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Ok, so spurred on by the Gravel Bike thread, what are most folk wearing for gravelling (is that a thing?)
Mix of road and MTB stuff? MTB shorts?
spandex, all the way.
Not with my fat lardy ass!
i am sure there is some 'gravel specific' clothing out there, but i would suggest whatever you are most comfortable riding a bike in.
Whether its road or off-road, i always wear my typical MTB stuff. So bib shorts, covered by baggy shorts (fox) and a non-descript t-shirt. Then the usual protective gear, helmet, knee pads (not on road obvs) and gloves.
A mix, but mostly at the roadie end of the spectrum.
Road clothing with race MTB shoes.
I lie on the road end of the spectrum too, mainly for the pockets
Rapha.
Obvs the above is a 😉
Only roadie stuff here with mtb /cx shoes. No point having an aero advantage and then wearing baggy stuff. I also find road kit is more comfortable on the Mtb.
I don’t bother with a helmet but if I did again it would be an un-peaked roadie one
Wear what you own, except kneepads.
Wear it like no one is watching.
I just wear bibs, baggies and a road Jersey. I've got relaxed geo and am certainly not built like a racing snake
Touring bike clothing is probably ideal if you've got any
Roadie stuff (which is Rapha!) with mtb shoes for anything from 2 hours up. That said as the weather improves and the days get longer, I'm gonna try for hour rides after work which will probably just be shorts and tshirt.
Flanel shirt, handlebar mustache, vintage looking roadie shoes with laces, spandex bib-shorts with pockets.
Plaid shirt, obviously!
😉
Depends.
Road kit mostly but for multi day rides I'm also tending towards walking shirts, touring shorts with liners and generally less overtly cycling clothing.
Not with my fat lardy ass!
no one cares, so wear whats comfortable. most companies have a gravel range.
what are most folk wearing for gravelling
One wears a blend of silks and satins. In plaid.
Actually it's mostly just my normal roadie kit with MTB shoes, a "gravel ride" for me will always include fair chunks of road.
Rapha have just re-purposed their original road-orientated Brevet range:
https://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/collections/gravel-riding/category/Gravel?q=gender:Mens
Cargo bibs and t-shirt works quite well, but in general I'm at the roadie and MTB SPD end of the spectrum. Roadie cap under helmet.
Another thread highlighting how broad a spectrum gravel is! (not a complaint or criticism, just made me think about it for a moment). You'll see 'adventure' gravellers or bikepackers wearing baggies and plaid shirts but I'm very much at the roadie end of the spectrum too, in fact all that changes is the colour of the tops I wear, I'm less inclined to go Euro-Fluoro on the gravel bike, prefer nice 'earthy tones' 😉
I liked the idea of some baggier shorts, especially ones with a waterproof arse like my old Enduras, but the rustling and flapping and endlessly having to pull them back up as they gradually slip below the waste just got annoying.
I guess I'd like a baggy short that was actually as slim fitting as still looked casual (thankfully hipsters have made 'very slim fitting' acceptable in the pub again 😎 ) but also a soft enough material that it wasn't noisy or rustly when pedalling. Oh, and still as breathable, quick drying and stretchy as lycra. So moon on a stick basically.
I guess I’d like a baggy short that was actually as slim fitting as still looked casual (thankfully hipsters have made ‘very slim fitting’ acceptable in the pub again 😎 ) but also a soft enough material that it wasn’t noisy or rustly when pedalling. Oh, and still as breathable, quick drying and stretchy as lycra. So moon on a stick basically.
I'm looking for the same!
Rapha used to do a 3/4 casual short, you can very occasionally find them on ebay. They were brilliant - came down to right on the knee, proper cotton construction with a bit of nylon for stretch. Tough enough for MTBing, casual enough for use on the beach or in the pub. I had two pairs, used them a lot for commuting as I'd often do train/bike combo and the extra bit of "casual" was good on the train. Both eventually wore through at the seat.
Most of their current casual shorts are far too short and also very lightweight. Want something more solid feeling and also down to the knee.
I see a guy riding a drop handle bike along the Mersey where it meets the TPT. He's often got a pith helmet on. (yes he does has a waxed moustache)
If you not wearing similar, Can you even call yourself a cyclist?
Mr bloody costume
Old lycra that's wearing thin and going see through.
I tend to wear older worn out road jerseys/bibs though, as a lot of the time I'll sneak down single tracks etc and get snagged by brambles
Mr bloody costume
That sounds a little too weird tbh!
Well seeing as it's just 90's mountian biking, surely the accepted gravel outfit should contain lots of bright pink and yellow lycra!
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^^ Only a matter of time before someone "discovers" toe clips & straps are superb (especially with a bum bag) and the sheeple start sticking them on their flats 😆
For me it's "roadie casual".
It is impressive how many brands now have Gravel specific clothing ranges - becoming quite a thing.
NB I'm all for it, anything cycling related is good.
Wear it like no one is watching.
Definitely not this. Some roadies need to be much more considerate of the wider public. Specially as the OP has confessed to being in possession of a lardy arse.
Ha ha ha...cheers Ernie
Well seeing as it’s just 90’s mountian biking, surely the accepted gravel outfit should contain lots of bright pink and yellow lycra!
Far too modern.
Anyone remember Specialized Dirtdog 3800 shoes from mid 80s? They were the business....
This is today's up to the minute gravel gear. Wouldn't be seen in anything else, me.
I don't do lycra.
Even when I had a road bike I didn't do lycra.
I wear the same stuff on any bike.
Plus fours. And gentleman’s country footwear. Rapha are going to reveal their new range this season.
comfort fit' roadie lycra for me, but MTB shoes.
Bib shorts or tights are just comfortable and jersey pockets are useful. I'm no racing snake so I'm sure I look terrible but IDGAS as I'm comfy and out having fun.
Not wearing knee pads on gravel would be rash.
i've been pondering this very question, i'm more mtb end of the gravel scale,
i just got the endura gv500 shorts, slim fitting but they are so Olive Green, that'll clash with any other colour.
the endura MTR shorts would be ideal, as they are stretch and slimmer fitting, but it seems they are no more. ;0( and my pairs are going on 3 years old and looking jaded.
adidas terrex have some great 4 way stretch shorts, but maybe a little short with too much leg showing..
helmet wise i'm using a roadie helmet, rather than a peak/visor.
cargo bibs (nukeproof) and a tshirt , slimmer shorts for summer.
the way i've been riding my gravel on local woodland singletrack and jump line i should be wearing knee pads
My kit stays the same whatever type of riding I'm doing.
Similar to many above it's bib shorts, (road) cycling jersey, MTB shoes, and a pair of not-too-baggy baggies* over the top.
It's the weather that makes me change my cycling clobber, not the riding.
*any old non-cotton shorts, currently using some old walking shorts from mountain warehouse, and a pair of old 'golf' shorts from uniqlo
TiRed
Full Member
Plus fours. And gentleman’s country footwear. Rapha are going to reveal their new range this season.
I'm not sure if you remember that they used to make plus fours. I need to dig mine out again 😉
Chelsea boots and chinos. Make sure to use trouser clips but definitely no helmet, gets in the way of the ironic hat. As for the coat, whatever has big enough pockets for the vintage camera.
Failing that, I wear the same whatever bike I'm riding, but as I don't have aero fitness or an aero body, it's mostly just MTB shorts and jersey/tee.
I don't really see gravel as any different to a MTB ride. Don't tell anyone but its really just an 80s MTB ride without the fluro tights. I'm not fast enough to worry about aerodynamics. Baggy clothes covering up my belly is more important.
Drop bars = lycra
Flat bars = baggies or lycra if racing
Anything else is just wrong
Are you a gravel rider or do you
only identify as one? This could affect the way you should look ;o) There are also several sub-genres of gravel now that have almost come back full circle to short travel hardtail. We need more information to identify where on the gravel spectrum you belong :o)
A Grading system for gravel? It'll never catch on...
Gravel curious, or Graveliphile
^^ Only a matter of time before someone “discovers” toe clips & straps are superb
you missed the 00's fixie/singlespeed craze then?
FWIW, I went on holiday to a place that rented gravel bikes, which were ideal for the local terrain. Not owning a gravel bike myself, I had to make do with my existing wardrobe.
I chose my tightest MTB shorts. I hate the term "baggies". I'd happily wear them around town (non-biking) in the summer, to give you some idea of the fit.
Merino t shirt or tightish mtb short sleeve jersey.
SPD shoes.
MTB helmet with peak.
The helmet peak was slightly visible when in the drops. But was also useful in the sun.
Ah, you'll want one of these
It genuinely works really well 🙂
Looser fitting road tops (for the pockets really) and straight commuter type shorts, is my preferred gravel attire.