Part 2: A Beginner's Guide to Gravel Biking - What Should I Wear?

Photo by Natalie Starr

Words by Brie Lowrey + SHREDLY

Gravel biking is perfect if you’re looking to bike on varied terrain and not feel hindered by skinny tires. Gravel bikes have grown continually more capable and depending on your bike-handling comfort levels, you can not only ride paved and gravel roads, you can also explore green and sometimes even chill blue-rated terrain. The great part about gravel bikes is you can explore your local haunts and grab a beer or explore the far unknown. Anyone else checking out all the gravel adventures coming out of Iceland, or is that just us?

What to wear, though? Here’s your guide on what to wear while gravel biking in the summer and early fall months. (Let’s assume that it’s comfortable weather outside for this article.)

GRAVEL BIKING ACCESSORIES

Since you are gravel biking, this means you’ll have ample storage space on your bike (depending on what bike bags you’ve added to your set up) or you can always have a nice, lightweight backpack for your longer ride. Grab these items to add to your gear sack before you hit your adventure trails: 

• Protective eyewear 
• Sunscreen
• Road or mountain bike helmet (Yes, you can wear either!) 
• Bike tools - Including tire levers, co2 canister with valve or hand pump, and multi-tool
• Breathable socks
• WATER!!! (for during your ride AND after)
• SNACKS! - Don’t leave home without ‘em. 

Of course you can add whatever extra items you want. 

GRAVEL BIKING CLOTHING

When it comes to gravel biking clothing, you want pieces that are going to be versatile enough so that you feel comfortable enough to stop in at fun places along your route. You also want clothing that feels awesome for those longer distance rides and, of course, durable. With gravel biking clothing, you’ll be able to layer and then shed your layers when you don’t need them on your ride any more.

Tops

Tops are the easiest to layer, so you should always start with a base layer and work your way up as needed. Gravel biking is perfect for layering, as it’s easier to have bags on your bike to store the layers you may shed. We love these options from Lead Out!

Tank tops are the perfect place to start with your base layer. Choose from our various and fashionable tank tops such as the Cropped Tanks, Cadence Tanks, or Biker Tanks. All of our tank tops are moisture wicking, anti-microbial, and fast drying, perfect for layering or standing alone.

• Our Cropped Tanks are ideal if you don’t want to layer any more as they are just the right amount of baggy and breathable without showing off everything.
  
  
• Cadence Tanks feature a crew neck and extended shoulder cap design for nice sun coverage. They also have a mesh back panel that adds breathability and a zippered stash pocket where you can stash your small essentials.
  
  
• Finally, the Biker Tanks are a “muscle tank” style with dropped armholes to allow further airflow. Any tank top from our collections you choose is perfect for a gravel bike ride. 

To add an extra layer, look to our vests. The Gravel Grinder Vest is awesome for a lot of reasons, but mostly their storage space is unique. These vests feature a zippered back pocket and two zippered front pockets. The pockets are easy to get to and have a ton of space for everything you need to bring with you on your gravel ride. The vests also have a raised collar with an anti-chafing zipper garage. They are water and wind resistant, but stretchy and breathable for those long rides. 

For your final layer on your gravel bike ride, look at our jackets. Stretchy, water and wind resistant, breathable, vented upper back panel, and compact hood with storage area… these jackets have it all. These jackets are the beautiful and functional layer you want on your ride, especially as it starts getting into chillier months. 

Shop all of our tops here. 

Bottoms

Depending on the weather (especially if it is cooling off), layering is going to be the best for gravel biking. Start with shorts or chamois and then you layer as you need. 

If you’re a traditional cyclist that loves full kits or padded shorts, our Biker Cham is the way to go. These adorably unique chamois shorts are waistband-free, making them super light. These are perfect because they can be layered under shorts or worn completely alone. The hem of these shorts are scalloped with a 7” inseam. The Biker Chams are created with nylon and spandex fabric that provides durability and compression. They feature two side pockets for your phone (or whatever you like to keep close to you!) and have a low profile and high performance anti-microbial chamois pad. If you’re gravel biking, you might want this extra padding for your long distance ride. Choose from 4 eye-catching colors and prints to create a fun way to show your personality through your gravel bike clothing. 

For those that don’t necessarily need or want the chamois padding in their shorts, then our Biker Short is for you. These shorts are perfect for being on or off the bike because as we all know - biker shorts are the new athleisure wear. These biker shorts are made of nylon and spandex fabric that are durable and provide compression. Comfortably waist-band free and perfect to wear on your gravel bike ride if you don’t want a pad. Just as with the chamois, these shorts have a lovely scalloped hem with a 7” inseam and come in either Noir (solid black) or our Bella (whimsical mushrooms) print. 

Shop all of our bottoms here.  

Psst! Also, check out our newest rompers! Perfect for stylish rides that you can feel at home and fashionable in any place you decide to stop.

GET GRAVEL BIKING!

You now know what layers you need to start gravel biking, so what are you waiting for? It’s time to grab your bike, grab your gear, and find some fun adventures to take your gravel bike on.

Also, be sure to check out the first installment of our Beginner’s Guide to Gravel Biking: What Kind of Bike I Need?

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Brie Lowrey is a lifestyle writer currently residing in the Midwest with her boyfriend, 2 cats, and 1 dog. If she's not biking on the trails, you can find her exploring new restaurants and breweries, planning their next trip, consuming a new travel memoir, or rewatching an oldie-but-goodie horror movie. Follow her adventures on Instagram: @briewasalreadytaken