Hi All,

I rode into London today from Hertfordshire and back on a shopping trip for some bike parts and clothes. I had no trouble picking up the bike parts and at a good price aswell, however has shocked by the price of cycling clothing.

Im looking for some leggins/cycling trouser and some thermals and dont want to pay £40-80 for each pair.

What are the differences between a set of cheap polyester thermal trousers and an £80 pair of cycling leggins? Im not going to cycling in temperatures below 0 degrees in London often.

Can anyone recomend any good clothing websites selling thermals/cycling related clothes at a good/cheap price?

http://www.prendas.co.uk/

http://www.cycle-clothing.co.uk/Ranges/8/cycle-cycling-wear/tights.aspx

Try these, I have a couple of pairs of the Alpha T's and some shorts and they are plenty good enough for the price.
Try to buy stuff in sales.

There's a fair bit of the old 'boys and their toys' about the whole outdoor clothing thing, esp among the weekend warrior crowd. So much bollox marketing out there for them with more money than sense.

That said, sometimes you gets what you pays for. End of the day, you pays your money, you chooses your compromise. Aldi have good quality cycling gear at unbeatable prices.

Having trashed the 'techies', I must confess to a fondness for Montane featherlite windshirts. Not cheap, but by far my most worn garment.

http://www.prendas.co.uk/

+1 to Prendas; great service too.

decathlon do some decent stuff for reasonable money.

decathlon do some decent stuff for reasonable money.

Yep.

I did not get on well with their bib tights though, the seam on the padding rubs a bit. Other stuff is fine.

Also I only have a few pairs of padded cycling shorts and then buy un padded legging to wear over the top in the winter, that way I am not paying for the padding twice and can justify buying half decent shorts. When it's really cold a pair of 40 + denier tights are cheap extra layer.

Have you tried Rapha? I gather it is all the rage.

OnOne can get you a good deal on mink coats.

I hear they are very waterproof:P

OnOne can get you a good deal on mink coats.

I'd read the smallprint.. I hear you have to marry him..

That's right. Polygamist.

ive just bought the bic and purgeot jerseys from prendas, good price! ill let you know what the quality is like when they arrive.

decent clothes will pay you back in spades. leggings: try endura mt500, £60ish online but should last years.

sometimes you can pick up cheap thermal wear from the hiking / ski outlet stores on southampton st. esp around march time when the season is coming to a close.

www.wiggle.co.uk do a brand called dhb. their bib tights are brilliant, warm and comfortable. £40, their shorts aren't bad either. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/dhb_Merston_Bib_Tights/5360038993/[
](http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/dhb_Merston_Bib_Tights/5360038993/)

Have you tried Rapha? I gather it is all the rage.

Bit expensive, M8.

Primark sell cotton long-johns for about two quid, super comfortable, but only suitable as a base layer on those REALLY cold missions.

Normally wear MTB gloves with another thin pair underneath, but I've had frozen hands for about 5 miles until I warmed up enough over the last month. So last week spotted some bargain Karrimor ski gloves in Sportsworld (used to be soccer sports) - £3. used them twice now and they're so roasty toasty. Her indoors told me to go and buy another pair for when they wear out!

Tommy's suggestion of decent shorts with cheap trashable leggings over the top has stood me in good stead for the last two winters.

Also can vouch for Endura stuff - lasts for ages and good value.

ive just bought the bic and purgeot jerseys from prendas, good price! ill let you know what the quality is like when they arrive.

Loving the prendas bic top!

dhb stuff is good.

decathlon for cheaps. their silk glove liners are ace.

for those of you are on a super tight budget like me you may be interested in this:

I went into the clothes shop Peacocks today, on looking in the mens section I noted that some of the sports tops looked like very silimar material to my ALDI cyling jacket, and yes on checking my ALDI/CRANE cycling jacket which is fantastic used for several months now is made of 100% polyester, and this Peacock stuff (below that I bought) is too, the link is here (you can get it all online,):

http://www.peacocks.co.uk/Menswear/Sportswear/Sports_Tops

I bought:

BLACK CREW NECK SPORTS TOP

£8.00 (like a base layer)

BLACK ZIP-UP HOODED TOP

£12.00 (like a windproof jacket)

BLACK ZIP-UP POLO TOP

£8.00 (like a jersey)

and if they perform anywhere near as well as the ALDI/CRANE gear which I dont see why they wouldn't (as they are the same material) then thats a bloody bargain! Look good too as well methink!

and I have now tested these 3 garments for both road and up in the monutains of wales on my off road bike, and as far as I am concerned its great.

uniqlo is the bellex for cheap thermal tees, long johns etc.

http://www.uniqlo.co.uk/heattech

http://www.uniqlo.co.uk/?gclid=CO7Ezra-z5gCFQ0zQgodqj124w

If anyone is after long finger leather gloves check out Nike town golf dept, they do left and right for £13 each. Not far off Rapha's in terms of quality for a fraction of the price. Get slightly small as soft leather will stretch. They do a synthetic version too for £7 in black or white.

http://store.nike.com/index.jsp?country=GB&lang_locale=en_GB&sitesrc=GBLP#l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-300/pid-232599/pgid-232618

http://www.cycle-clothing.co.uk/Products/55/speg-glyde-cycle-shorts.aspx

Sale on at the moment.

has anyone got any experience of those prendas summer (yep summer) mitts. recommended??

Prendas = Good.