There’s no denying, no matter what your set up or session, indoor cycling leads to a lot of sweat, and the best indoor cycling clothing can help make the whole experience a lot more bearable.
There has been a huge increase in indoor cycling over the past 12 months. What was once a way of delivering specific training loads and only if it snows, has now become a staple way of life for many riders.
While indoor training apps for cycling has see a swift rise of provision by different brands, specific the best indoor cycling clothing has taken a little longer to follow.
Indoor training apps for cycling compared: which is best for you?
There is still some debate as to the need for specific indoor kit, and some riders will be just fine sticking to their standard cyclewear. Others will find that getting hot, sweaty and sitting in a static position will lead to saddle sores, unexpected friction rubs, or generally over heating, all of which can be avoided with the best indoor cycling clothing.
Beginner’s guide to indoor cycling
As former British Cycling head of physiotherapy Phil Burt put it: “If you allow the area to get hot and wet and apply pressure, you’ve got a recipe for a certain type of saddle sore.”
Therefore, the best indoor cycling clothing, specifically shorts will aim to wick sweat away, allow breathability and offer a pad suited to a static indoor position.
Indeed, when Cycling Weekly compared moisture retention of a pair of indoor specific dhb Aeron Turbo Women’s shorts versus standard shorts, we found a 64 per cent reduction in weight increase via sweat absorption.
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We’ve taken a look at some of the best indoor cycling clothing options available to help you navigate this growing market.
Based upon Burt’s expert opinion, the best indoor cycling clothing options will aim to keep riders as dry as possible whilst offering a pad “that doesn’t bottom out completely when you’re loading it for a sustained amount of time.”
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There are also the best indoor cycling clothing specific base layers and jerseys to match.
If you don’t already have a super breathable base layer, some of the options listed could be an investment both for indoor and outdoor riding, with breathable fabrics limiting the well-documented effect of heat build up on performance and sweat-wicking properties preventing a ‘cool down’ temperature plummet.
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The best indoor cycling clothing jerseys are a great option if you are exercising outside of your immediate four walls and don’t want to scare family, housemates or neighbours with your flash dance apparel.
The best indoor cycling clothing – our pick
With each product is a ‘See more’ or ‘Best Deal’ link. If you click on this then we may receive a small amount of money from the retailer when you purchase the item. This doesn’t affect the amount you pay.
dhb Aeron Turbo Shorts
dhb’s Aeron turbo shorts are available in a men’s and women’s fit. Designed to be work with a base layer, the brand has decided to go without bib straps. We found that the waist on the women’s model slipped down, and we’d have preferred a bib version, but those used to waist shorts might be more comfortable with the simpler option.
The shorts feature a lightweight and quick-drying fabric, which we did find held on to less moisture when compared with standard shorts.
The chamois in the women’s shorts is Cytech Elastic Interface’s Paris HP Super Air pad whilst the men’s uses an Elastic Interface NICE HD Super Air pad. Both are very high density, and created to offer extra breathability.
Read more: dhb Aeron turbo shorts review
See more: dhb Aeron turbo men’s shorts from Wiggle UK for £70 or Wiggle USA for $93
Buy now: dhb Aeron turbo women’s shorts for £70 or from Wiggle USA for $80
Le Col x Wahoo Indoor Training Bib Shorts
The indoor shorts from Le Col are an adapted version of the brand’s summer bib shorts, with a lightweight fabric that features laser-cut perforations through the thighs, where heat builds up and is (ideally) released.
The bib strap is light and aims to wick away sweat, and there’s increased padding at the front of the chamois. The logic behind this is that that riders indoors spend more time sitting in a static position on the nose of the saddle. So this is a good option for ‘on the rivet’ riders who keep their indoor sessions high intensity.
Read more: Le Col x Wahoo indoor cycling shorts reviewed
See more: Le Col x Wahoo indoor cycling shorts at Le Col for £150 /$205 or Le Col x Wahoo women’s indoor cycling shorts at Le Colfor £150 /$205
Le Col x Wahoo Indoor Training Jersey
On top, Le Col is offering both short-sleeved jerseys and sleeveless designs, made from a mesh fabric.
Both the long and short-sleeved options come with pockets, allowing you to also wear this smart jersey in hot conditions outside. If you’re keeping it indoors, though, we reckon the vest would be the best choice because it will also be the breeziest.
Read more: Le Col x Wahoo’s men’s jersey review
See more: Le Col x Wahoo men’s jersey for £120 / $165 or Le Col x Wahoo sleeveless women’s vest for £100 / $140
Madison Turbo shorts
Madison was one of the first players on the indoor cycling clothing market. These shorts are still only available in a men’s version, though, and pretty tough to come by outside the UK.
The shorts use an anti-bacterial polyester fabric all over, with open mesh straps at the upper. The pad in question has been designed specifically for this short, and comes pre-curved in the riding position to offer a better fit.
Commenting on the design, apparel designer Rachel Preston said: “Indoor turbo sessions are usually short – 30 to 60minutes – but we did find that our riders would shuffle around a lot in their saddles. As a result, we selected a pad that offered fantastic moisture management, and offered really good elasticity to accommodate the continual position adjustments between different types of riding efforts during their workout session.”
Read more: Madison Turbo shorts reviewed
See more: Madison Turbo shorts at Leisure Lakes for £69.99
Madison Turbo jersey
At the top half, Madison has gone for a short-sleeved jersey as opposed to the mesh base layer seen elsewhere.
The jersey uses an open mesh fabric, though, and as well as having an anti-bacterial coating to prevent bacteria from multiplying (lovely!) the pockets have been removed – which makes sense as they’re superfluous indoors and add extra bulk.
See more: Madison Turbo jersey at Leisure Lakes for £49.49
Castelli Insider bib short
Castelli created its Insider shorts using the 80 per cent polyester material it calls Inferno, with lightweight Giro Air elastic at the cuffs.
Interestingly, it’s opted for its KISS Air2 seat pad, a lighter construction and uses a lower density foam, based on the expectation that indoor rides will be shorter and therefore require less cushioning. This approach differs from other options on the market, but could be up your street if you prefer less chamois between you and the saddle.
Again, this is a men’s short and there isn’t yet a version for women.
See more: Castelli Insider bib shorts at Wiggle for £88.00 or Wiggle USA for $121.88
Castelli Insider jersey
If you want to go matchy-matchy, there is a jersey, too. This is made from a 100 per cent polyester mesh, and weighs in at a claimed 88 grams. With two rear pockets, the idea is that you could still wear it for outdoor rides in hot weather.
See more: Castelli Insider jersey at Wiggle from £60.06 or Wiggle USA from $83.18
Rapha Core Cargo Shorts
Rapha, like Pactimo below, have taken a different approach to it’s indoor turbo-specific range clothing range. There are some new specific pieces, but the brand has chosen to gather many of it’s existing ranges and group them under the indoor banner.
Not that it’s a bad thing as we felt the Rapha Cargo shorts offered a excellent pad and a comfortable fit. Our only criticism was no bib, but now arguably the waist shorts are now a more desirable feature for indoor riding.
Read more: Rapha Core Cargo cycling shorts review
See more: Rapha Core Cargo Cycling shorts from Rapha from £95 or Rapha USA from $130
Rapha Indoor Training T-Shirt
The Rapha Indoor Training T-Shirts are indoor specific pieces of cycling apparel.
Available in both female and male fits, Rapha say that the lightweight and breathable sleeveless shirt has been cut for comfort on the turbo.
Both versions are made from 100 percent polyester, known for it’s sweat wicking properties, high stretch side panel and armholes cut for on-bike position.
Cut shorter at the front to avoid bunching, and longer at the back to keep you covered, the Indoor Training T-Shirt is also looser fitting than a standard bike base layer, but tighter than a regular t-shirt, Rapha say it strikes the perfect balance between airflow and sweat absorption.
Read more: Rapha launches new turbo-specific clothing range
See more: Rapha Indoor Training T-Shirt at Rapha for £35 or Rapha USA for $50
Pactimo Apex bib short liner
Like Rapha above, Pactimo has taken a different approach to indoor cycling clothing to most. Rather than construct a specific turbo short, it’s repurposed the liner shorts typically used by mountain bikers underneath their baggies.
This makes a lot of sense – this kit is designed to offer padding without any excess material. The body fabric is a stretch mesh material, with Avertini Lycra in the centre panels to make sure the chamois stays put.
The approach does mean that the chamois isn’t turbo specific but it is a Cytech model created to offer comfort up to four hours.
See more: Apex Liner men’s and women’s bib shorts at Pactimo UK for £75 or Pactimo USA for $80
Specialized Ultralight Liner SWAT short
If you want to ditch the bib straps and really feel the breeze, a pair of Specialized Ultralight Liner SWAT shorts might just be the ticket. They are made from what the brand calls VapoRize fabric, which is an open mesh, and they feature a 3D Chamois which is on the thinner side.
Be warned, these are VERY see-through. They are not specific indoor cycling clothing; they are designed to be worn underneath baggies – so best not to wander out to check the mail straight after your session.
See more: Specialized Ultralight Liner SWAT short at Bike Inn for £59.99 or Competitive Cyclist for $45
As this is a new fast moving range of cycling apparel, keep popping back to the page for updates on the best indoor cycling clothing.
