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I am new to riding. I have done some research, and found out there are plenty of guides telling people how to pick up cycling gear.
But I want suggestions for affordable, good quality clothes. I need advice from someone who actually bought the clothes. I don't need expensive cycling clothes like alpha, as I only ride once per week. Any tips for beginners are welcome.
I need suggestions for both summer and winter. I am a man. I've been thinking about around 20 miles at the beginning.
For a beginner, as long as all the required naughty bits are covered, and you're comfortable standing and walking in those clothes, then they're generally fine for cycling.
A beginner is anyone tootling 3 kilometres/2 miles each way. If you're regularly doing rides of 16 km/10 miles then that's about where cycling clothing will come in handy.
There's no need to go silly with race gear.
The first specialist items to consider are
I have bought all these things and they work fine for me. My longest ride was last weekend were I did 118 km.
Other than that, check this site for "what tools to carry on a ride" and nutrition/hydration questions. However that's bike gear not clothing so only a brief reference.
Start out by wearing what is comfortable and in your wardrobe. It is much more important that you actually get out there and ride, rather than sit at home planning your cycling wardrobe.
You said you only ride once a week, but you did not specify the ride conditions and circumstances. Commuting in mild weather, recreational riding in sunny weather, gravel grinding in a state forest, etc.
As you ride, you will discover how committed you are to cycling, which will in turn dictate what you want or need next. Some people, like me, are psychologically predisposed NOT to wear spandex. As such, the cycling shorts I have could pass for ordinary shorts.
In terms of what's most important, first things to get are a helmet (if you desire), gloves, and eyewear. I recommend full finger gloves, even in warm weather, as they protect your hands against nicks, scratches, and scraps.
After that, a cycling jacket for weather and road protection plus visibility so some reflective surfaces are a plus. Shop in the store so you can try it on to ensure it fits and suits you.
Your backside may next demand padded cycling shorts or cycling shorts with separate padded underwear. You may also be thinking about a better saddle.
At some point, you may get the desire for clips and shoes. This is a serious transition as one can fall over and go boom if one is not unclipped. I bought a set, and they sat for weeks until I broke one of my conventional pedals. That forced me to cross over to clips. And you will eventually fall, but you likely will walk away will just a bruised ego. I did.
Finally got a jersey, one, in 2014. However, I mostly still ride in casual clothes, including T-shirts during the summer.
The most affordable clothes are the ones you already own. So start with those. Your legs will be moving a lot, so pick something that doesn't restrict leg movement. Shorts are the way to go, unless it's below freezing. If you're a man, wear snug-fitting briefs to keep your family jewels tucked up and out of the way. For shoes, ideally you want something with stiff soles that doesn't restrict your ankles (like low-top hikers), but really, any comfortable shoes will work.
If you do this for a while, eventually you'll figure out which parts of your wardrobe are lacking - and then you can start looking for cycling-specific items.
I would look at using a pair of shorts like these under a normal pair of shorts so that you've got a pad to protect your under carriage. If/when you feel comfortable wearing Lycra, then full bib shorts is what I'd recommend if you're spending anything longer than an hour in the saddle.
I have one in mind, I bought their cycling underwear, around $15, You can get it at baleaf.com, or you can search baleaf on Amazon. I recommend this item simply because it is cheap and the quality is not bad. If you just want to ride once per week, you can wear it for almost 1 year, mine is around 10 months. They use Nylon-spandex mesh, and helps keep body dry. 3D padding reduces chafing, It won't be a problem if you ride 10-15 miles per time.
I would recommend skipping why cycling uniform all together. Start riding and skip all the details shin pads, knee pads and all that stuff is pretty pointless unless you know you'll be riding at really high speeds near traffic.
After you've started riding for a while you'll feel good investing in an outfit.
