Beginner Cycling Kit: What You Actually Need, and How to Wash It
A beginner cycling kit needs two things: padded cycling shorts and a moisture-wicking jersey. Gloves, warmers and clip-in shoes can wait until your rides show you what is missing. To make kit last, wash it after every ride in cold water on a gentle cycle, inside out, with no fabric softener, then hang it to dry.
In short
- Start with padded shorts and a wicking jersey. Everything else can wait.
- Wash kit after every ride: cold, gentle, inside out, no softener, hang to dry.
- Never put cycling kit in the dryer.
What does "kit" mean in cycling?
In cycling, your kit is your riding clothes, mainly the jersey and the shorts or bibs. A "matching kit" is a jersey and bottoms in the same design. Our cycling kits are sold that way, a jersey and gel padded bottoms in one design, so you do not have to coordinate separates.
What do you need to start cycling?
Two pieces of clothing cover most of what matters on rides under two hours.
Padded shorts first. The padded insert, called a chamois, sits between you and the saddle. It cuts friction, absorbs road buzz and wicks moisture. Without it, a 20-minute ride is fine, a 45-minute ride starts to hurt, and anything longer becomes a fight between your sit bones and the saddle. Regular padded shorts are perfect for your first months. Bibs, the version with shoulder straps, can come later when your rides get longer. Our cycling shorts and bibs use a 9D contoured silicone gel chamois.
A wicking top second. Cotton soaks up sweat and gets heavy. Polyester moves sweat off your skin and dries fast. For short commutes, any polyester sports shirt works. A cycling jersey adds three back pockets for your phone, keys and a snack, and a longer back that stays tucked when you lean forward. On a 90-minute weekend ride, you will want those pockets.
| Get now | Get when you need it | Skip for now |
|---|---|---|
| Padded cycling shorts or bibs | Cycling gloves | Aero helmet, skinsuit, shoe covers |
| Moisture-wicking jersey | Clip-in pedals and shoes | A dedicated GPS bike computer |
| Water bottle and cage | Arm warmers, leg warmers, vest | A full matching wardrobe |
| Helmet | Rain jacket |
What cycling gear can wait?
Some gear is useful, just not urgent.
Gloves. Your hands will tell you. If your palms feel numb after longer rides on rough roads, that is the signal.
Clip-in pedals and cycling shoes. They lock your feet to the pedals and make you more efficient, with a learning curve that includes at least one slow-motion tip-over at a stop light. Flat pedals and sneakers work fine for commuting and fitness riding.
Arm warmers, leg warmers and a vest. They solve a real problem on cool mornings and are irrelevant if you start in summer. Pick them up when mornings drop below about 55°F.
What can a beginner skip?
Aero gear. Unless you race, comfort and hydration matter far more than aerodynamics.
A dedicated bike computer. Your phone with a free ride-tracking app records speed, distance and routes. A computer adds training data that matters for structured training, and it can wait.
A full wardrobe on day one. Your taste will change in the first year. You will learn what fits, which fabrics you like and which designs you reach for. Start with one or two pieces and add as you go.
How do you choose the right size as a beginner?
Measure, do not guess. Cycling sizes vary between brands, and the letter you wear in regular clothes is a poor guide. Measure your chest for a jersey and your waist and hips for shorts, then compare with the OCG sizing charts. Our jerseys have a club fit cut and, like our shorts, run small, so if you are between sizes, size up. Dirt Farmer on BikeForums kept the advice about our jerseys short: "just buy LARGE!"
Getting it right first time saves hassle. Non-customized items are covered by our 60-day store-credit returns, and customized items are final. The full terms are in our Returns, Refunds and Exchanges Policy.
How do you wash cycling kit?
Cycling clothes are built differently from the rest of your wardrobe, and a hot wash with the towels shows it fast: cracked elastic, tired grippers, a jersey that rides up on every climb. Some riders go further than the machine. Koyote on BikeForums wrote: "Life is too short for cheap and nasty. I'd rather have only a couple good jerseys and wash them in the sink after each ride." For most riders the machine is fine, and the care is simple:
- Close every zip and Velcro tab. One loose Velcro strip can pill a whole load of jerseys.
- Turn everything inside out. The outer fabric rubbing against the drum is what causes pilling.
- Wash cold, gentle cycle. Our care label says machine wash at 30°C (86°F). Warm and hot water wear out elastic and silicone grippers.
- Use regular liquid detergent, no fabric softener. Softener leaves a waxy coat on the fibers that stops the fabric wicking.
- Keep kit away from rough fabrics. Denim and towels rub. A mesh laundry bag helps.
- Hang to dry. A cheap folding rack pays for itself with one saved jersey.
Our designs are printed by full sublimation, which dyes the ink into the fabric instead of laying it on top, so the print does not crack or peel in the wash. The elastic, the spandex in the fabric and the silicone grippers are what need the gentle treatment.
How do you wash cycling shorts and the chamois?
Wash padded shorts and bibs after every single ride. A warm, damp chamois is where bacteria grow, and skipped washes lead to saddle sores. If laundry day is a few days away, rinse the shorts in cold water right after the ride and hang them up, since sweat left in the pad breaks it down.
Then wash them like the rest of your kit: inside out, cold, gentle, no softener, hang to dry. Do not sit around in wet bibs after a ride either. Change, shower, and hang them up.
If you ride most days, own two or three pairs. Each pair gets time to dry fully, and each one lasts longer because it is washed less often.
Can you put cycling clothes in the dryer?
No. Dryer heat damages elastic, warps silicone grippers and can break down the gel in a chamois. The damage is invisible for the first few cycles and obvious by the twentieth, when your jersey rides up on every climb. Our care label also says do not dry clean or iron.
When is it time to replace cycling kit?
Care slows wear down but does not stop it. A piece has earned its retirement when two or more of these show up:
- Elastic that does not snap back
- Grippers that slide instead of hold
- A chamois that feels flat where it used to feel supportive
- Fabric that stays wet instead of wicking, or turns see-through when stretched
Our OCG Basics collection is an easy place to restock plain pieces when the time comes.
Quotes from riders are reproduced exactly as they were posted, typos and all.
Frequently asked questions
What should a beginner wear for their first bike ride?
Padded cycling shorts and a polyester top. A cycling jersey is better than a sports shirt on longer rides because of the back pockets.
Do I need bib shorts as a beginner?
No. Regular padded shorts are fine for your first months and easier for bathroom stops. Many riders add bibs once their rides pass an hour.
How often should you wash a cycling jersey?
After every ride. Sweat left in the fabric holds odor and wears it out faster.
Can I wash cycling kit with regular detergent?
Yes. Regular liquid detergent and cold water are fine for weekly washes. Skip the fabric softener.
Should you wash cycling shorts inside out?
Yes. It protects the outer fabric and gets the detergent straight to the chamois.
What is a starter cycling kit?
A starter kit is the minimum to ride comfortably: padded shorts or bibs, a wicking jersey, a helmet and a water bottle. A matching jersey and bib in one design covers the clothing in a single order.
