It might have escaped your notice if your main exposure to cycling is packs of dayglo-bright road riders and anorak-ed commuters, but bikes and fashion are currently enjoying something of a love-in.
Away from the specialist bike clothing, this means that the fashion world has decided cycling is trendy, even aspirational.
At the intersection of this process is what you might call everyday cycle clothing – jeans, shirts, jackets and the like, given some bike-friendly features, as well as the cachet that an association with cycling currently brings.
Within this realm you have companies coming at the designs from two different directions: largely cycling-based firms which take a strong interest in fashion; and mainstream fashion firms launching cycling-connected ranges.
We’ve tried out both sorts. I’ve been entrusted with the men’s items, while my colleague, Rosie Swash – now of the news desk but formerly deputy fashion editor – takes on the women’s ranges.
First, two very quick thoughts. To start with, are “everyday” bike clothes pointless? Well, that’s really for you to decide.
There’s an argument that if you’re cycling a very long way then nothing beats traditional bike gear, whereas ordinary clothes are fine for most else. That said, a good, breathable rain jacket which doesn’t glow like a high-vis beacon can be useful. But either way, it’s a debate for another day. These clothes exist, and it’s interesting to see how well they work and how good they look.
Also: prices. We’ve tried to get a range but this is, currently, quite an upmarket area. H&M did carry a cheap range of bike-influenced clothes last year, but that’s now gone. So Marks & Spencer are the most affordable. At the other end of the scale I did ask to try out a couple of items from Paul Smith’s vastly pricey 531 cycling collection but their PR people refused. Maybe they thought we wouldn’t give back the clothes (we do).
We’ve given the usual list prices but it’s worth noting that some items are currently discounted in winter sales. Anyway, usual rules apply: if you believe a bin liner scavenged from a skip is sufficient waterproofing for all your cycling needs that’s well and good, but don’t get too antsy if others want to spend more.
The men’s clothes
Peter Walker
Marks & Spencer cycling chinos - £45
Or in full, cotton-rich tapered fit water resistant cycling chinos with Stormwear™ – Stormwear is M&S’s own suposedly water-repelling fabric finish.
The first thing to note is how thrilling it is for a high street mainstay like M&S to consider cycling of sufficient interest to bike-brand a pair of their ubiquitous chinos. But for all the extras, these are definitely M&S chinos, and thus a slightly, well, comfortable fit.
If you do like that look, the extras are surprisingly well thought out. The rear pockets have zips, and there’s a small zipped front pocket with a discrete key tab above it. The cuffs have a neat little popper arrangement to pull them tight.
I couldn’t vouch for the effect of the 2% elastene – there was far too much fabric for any stretching – or the supposed rain resistant powers as, miraculously, it stayed dry every time I wore them. Perhaps M&S can guarantee that as well.
Vulpine Harrington rain jacket - £195
Loath as I am to single out an item for praise it seems only fair here. It’s not cheap, but the relatively new British cycling clothing company’s mainstay jacket is fantastic.
As always the style aspect is personal. It’s quite tapered, almost militaristic in cut and I liked the subtle dark green of the one I tried out. But it’s beautifully made, with everything from the long cuffs to the high neck and range of discreet pockets showing considerable thought.
The Harrington is made from what Vulpine grandly called “Epic” cotton, intended to be both breathable and, as far as possible, waterproof. It’s on this front that the jacket is not far short of a miracle.
It manages to be snug and yet more or less completely avoid the dreaded boil-in-the-bag feeling. And while Vulpine stress it’s not completely waterproof, an hour-long trip in incessant, driving rain to drop my son at his nursery and then ride to work left my top half completely dry. Water just seemed to bead off the fabric. That’s quite a combination.
Vulpine cotton rain trousers - £139
As if to emphasise the hugely personal nature of all this, these trousers are equally well made and carefully thought-out... but I just didn’t take to them.
It’s partly the style – as with the M&S chinos there just seemed more fabric than strictly necessary. But also the crinkly treated cotton just felt less welcome for me in a trouser than the jacket.
But if you think differently, they’re cleverly designed, with high cut pockets to keep valuables safe, plus a neat mini zipped pocket and hidden key tab. In fact, some elements are so reminiscent of the (more recently-launched) M&S chinos it’s almost as if the M&S designers were, um, inspired. My lawyers advise I should stop now.
Ted Baker Ohpant chino - £95
These are part of the clothes firm’s link-up with online cycling behemoth Wiggle, titled “Raising the Handlebars” (surely if you’re a cycling hipster you lower your handlebars, before cutting them down to the width of a paperback book?) Shamefully, there are only men’s items for now, though Ted Baker say this could change.
At a fairly hefty £95, come the oddly-named Ohpants, in essence fairly traditional chinos with a few bike-centric bells and whistles (not literally).
As chinos they’re perfectly decent, the type that would blend seamlessly into the middle management of a tech company. Not completely my thing, but well made. The cotton is mixed with 3% elastene – that stretchy fabric known to 80s hair metal bands as Spandex – for some extra flex. Clever extra features include reflective trim under the fold-down rear pocket and inside the seams, plus some internal velcro mini-straps to narrow the ankle widths on demand.
My one complaint? The gusset underhang is a touch on the generous side. Presumably it’s to make the cycling more comfy, but for me it’s in danger of edging into MC Hammer territory.
Ted Baker Zipthru Jersey - £95
Another crazy name but the garment itself – a fairly plain top – is pretty traditional-looking, almost retro. In fact, do up the copper-tinged zip and you could pass as an extra in a film about the glory days of the Haçienda.
It’s not a look for everyone. When I first tried it on at home I remarked to my girlfriend, “Hmmm, not sure if I want to wear this out of the house.” She replied: “I’d rather you didn’t wear it inside.”
And yet... I found myself using it quite a lot, albeit as an extra layer underneath something else. The fabric is nicely breathable, and the zipped side pockets useful. I did take it off as soon as I removed the outer layer, though.
Ted Baker Wizard jersey jacket - £195
A well-made item, as you’d expect from the price, so whether you like it depends very much on your view of the style. It’s quite high cut, with slightly fussy button side pockets and a fake patterned handkerchief edge in the top pocket, which can, thankfully, be folded down.
The whole effect is half suburban hipster, half Victorian gent who’s mislaid his penny farthing (I’m aware these looks intersect). It wasn’t quite for me, but then I’m possibly a bit older and more sensible than the target market.
That said, it’s light and breathable but surprisingly wind-proof, and has nice touches like a reflective band you can reveal by raising the collar.
The women’s clothes
Rosie Swash
Vulpine cotton rain trousers (£139) and original rain jacket (£199)
My usual cycling apparel involves nothing more than a pair of leggings in lieu of jeans and foam galoshes to place over my shoes to stop them getting scuffed.
But I tested this navy blue jacket and trouser during a ride on a cold, sodden Sunday morning.
I didn’t get soaked and I didn’t overheat. They do exactly what exercise clothing should do, in that I completely failed to notice them at all for the journey. But on an aesthetic level, the silhouette is too boxy. It’s hard to imagine opting for fortified rainwear when you can get far more fashionable parkas and anoraks on the high street that provide the same function.
In terms of performance there are no complaints, but there already exists a wide range of cycling performance wear that is far more functional than fashionable, and for me, Vulpine’s selection fails to tick both boxes.
Rapha women’s jeans (£150) and rain bomber jacket (£220)
I’m not averse to paying a high price for a good pair of jeans if the quality is right - the last jeans I bought were £150 from J Crew and are still going strong four years later- and Rapha jeans are of exceptional quality.
With an elastane count of 3%, they move with ease, they’re very comfortable, they keep their shape and they are exceedingly smart (if they weren’t exceedingly smart they’d be jeggings). Plus, the dark Indigo colour and the texture of the material make them feel smarter than your average jeans.
They also come with reflective turn ups which is just the kind of discreet label-flash you get from high-end brands.
Rapha also sent over a short, pinkish red rain bomber to wear with the jeans, and the effect of the entire outfit is transformative. The bike journey is eased by not having to carry a change of clothes in a pannier, which is what happens not only with my normal cycling clothes but would be the case with Vulpine’s rainwear.
I feel sporty and spritely - the outfit literally puts a spring in my step. That’s the thing about good clothes – the subtlety of the design and the attention to details can make all the different, even if the wearer, or anyone else, can’t put their finger on why.
