There are few pleasures sweeter & simpler than tearing down a trail on a bicycle. It’s one of life’s finest moments – wind in your hair, dust being thrown up behind you and that beautiful crunch as your tyres decimate the gravel beneath them. Cycling, despite what white van drivers might think, is well good.
Besides the sheer exhilaration you get from thrashing it at a hundred miles per hour on two wheels, riding a bicycle is a great method for getting out there and exploring new places. Very rarely are you going to walk along a winding stretch of road in the wilderness, and although you might drive along it, you’re going to miss loads of good stuff along the way. Cycling it opens your eyes to all of that stuff – trees, sheep, rocks, abandoned petrol stations, the list is endless. So yeah, we reckon the bicycle is the best exploring device ever created. Hats off to whoever came up with it.
Cycling is also one of those things that is constantly evolving. Less than thirty years ago, suspension was a commodity, and steel was commonplace. Nowadays, most people are riding carbon rigs with voice-activated electronic derailleurs. Bicycles have come a long, long way in recent years, and so has the clobber…
The days of mountain bikers sporting a stinky flannel shirt, some dark Levis and a pair of beat-up Nike shoes, are mostly gone – in their place we’ve now ushered in specially designed shorts, pads and shoes – and that’s before even looking at road biking and all that Lycra lark.
We’re not against this new garb, though – truthfully, we reckon even some Lycra outfits can look pretty cool. So, as a way of encouraging ourselves to get out on the trail more, we’ve put together The Proper Guide to cycling apparel and accessories. Are we qualified to have done that? Absolutely not.
Pas Normal x Oakley Mechanism Jersey
What a collab this is. Oakley & Pas are the perfect pairing if you ask us – you’d be lucky if there’s still any in stock by the time you read this. Pretty cool to see that unmistakably nineties Oakley logo on such a techy Pas garment. One for the ages, definitely.
Patagonia’s Duckbill Caps aren’t quite what they were in the early 2000s, but they’re still solid. Plenty of holes for venting your sweaty dome, and that soft bill handily folds onto your forehead when you’re caning it. Nice colourway on this one too.
Millet x Canyon SHARP Hydration Vest
While modern cycling trends can certainly be divisive (chain waxing et al.), we don’t think anyone’s disputing the importance of drinking water. And there’s no easier way of doing it than with a hydration station permanently attached to your back. From what we can tell, this Millet x Canyon vest is sort of like the Roll’s Rolls-Royce of hydration vests, and it looks pretty sweet too.
Pas Normal x Diemme Movida ’92
Another tremendous Pas collab. Can’t say we’re that surprised. These look absolutely top draw, the sand suede paired with the pastel yellow toeguard is simply *chefs kiss*. We must admit, it never really dawned on us just how similar the Movida ’92 is to traditional cycling footwear. Low profile, hefty toe guard, and a comprehensive lacing system. Everything you could ever want.
Canyon CLLCTV Street Peak Puffer Jacket
We’ll admit that putting a big coat in a summer cycling bits list seems a bit weird, but hear us out… This coat is nice. Too nice to leave off. And let’s face it you’re going to want something warm for those cold evenings on your upcoming European bikepacking trip, aren’t you?
There’s not much we can say about frame bags, other than they’re pretty important. Cycling with a backpack is a painful activity, and a frame bag prevents you from enduring it. This Fjallraven one looks smart, and if it’s anything like their jackets, it’ll outlive you. And probably your bike too.
This might look like your typical water bottle – don’t be fooled. It isn’t. It’s actually been developed to have a bottle cap that ensures no grit, grime, mud, dust or bits of road enter the mouthpiece. Pretty clever. Unless you enjoy drinking road debris cocktails.
Oakley Eyejacket Redux Forge Collection
If you don’t want to look like a toddler who’s had their iPad taken away, you’re going to want a good pair of sunglasses for riding your bike. Obviously, we’ve opted for Oakleys’. The most influential & arguably most important eyewear brand of all time. And we’ve picked the Eyejacket, arguably the most iconic of the brand’s models. These ones are red-tinted too. Guaranteed to give you extra speed. Probably.
Peak Peformance Street Bike Bag
Peak Performance have been trying their hand at a few different activities recently, mainly golf and mountain biking – we can report they’ve been successful at producing top-notch gear for both. Indicated by this bike bag, which isn’t just a bike bag, it’s also a wearable body bag.
Klattermusen Vidre Zip SS Jacket
Now this might not be designed for cycling, but it’ll certainly work. Klattermusen have made one of the most genuinely intriguing jackets/shirts/pullovers we’ve seen in recent years here. Mega colourway as well. Top marks.
Here we have an inflatable bike helmet. Yep, that’s right. A bike helmet that’s predominantly comprised of air. How mad is that? Everything about this says it shouldn’t work, but apparently it somehow does. Imagine how baffled someone from fifty years ago would be if you told them in 2025, we’d have inflatable bike helmets – to be fair, we’re still baffled now.
One of the most controversial cycling decisions is… to rack? Or not to rack? Obviously, the answer is always, rack. Then, after you’ve done that, we reckon adding some of these Canyon Cycling Baskets is a good idea. Think of all the exciting stuff you could fit in there. Would make after-work Tesco Express runs a doddle.
Peak Performance Trail MTB Shorts
Riding a bicycle in trousers is horrible. Not a pleasant experience at all. Getting loads of chain grease up the side of your nice jeans? Yeah, swerve that. Shorts are the way to avert this crisis, and these Peak Performance ones look sweet. Nice and long and with a handy zip pocket on the side.
If you want to add an extra couple of kilometres per hour to your sprint speed, you need a proper cycling cap. Apparently, something about the shape of them makes you go faster. Not sure if that’s even true. Anyway, this MAAP one looks nice.
We’ve realised while putting this list together that it’s very difficult to tell what a bike bag is for just by looking at a product shot. This one looks like it could be for absolutely anything, but it’s actually to attach to your seat. Sort of like a little rucksack for it. Clever, really.
Rapha Explore Lightweight Gilet
Can’t believe it’s taken us this long to mention gilets, or Rapha, but alas, we’ve arrived. Possibly the most quintessential cycling garment, the humble gilet is a very important bit of kit, providing just the right amount of insulation when tearing along tarmac, or trail. As usual, Rapha have done an expert job designing this one, especially in regards to colour and branding.
