Hello. This is Baki, making my debut in "Clothing as a Bike Shop Thinks About It."
When I saw this theme, I thought, "I guess the day will come when I'm asked to write for this series," and then I saw it, and
it made sense. The theme is Ride Style.
It's perfect for me, since I'm always thinking about riding my bike.
If I'm writing about Ride Style,
I have no choice but to write about the clothing I'm currently trying out for brevets.
Clothing for riding 300 km in under 20 hours
A brevet is a long-distance cycling event, and they're held all over the world and across Japan.
The rules are roughly:
・Ride the designated route within the time limit while passing through checkpoints
・Aim to finish on your own without relying on other people's help (asking a bike shop for help is okay)
・You get certified by finishing
Basically, you have to manage your own time, including troubleshooting, and finish within the time limit on your own strength.
If there's one defining feature, it's the distance.
At shortest, it's 200 km, and the world-famous PBP (Paris–Brest–Paris) is 1,200 km.
As a side note, that's also where the name of the Paris-Brest pastry comes from. I want to eat one someday.
When you ride this far, you'll be riding in the morning and at night, and sometimes through mountains and over the sea.
From warm autumn days to downhills in temperatures below 10°C...This is what makes choosing clothes so difficult.
Now, now, a detailed introduction to brevets will be in another blog post.
This time, let's introduce the clothing I actually wore during my brevet!
【 RAL Merino Coolmax L/S Tee V2】
How many times have you seen this T-shirt in my articles?
It's a classic of classics, our RAL Merino and Coolmax blend T-shirt.
The benefits of merino material have been explained by my predecessors time and again,
so for the details, check there!
To put it simply, the benefits of merino wool are its outstanding odor control, moisture regulation, heat retention, and resistance to getting chilled by sweat.
Among these benefits, I focused on its heat retention and moisture regulation, and chose it as my partner for this brevet.
This is because the 300 km brevet I rode this time was set in Nagano Prefecture.
The temperature at 6 a.m. when we started was 9°C, and during the day it rose slightly to 25°C.
Around 11 p.m., we climbed to the summit of Mount Obasare for the final push,
and then descended all at once,
creating a parade of temperature fluctuations.
If I were to give a subtitle to my idea of clothing this time,
it would be "A style that minimizes physical exhaustion from temperature fluctuations and lets you focus on pedaling."
Until the very end, the option I hesitated over was the Aclima Woolnet Crewneck.
In that case, the strategy would be to wear Aclima as an inner layer and put a cycling jersey over it.
This combination would fit the thick merino wool to your body and provide high heat retention.
If the overall temperature had been a little lower, I think I would have chosen this option.
However, this time the forecast said it would rise to 25°C during the day.
I chose the fast-drying RAL Merino Coolmax, and as a result, I was able to spend the day comfortably.
【ASSOS Tactica Kieskafer Bib Shorts T5】
For this purpose, this is the only bib short I have.
In a power-pedaling scene like a hill climb,
even though it's the same ASSOS, I choose the previous generation Mille GT Bibshorts, which have thinner padding and less power loss.
But this time, it was a long ride of over 300 km in an upright position.
I chose the Tactica Kieskafer Bib Shorts T5, which uses highly elastic padding designed for off-road riding and features a position optimized for long rides and off-road riding.
Thanks to that, there was absolutely no butt pain.
This is a side effect, but the pockets on the sides can hold small snacks you bought, your smartphone, or small pieces of trash... (it's a side effect, but it's really useful)
【SMITH Syncline】
Are there any other options for long-distance riders besides glasses!?
That's how much I extremely like this eyewear, the SMITH Syncline。
Contact lenses can be used without any problems for short rides,
but they are completely unsuitable for situations like pedaling for 20 hours straight or taking a nap along the way.
That's when SMITH's cycling eyewear series becomes a lifesaver.
You can even attach prescription lenses.
With this, you don't have to worry about your contacts drying out, and you can take a nap when you get sleepy.
This attachment can be fitted to any eyewear in the Bike Line.
Ah, what a revolution...
And the Syncline lenses I chose are the "CP Low Light Rose Blue Mirror".
Since they are highly transparent lenses, they can handle tunnels and even nighttime to some extent.
This is also suitable for long rides.
【Yama to Michi UL All-Weather Hoody & MILESTONE Up-Swing Rain Pants】
It's cold in the morning when you leave, and hot during the day. It's hot climbing a pass, but freezing on the descent.
You can't afford to have your body temperature drained by sudden rain.
To keep pedaling in such an environment, you have no choice but to use rainwear as a shell.
But you don't want it to get heavy, and you want something you can quickly take on and off.
There was a piece of clothing that could handle such selfishness.
For the top, I deliberately chose the UL All-Weather Jacket instead of the zip-type.
Since it's something that spends a long time stored away, I wanted it to be as compact and lightweight as possible,
which is why I chose this.
The MILESTONE Up-Swing Rain Pants are
This is
Like this
And then
Like this.
In addition to being packable and compact, thanks to the zipper at the hem, you don't have to take off your shoes,
and thanks to the elastic at the hem, there's no worry about it getting caught in the chain.
Not having to dread taking it on and off repeatedly ultimately leads to conserving energy.
I think there's nothing more reliable than this in a brevet.
【BOOKMAN Reflective Vest】
Finally, a must-have for brevets, the reflective vest! You can't start the race without wearing it.
Honestly, I find myself thinking, "Is there really a need to wear it during the day...?" but well, it's the rule, so it can't be helped.
This BOOKMAN was actually something I bought for night running when I was a Circles customer.
I had it lying around after I stopped running, but I was able to give it a role again.
Something like this makes me happy.
It's like everything worked out, and the purpose fit perfectly,
it has plenty of room but doesn't flap around.
It can be used with a jersey or as a shirt style, and it's doing a great job as an excellent piece of gear.
【THE ATHLETIC Cycling Socks
This is really new. It arrived the day before the brevet,
and I hurriedly introduced it.
There are really no options for thin socks that go well with clipless shoes.
Or rather, to be honest, there are very few cool ones...
After carrying that dilemma for so long, something this cool appeared.
Of course I'm going to buy it!
This has a conifer pattern with a pinecone motif.
It gets you excited with its design, and the functionality is also solid.
It uses a lot of mesh in areas that tend to get stuffy, and thicker fabric at the heel and toe.
I'm hooked again after a long time. ATHLETIC seems to be the only choice for clipless socks.
This is the clothing a bike shop thinks about for its first brevet.
I worried a lot about how much I could handle between the cold and the heat,
but I was able to have a ride where I could say this gear was the right choice.
Depending on the course and the season, the best setup will change again.
I guess the combinations will change significantly.
This too might be part of the appeal of brevets.
I'll spend my days happily thinking about the next brevet and planning out the gear.
If you're interested in brevets or long-distance riding, please feel free to reach out anytime.
Let's think about it together and have fun!
