Cycling Clothing
Before we get started, let’s clear up one of the biggest misgivings new riders have about cycling clothing: that it’s just for professional or “serious” cyclists.
Cycling gear is designed for—and can be worn by—anyone wanting to enjoy time on their bike, whether they’re riding for fun, fitness, free transport, or training for the Tour.
In fact, if you’re riding, you really should be wearing bicycle attire. Bike apparel has been specifically designed to protect your body from the bike and the weather. From preventing saddle sores and sunburn to protecting you from the wind and rain, cycle clothing exists to make every ride enjoyable.
Cycling Emporium offers a carefully curated collection of the best and most popular bike accessories and bike clothing online. Whatever piece of kit you require—whether it’s cycling vests, cycling shoes, gloves, jerseys, or more—you can find the latest style and colour on our online store.
When shopping with us, you can feel confident that you’re buying high-quality products. We believe in comfort and quality, and ensuring you are happy with your order is important to us. To support this, we offer a 30-day return period for product size exchange or refund, provided goods are sent back unused and in their original packaging.
We also offer free worldwide delivery for if you place orders over $99AUD, so you can put your hard-earned dollars toward the best cycling clothing and bike accessories available instead of shipping fees.
Is cycling clothing worth it?
Absolutely. Investing in quality cycling clothing is one of the best choices you can make to get on—and stay on—the road.
Cycling wear is designed to enhance your riding experience. Wearing quality bike clothing isn’t just about achieving peak performance—it’s about comfort and committing to protecting your body when on the bike.
At its most basic, a good cycling clothing kit will include the following:
Cycling Jerseys
Jerseys are one of the most easily identifiable—and recommended—items of bike apparel. Designed to maximise rider comfort while on the bike, cycling jerseys allow the body to breathe through special moisture-wicking fabric. With their close fit, they reduce wind resistance and allow you to have an easier, faster ride. Available in short and long sleeve designs, bike tops provide crucial protection from harsh UV rays and the cold. They’re also a fantastic way to show your personal style—they’re available in just about any colour imaginable.
Cycling Base Layers
Base layers support the jersey in regulating your body temperature. They are made of different materials for different seasons. In warmer months, a mesh base layer will assist in allowing sweat to evaporate faster, cooling the body. Throughout winter, thermal base layers help your muscles to stay warm by trapping air while allowing moisture to pass through.
Cycling Shoes
Cycling shoes are designed specifically for breathability and stability. With shaped heel cups and a rigid sole, a bike shoe directly supports greater power transfer from your legs when pedalling by removing the flexibility of standard sneakers. The sole of a cycling shoe also features special inserts which allow for cleats to be attached and clipped into your pedals. The upper of a road cycling shoe is typically made from leather and/or suede (real or synthetic), or nylon mesh—material comes largely down to personal preference and season.
Cycling Jackets or Cycling Vests
Cycling jackets are a vital part of a rider’s cycling clothing. Made in a variety of waterproof, windproof and thermal materials, this key piece of cycling gear ranges from lightweight waterproof spray jackets for warmer, more humid climates to insulated jackets for sub-zero northern hemisphere temperatures.
Cycling Bib Shorts (or shorts/tights)
Cycling bib shorts have shoulder straps to prevent your cycling jersey from riding up or your shorts from sliding down. They also feature built-in seat padding to provide comfort in the saddle. Bike shorts and tights can also be purchased without the “bib,” and offer the same protection from the saddle and leg chafing.
Cycling Sunglasses
Bike glasses offer more than just style—their technical design protects your eyes from wind and UV light, with many lenses now offering a hydrophobic coating for rainy days.
Bidon
Okay, so a bidon isn’t technically cycling clothing, but no matter how far you’re riding and regardless of the weather conditions, staying hydrated is important. Bidons are extremely lightweight water bottles designed for cycling. They’re flexible, meaning you can squeeze water from them easily at high speeds (no head tilt required). They also fit snugly into a bottle cage either on the downtube or seat tube of your bike.
Once you’ve got the basics of your kit sorted, you can explore other items on the Cycling Emporium marketplace such as gloves, cycling caps, compression cycling socks, cycling arm and leg warmers and more.
How to choose cycling clothing?
With so many choices out there when it comes to brand, colour, and style, choosing the right cycling clothing might seem overwhelming.
Once you’ve considered your climate and corresponding clothing preferences (i.e. short sleeve jerseys vs cycling long sleeve jerseys), you’ll need to determine the size of your bicycle attire.
Almost all bike apparel is a mix of Lycra as a foundation fabric, and other synthetic textiles. It’s also designed in a way to fit your body specifically while on the bike. This means your jersey or shorts and tight size may be different than your regular clothing.
Ensuring the right fit is crucial for comfort, and important to maximise the performance and lifespan of your cycle clothing. To get your jersey size, measure:
The circumference of the widest part of your chest. Start at one armpit and wrap the tape around your body, ensuring the tape measure remains level. Your natural waist and hips. For men, this is a single measurement just above the hip bones. For women, measure the smallest part of your waist (usually at the bottom of the ribcage) and around the widest part of your hips including buttocks.
To find your size and achieve a perfect fit in bib shorts or tights, measure the circumference of your natural waist, or the thinnest part of your torso.
Take these measurements and compare it with the individual brand size guide on the online product listings to find the most suitable size. Note that sizes may vary between brands.
We’re committed to offering you the biggest range of quality performance bike apparel available in Australia, and want to make sure you love your purchase. When you shop for bike clothing online with Cycling Emporium, it’s handy to note that you can filter products by gender, clothing style or type, and sort by brand.
Our store is mobile-friendly, so you can order from the featured bike accessories from any device, wherever you are in the world. Whether you prefer cycling on paved roads or roughing it on a mountain bike, you can take advantage of our free shipping across the globe for orders over $99AUD and 30-day returns period.
