want to enjoy your cycling, then it’s really important that you feel good in it. Now, part of that should, of course, also be looking good,
because let’s face it everybody wants to look good. But for my money, looking good is not as important as being comfortable, which is kind of just
as well for me, really. Your kit is what is in direct contact with your skin, that, and
especially the chamois, the padding in the shorts, makes it the first thing
you notice on the bike. Plus, your clothing protects you from external influences, be that the sun, rain,
snow, or hopefully not the road, if you crash. And I’m afraid that most cyclists have a little tumble
(bicycle boings) every now and then. I seem to have one
crash a month, at least. Cycling clothing which you
don’t find comfortable, or which does not protect
you from the elements, will leave you feeling
miserable on the bike, but it’s a hugely personal choice what is comfortable, even me. Let’s dive into some detail. (relaxed music) First, the cycling jersey. Now, thankfully, these days, no longer usually made from
knitted wool, but instead, from sleek and lightweight Lycra. Now, I have to confess that I’m quite a fan of baggy clothing,
and I would much rather, usually, wear a loose-fitting
t-shirt than tight Lycra. That body-hugging shape, though, is actually a really
good thing on the bike, because as well as being more aero, which is very important
if you wanna go faster, it actually also stops
your jersey flopping around due to all the stuff in the back pockets, which is where you keep your food, your pump, your telephone. So actually, on the bike,
tight is a good thing. Now, with your cycling jersey, you have loads of options. First of all, you’ve got long
sleeves for when it’s cold, short sleeves for when
it’s hot, full-length zip, and in some jerseys, a half-length zip. Now why a zip at all, I hear you ask. Well, a full-length zip allows you to unzip your jersey totally to take it on and off, and also for cooling when it’s hot. The half-length zip is
slightly more aerodynamic, but a lot more hassle to get changed. You can actually, of course, use a cycling jersey without a zip, it’s just harder to get dressed. Personally, I find that
men’s, or unisex jerseys actually fit fine, except that they’re often too long, which means that the pockets
hang really low at the back, which is not a good look. (relaxed music) Next, cycling shorts. This is a very important topic, so take a seat, and settle
down for some details. Firstly, let’s talk about the chamois. Now, this is the padding in the shorts that protects your
undercarriage from the saddle. A good quality chamois, like the ones in these UMA GT shorts, or this is ASSOS’s women
specific laalaLai shorts, they can really help you to be comfortable for long days in the saddle. There’s a huge variety in fit of shorts and shape and thickness
of the chamois out there. Now is women’s specific shorts
and chamois better for you? Maybe, but not necessarily. For example, I’ve found that
some women specific shorts are fantastic, but also
some unisex shorts. The important thing is to find
something that works for you and that your shorts fit right and that the chamois is the right shape, that doesn’t move around
when you’re riding. Now we come to underwear and some people are gonna
find this really gross, but no, most cyclists
do not wear underwear under their cycling shorts. Now, I can see how this seems really weird and I can still remember being
appalled to find this out when I took up cycling, but the thing is that underwear
only creates extra friction and chafing in the area
where you need it least. Chafing is really bad, so you don’t actually need underwear, you just make sure you
wash your cycling shorts after every ride. Easy. Now we come to another major question, half shorts or bib shorts? Bib shorts have this brace
system to hold them up and you might well ask, why
have braces on cycling shorts? Well the reason is, that
if you have the braces, you don’t need to have a waist band, which some people find a bit uncomfortable when they’re hunched over on the bike. On the other hand, the waist band shorts, allow you take them off,
frankly a lot quicker, than with the bibs, Because you don’t have
to undo your jersey first to take off your shorts, those can be valuable seconds to lose if you’re desperate for the toilet. (relaxed music) Now we come to the undervest which is commonly worn
under a cycling jersey, not just for insulation but also, and this is absolutely vital, to stop rogue bees and wasps
from flying down your cleavage. Very unpleasant
experience, I can tell you. Undervests come in various thicknesses, and shapes and sizes, for example this is ASSOS’s
summer skinFoil vest and it’s really thin and it wicks the sweat away from your skin whereas this is ASSOS’s
spring/fall evo7 base layer, not only has it got
long sleeves obviously, but it’s very thin, and yet super insulated to keep you warm on slightly cooler mornings. There’s a wealth of
different kinds of gloves for different weather conditions, starting from the summer
track mitts with short fingers through to neoprene for the pouring rain, to keep your hands warm, windproof when it’s cold but not raining, and these are my personal favorites, these are the tiBuru
autumn or spring glove, it’s very thin but nice and warm and it even has conductive
patches on the fingertips so you can use your phone without taking them off. (energetic music) Accessories. There is a plethora of
accessories in cycling. This is not a comprehensive guide, but just a quick overview. Let’s divide it into
accessories for the rain, and accessories to stay warm. Sometimes you need both. For example, this is the
sturmPrinz evo ASSOS jacket and that is properly waterproof, that will keep you dry
in a massive rain storm. To go with it, you could use a rain cap, keeps the rain out of your
eyes when it’s pouring down. Whereas this is the UMA GT wind jacket. Now it’s not waterproof
but it is totally windproof and it packs down much
smaller than a rain jacket. Then we’ve also go knee warmers,
leg warmers, arm warmers, those are super versatile
ways to keep warm when it’s chilly in the morning
or the evening for example. You can strip them off when it gets warmer and you want to have short sleeves. Moving on you also have booties, now these go over your shoes and socks to keep your toes warm. Very, very useful. There are also waterproof
versions available. And of course the trusty headband to keep your ears and
head warm in the winter. (energetic music) Sock length is a surprisingly
heated topic of debate among cyclists who love
to mock triathletes for not wearing any socks at all. There was actually a time in road cycling when it was fashionable to wear your socks so long they almost came up to your knees, although maybe that was just on me. But actually now that some
pros have outed themselves as preferring short socks in training to avoid the mid calf tan line, I think that any cyclist
should be able to be open and proud of whatever
sock length they choose. (energetic music) And now to style, and who cares about style? Well okay, we all care about style. But the thing is, it’s way more important to be comfortable and enjoy your cycling than to look good. There are though, some
really, really stylish and elegant women’s
cycling outfits out there, and they’re also functional, so why not enjoy how you look on the bike? I hope this video helps you if you are in a bit of a dilemma
about what kind of shorts or what cut of jersey to go for. Why not let us know down in the comments what style of kit you prefer and of course if you’d like to buy our awesome ASSOS GCN kit, you can find it by clicking in the shop and you can see how ASSOS make their beautiful cycling clothing by watching this video down here.