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Halfway between office clothes and skintight professional cycling skins is the pile of sensible touring clothing. You can spend a lot of money on it, but you don't have to: a short cycling holiday or a few epic Sunday tours are not an expedition. Versatile pieces shine on tour, but also when hiking or travelling. In the first half of our list of suggestions: a solid outift for fair weather rides between around 15 and 30 degrees. Further down you will find affordable add-ons for cloudy days.
Gloves
The flatter the posture, the greater the load on the hands. Short-fingered cycling gloves cushion pressure peaks and protect against the consequences of a fall. They are very comfortable for longer tours on sporty bikes, but are not really necessary for an upright riding position. Inexpensive models cost around 20 euros.
Cycling shorts
Invisible and highly effective: short cycling shorts with seat padding, worn directly on the skin, prevent pressure and friction problems on the seat area, especially on tours lasting several hours. In the summer heat, models made of knitted mesh can be useful, but smooth materials usually fit tighter and have fewer creases. Minimum length: half thigh. Good models under 60 euros are rare, the M Cycling Undershorts from Löffler are a cent less...
Touring trousers
More casual trousers over tight cycling shorts have become the norm. Elasticated materials and movement-friendly cuts are convincing. If the cut is right, hiking trousers are also an option. If required, zip-off legs, as with the Vaude Farley (120 Euro) make the trousers versatile.
Bike shirt
Touring bikes usually come with storage space. Skin-tight road bike jerseys with back pockets are therefore superfluous, but their functional material does a good job. Quick-drying sports shirts such as the Single Track Core T from Endura (50 euros) are usually knitted from polyester fibres and also regulate the body climate for other sports. If you don't sweat a lot, merino wool is also a good choice.
Softshell waistcoat
E-bikers in particular appreciate wind protection on the upper body, even on summer tours. For motorless touring cyclists, a slightly warming softshell waistcoat prevents them from cooling down when stationary and easily extends the comfortable temperature range by five to ten degrees. The workwear specialist Engelbert Strauss offers the e.s. motion model for a relatively affordable 50 euros.
Cycling shoes
The most important thing about a good touring boot Shimano ET300 (80 Euro) In addition to the fit, a suitably stiff sole is essential - not a board that is unsuitable for walking and not a soft trainers through which you can feel the pedal. Performance-oriented cyclists use clipless pedals with specialised shoes.
Helmet
Closed helmets with a skater design may look stylish, but well-ventilated models with an adjustable interior are superior in the long run. Even inexpensive models such as the Panoma from Alpina (50 Euro) offer tested protection.
Glasses
Cycling goggles are just as much protective goggles as they are sunglasses. At 50 euros, a relatively inexpensive example among the functional, but not overly race-like sports glasses is the Alpina Lyron. Particularly practical, but also somewhat more expensive, are self-tinting models that mutate from a very light tint to darkened sunglasses due to UV radiation.
Rain jacket
If versatility is more important than aerodynamics, a jacket with a mountain sports cut that allows you to move freely can be a good choice. The Stormline Stretch Rainshell from Black Diamond certainly won't win any prizes for maximum vapour permeability and robustness, but at 320 grams (M) and a price of 150 euros, it offers very good protection against showers.
Rain trousers
Always with you, rarely used. Long rain trousers for emergencies are welcome when travelling by bike, but an inexpensive, simply waterproof model such as the "Rain" from Chiba (60 euros) is usually sufficient. Zips up to at least knee height make it easier to put them on when you need to be quick. An unconventional tip for everyday use: The Rainlegs (32,50 Euro) are extremely practical on short trips in the rain because they can be put on quickly.
Rain overshoes
No overshoe can fend off hours of rain. However, your feet will always survive a ride to the office or through a heavy shower when travelling with these small packable emergency aids. Slightly higher models are also useful with mudguards. Vaude Bike Gaiters long, 32 Euro.
Finger gloves
Ten degrees, wind and wet conditions are borderline even for robust natures. Windproof and water-repellent gloves belong in every cyclist's wardrobe. The model Pino from Roeckl is functional and reasonably priced at 30 euros.
