Mountain biking has never been a particularly inexpensive sport, but our sport is now unfortunately very fashionable. Fashion almost always comes packaged together with ridiculous prices, and mountain biking is no exception. While I can wax lyrically for hours about disc brakes and Pace forks many of you can't even dream of owning these items. In fact I can only afford them due to a reckless misplacement of priorities! Even our own venerable Webmaster James is a penniless student. So I decided to put together a few tips on how to spend your wad wisely. After all this website is dedicated to the least-trendy side of our sport, so none of you should really be too bothered about being spotted in the correct labels! I've identified three areas where I really believe you can spare some serious wodge. This article will be published in three parts, last week we covered tips concerning bikes, this week we cover clothing and the final week will cover lubricants and the like.
Mountain bike clothing can cost the earth. Some of it is worth every penny and some is best left to the absolute dedicated enthusiast. The first point to note, is again, that you have a lot to learn (and save) from the roadie. Namely that the only thing to be placed between you and the saddle is a quality pair of cycle shorts. Just say no to baggies! The only decent baggy shorts I have ever seen contained an entire cycle short inside them - so what's the point? Apparently (according to MBUK readers) wearing lycra is a sign of having a small todger, but saying something as inane as that is the sign of a small brain! And where is the best place to buy quality cycle shorts? At your local roadie shop! Here you'll discover that, when freed from trendy labels, decent shorts start at £20 and bib-shorts from £25. In the age of drink-rucsacs there is now no longer any need for lycra jerseys with back pockets. Therefore a coolmax (or similar) T-shirt, either from an MTB company like Polaris or a walking company like Sprayway, will make a fine summer riding top for around 20 notes. Cotton T-shirts will get very sweaty, and if the weather takes a turn for the worse, you could become dangerously cold.
As far as footwear goes, I would personally recommend SPDs or Time Atacs for all serious riders. With pedals starting at £25 and shoes at £35, this is no longer the ultra-expensive option it previously was. However many of you are doing a fine job in proving me wrong on this point, and ride huge distances on flat pedals. If this suits you - fine. You'll save money on shoes by using stiff soled trainers. And if you're just plain skint, why not go for toe straps and clips, they'll drive you mad but we all managed on them for years!
Good quality cycle mitts are another essential, like shorts. It is difficult to save money here, but expensive gloves often outlast cheaper ones. Look for neoprene or gel padded palms, but most of all choose ones made from Amara or Lorica artificial leathers. These will outlast leather palmed mitts about ten times over. I have an 8 year old pair of Chiba mitts that refuse to die, but have worn out other models in just a few months.
If you have a waterproof designed for running, golfing or fell running, then this should be fine for biking. If not, then cycle waterproofs are actually much better value than trendy Berghaus or Sprayway walking Gore-Tex's. A cycle Gore-tex can be bought for £100, or an Activent for £50. For many years I used a Rock-and-Run non-breathable fellrunner's waterproof, and similar slightly breathable models exist now for £40 or so.
The easiest place to save money on cycle clothing is with winter clothing. By simply not buying any! Anyone who is truly skint or stingy should be able to improvise winter clothing. Tracksters worn over cycle shorts were my staple winter wear for many years. I now love my Endura winter tights, but the difference in comfort is not as great as you might imagine. Believe it or not those sticky orange gardening gloves worn over cycle mitts make superb winter gloves (yes-really). Or alternatively try thermal inner gloves (around £5) under ordinary mitts. As far as layering goes, standard thermal underwear is fine (Helly Hansen is still excellent, with some tops under £20). Two tops worn together provide around the same warmth as a thin fleece. By wearing a breathable waterproof on top of your layers, even when it isn't raining, you should be able to cope with almost zero temperatures. The worst complaint with winter biking is cold feet. Two pairs of thin woollen socks is still very hard to better, but if things get really severe then plastic bags inside the shoes, or neoprene overshoes (£15-£20 from roadie shop) provide enough protection for anyone.
Last Updated 05-09-2000
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