Epic Cycling Climbs Bikepacking
Clothes List
Epic Cycling Climbs - Bikepacking Clothes List
On-the-bike clothing: The layering system you use is important and remember to look to items that are useful on and off the bike:
- Min two cycling bib shorts as you would need to wash them and use them alternating. Arm warmers instead of long sleeve tops and leg warmers instead of long tights.
- Underlayer: My preferred are mesh underlayers as they are just great at regulating body temperature regardless of warmer or colder days.
- Cycling jersey: Not difficult to chose as most are lightweight, have pockets and are the standard riding kit. Take more for longer trips.
- Gilet: Traditional gilet that can be used for colder starts and descending mountain passes. This is probably the most useful item of clothing to have. The choice is between very light versions for your back pocket or slightly heavier ones. Maybe one of each.
- Fleece or sweater that can be used for riding and off the bike. Having a warm “sweater” type item is important to keep you warm when the temperature drops. Cycling brands like Castelli have great fleeces or check out Isobaa merino wool lightweight sweaters.
- Puffer jacket that needs to be not larger than a fist when put in its bag. This jacket can be used for riding and off the bike in the evenings.
- Rain jacket is a must and I would opt for a loser and probably more sturdy rain jacket that fits over a puffer. Like with the puffer, the rain jacket can be used off the bike too. Depending on where you ride, the season you ride in and the length of your ride would determine if you want to to take waterproof trousers.
- Accessories like gloves, rain shoe covers and a neck tube are essentials. Helmet and cycling shoes with cleats are a given.
- Shoes and cleats: Shoe wise, an equivalent of a Shimano yellow SPD-SL cleat should be a good option for a sportier ride but if you want to use the shoe off the bike or ride on gravel, an MBT shoe, and equivalent pedal, would be an option (if you change the pedal and shoe for your ride, this might result in a subtle change to the fit of your bike though).
Additional off-the-bike items: Use quick dry material wherever possible as things need to get washed and might in any case get wet:
- Shoes are a real headache as they are heavy and bulky. The most obvious choice are barefoot shoes which are lightweight and flexible and also look like shoes. Don’t expect to go hiking with them though.
- T-shits: Always opt for quick dry sports shirts or merino wool shirts and not for cotton. While cotton is nice to wear, it is heavy and when wet takes an age to dry. You are unlikely to wear t-shirts on the bike, so limit the numbers you take. Alternatively, you can take a merino cycling underlayer that can double up as a t-shirt (long or short sleeve).
- Trousers: Lightweight and quick dry training pant or other trousers. These could be doubling up as pajama pants.
And take some washing powder as on longer trips you will need to wash some things when you arrive at your hotel for the night.
