Importance of Cycling Kits

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Last Updated on August 13, 2020

Cycling is fast becoming a favorite pastime among millions of Americans. Whether it’s during your commute to your workplace or during a weekend excursion, you need the right cycling kits to be safe and to have the most enjoyable riding experience. In this article, we talk about just how important cycling kits are, and explain why you need them. 

Let’s get started. 

Contents

Important Accessories that Must Never Miss in a Cycling Kit

1. Bike Helmets

Bike helmets play a vital role in protecting you while you are riding and they should be worn by every bike rider. In the US alone, 1000 people are killed each year with a further 500, 000 people sustaining injuries. Roughly 2 out of three deaths and one out of three injuries involve the face and head. Putting on a helmet can prevent head injuries by up to 85%.

Bicycle helmets are available in a range of sizes thicknesses for internal padding to make them custom-fit the user. To ensure that you have a snug fit, you need to ensure that internal pads are put where space exists between the helmet and the head along the back, front, and on the sides of the helmet. Make sure to position the pads evenly around the inner part of the helmet.

2. Bike Shoes

Have you ever thought about what cycling shoes are for and what they can do? If you think that they are only meant for serious athletes, then you need to think again. Cycling shoes have immense benefits even for beginner riders. 

These shoes are made with stiff soles. This feature lets you apply more force as you pedal. The more force you apply, the higher the power output it will have. This means that you get to burn more calories! Thus, investing in good biking shoes goes a long way to help you burn more calories. 

Also, connecting the shoes to the pedals engages more muscle groups. This ensures greater changes in strength, fitness, and endurance. It means that more muscle groups are worked out during the session. It also means more muscles adapt to the workload. Greater fitness is brought about by adaptation. 

3. Bicycle Jackets

The no.1 reason to wear a bicycle jacket is that they fit better than ordinary clothes. This is down to the fact that they tend to reduce bunching and contain longer cut especially in the back. This keeps the lower back covered. It also makes up for the fact that bicyclists ride while bent.

 Cycling jackets come in a wide range of types. There are windproof jackets, soft-shell and waterproof bike jackets. Riding a bike makes you sweat a lot and this becomes even worse if you happen to be wearing a t-shirt. T-shirts are also made of synthetic materials like polyester.

These materials don’t breathe. On the other hand, cycling jackets are made of a fabric made with moisture-wicking technology. The fiber in this special fabric is created to extract moisture from your skin. This helps to reduce sweat. Finding the right bike jacket ensures you ride faster since you don’t have to waste energy while riding. 

4. Cycling jersey

While no requirement compels you to wear a cycling jersey, it enables you to ride more comfortably. But what makes cycling jerseys so important? It all lies in the material they are made of and fit, as well as their special features.

These clothing items are made using moisture-moving fabrics, which extract perspiration form the body and take it to the outer side of the garment. Once here, it evaporates quickly leaving a cooling effect on the skin. By keeping you dry, the material keeps you cool even when the temperature rises. 

Also, these fabrics are meant to follow your body’s natural lines as you ride. They have grippers that enable them to stay in place while moving around the two-wheeler. Another thing is that long-sleeve jerseys tend to have longer sleeves compared to normal clothes. These maintain coverage even when you hold the bars.

5. Cycling Gloves

So what’s the importance of cycling gloves and why do bike riders wear them? When riding on a warm-weather day, your hands can become clammy and pretty wet with sweat. This means it’s very easy for your hands to slip around the bars. 

The work of biking gloves is to soak up the sweat. This not only keeps your hands dry but also enables you to maintain a vice-like grip on the bike’s handlebars at all times.

Some gloves have padded palms that give you additional comfort by protecting your hands from the vibration arising from the bike handlebar. The padding amount in gloves differs a lot from one manufacturer to the next. 

Gloves also provide some protection in the event of a crash. They act as an important first line of defense and can sometimes even prevent painful grazes and cuts.

6. Cycling Sunglasses

Cycling sunglasses ensure you are safe on the road or trail on bright and sunny days. This is because cycling eyewear reduces the sun’s glare and at the same time provides improved visibility. This can be the difference between getting involved in an accident and arriving safely in your destination. 

You also probably know the importance of protecting your eyes from UV rays. Most cycling lenses feature UV protection. 

7. Bike Shorts

The most important characteristic of a bike short that sets it apart from the normal clothing item is that its crotch doesn’t have seams. Another defining feature is that has additional padding to reduce discomfort and chafing while riding. Also, these shorts are generally flexible and tend to move with you while you are pedaling away. They don’t bind on you.

Wrapping it Up

For you to have the best biking experience, you need to have a full set of gears on. Things like helmets even play a more important role because they protect head injuries and hence death.

The right clothing item also ensures you go at the highest speed possible. After you buy your bike, the next thing you want to invest in is the right type of kits to make your experience smooth and enjoyable. 



Harold Whitford

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About the Author

My name is Harold Whitford, a husband, father, and avid cyclist with a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management from the University of Delaware. Having been in the industry for more than 15 years, I have a number of the road race and national time trial championships in my bag.

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