Why is cycling clothing better?

Fit. Cycling gear is cut to fit properly when you’re leaning forward over the handlebars. That means shirts and jackets have a longer back to keep your lower back covered, and legwear has a higher waist at the back too. To stop your wrists being exposed, sleeves are a bit longer on long-sleeved shirts and jackets, and legwear is shaped with a bends at the waist and in the knee so doesn’t impede pedalling.

Movement. Cycling gear moves with you as you ride. That’s especially important for legwear, because your legs are the part of you that moves most. That’s the reason why cycling shorts are made from Lycra fabric, because it has enough built-in stretch that it doesn’t bunch up and chafe. Similarly, cycling tights

Sweat-handling. Ride up a steep hill in a cotton t-shirt under a waterproof jacket and you quickly discover why cycling clothing isn’t made from cotton. You sweat, the sweat soaks the shirt and you get wet, and then cold. Cycling gear is made from fabrics through which water can move away from your skin and evaporate, a phenomenon usually referred to as ‘wicking’ by analogy with the way wax moves up a candle wick.

Outer layers for wet weather also use fabrics designed to shift sweat. Such ‘breathable’ fabrics keep rain out, but allow water vapour — sweat — out. However, no breathable fabric is capable of transmitting the amount of sweat a cyclist produces when working hard, so cycling waterproofs also have vents to let out warm, moist air. These are positioned so that they don’t let in water, in places such as the underarms or under flaps at the back.