Why are there different clothing styles for road, MTB and gravel?

Just as road, mountain bike and gravel bike setups are optimised for specific disciplines, the clothes that are designed to accompany them are too.

Because road cycling demands aerodynamic efficiency, sweat-wicking, pedalling comfort and storage capability, we find close-fitting Lycra, variable-density chamois pads and secure jersey pockets.

Mountain biking demands total freedom of movement and additional space for adding body protection with much less emphasis on aerodynamics. Therefore, we tend to find more loose-fitting clothing on offer here, such as baggy mountain bike shorts, teamed with lighter support for pedalling such as liner shorts.

Gravel cycling kit tends to fit somewhere between the two, ranging from aerodynamically optimised gravel racing kit to more casual, relaxed cycling clothing for exploring that you’d be just as comfortable to wear to the cafe.