Cycling, for some, is like a cult. For others it's just a means of transport. Whatever your level of enthusiasm, whether its for performance or practical reasons, your outfit has to be considered. With any sport, there is the always going to be some level of flair, flex and competition over who looks the best. What you wear should help separate from the peloton, as it were.
Until recently, cycle-wear styling was about mimicking the professionals: loud, bright colours with sponsors plastered on the backs of the jersey tops. Many of the brands producing cycling apparel would have done so alongside their mainline production of bikes and their components, thus focusing solely on performance.
With the rise in popularity of cycling, post-Olympics, governmental health push and now the pandemic, more people are getting into riding their bike (hence the national shortage). And where weekend warriors lead, fashion brands will inevitably follow. Which is good, because we're sick of seeing all those MAMILs (that's 'middle-aged men in lycra', to the uninitiated) huffing around in ill-fitting togs that forget form completely, such is their obsession with function.
"Style is very personal and it brings subjective elements to help define our approach to cycling," says Remi Clermont, creative director and co-founder of high-end, high-style cycling brand Café du Cycliste. "Style is what turns a simple sport activity into something more meaningful, and into a lifestyle." Hear hear. To help you feel a bit more stylish with your new lifestyle passion, pick your tribe, then dress accordingly.
The Weekend Pro
This is the rider who takes it very seriously – possibly too seriously. But that’s OK. He sets his Sunday alarm for 6:30am and eats his breakfast from a metallic squeezy tube and it’s probably called ‘Electric Lime’.
Thanks to brands like Pas Normal Studios, Café du Cycliste and Rapha, the avid cyclist's wardrobe has had an update, bringing in new styles and modernising the way we dress whilst clipped in. Our main advice is to avoid colour clash. Lean towards subtly matching tones and pass on anything too loud. Remember, your fellow cyclists are trying hard to improve their road rep. Be the solution, not the problem.
Pas Normal Studios x Descente Allterrain
Green Mechanism Cycling Jersey Top, £195, brownsfashion.com
The Explorer
You can’t stand the sight of lycra, but you like to rack up the miles on Strava. You care about performance, but in a subtle way – after all, all your rides end in the pub with your mates (when they reopen). You want to feel comfortable, but also look good.
As factories and mills hone their skills at producing more technical fabrics, active wear gets better and better, but also easier to produce and therefore cheaper, opening up opportunities for new brands to explore the industry. Through the coming trend of luxury activewear, brands like Satisfy, Soar and Veilance are now competing amongst the more traditional flagship outdoor brands like Arc’teryx and Patagonia.
The Practical Man
The bike is just a means of transport, either to and from work (at some point in the future) or to the shops and back (every day right now). But you’ve started to notice all your jeans have holes in and your t-shirts are starting to permanently smell. You don’t want to change the way you dress, but you want to be better prepared and not turn up to work sweating and uncomfortable.
Luckily for us, Japanese brands And Wander and Snow Peak have turned their passion for the outdoors into something very stylish. Subtly blending technical fabrics into more style driven garments, offering perfect options for when cycling becomes a daily activity. Mix in some quintessentially British outdoor brands like Finisterre and you’re onto a winning wardrobe.
Cafe du Cycliste
Blue Cat Technical Weave Gravel Cycling Jersey, £122, cafeducycliste.com
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