Cycling clothing and accessories

With the biggest cycling event on the annual calendar, the Cape Town Cycle Tour, and some smaller ones making their way soon, it’s definitely time to think extensively about your preparations. Starting with cycling clothing and accessories. While it’s not mandatory to wear cycling clothes for cycling, or having to buy completely new stuff for your next event, just remember that cycling apparel is specifically designed for cycling. There’s padding involved, taking support into consideration for when you cycle. Then there’s fit, movement and sweat handling factors which your everyday clothing doesn’t necessarily offer you when you’re in a cycling competition. Cycling clothing and shoes are meant to make you feel comfortable and protected while you’re enjoying your cycling activities. 

Sure, some things like eyewear and fitness watches are simply nice-to-haves, but wearing a new attire and having new accessories on a big day gives you enough confidence to focus on your cycling duties without worrying about your old cycling tights tiring or pedals or bike lights malfunctioning. It’s not irrational if it’s functional!

We’re of course talking about the Cape Town Cycle Tour coming up on the 8th of March. It’s always a competitive affair, with thousands of South Africans vying for the top winning spots. The CT Cycle Tour is preceded by Cape Town Cycle Tour Junior Tour, which is on the first of March. This event is a fun non-competitive cycling exhibition for kids of the age of 12-years-old and under. 

As a parent and guardian of any of the bundle of joys which will be partaking on this cycle fun, you have to prepare them with cool combos of cute everyday wear with cycling apparel and accessories. 

We’ve rounded up a list of sports stores and sneaker shops in Cape Town where you can get a few cycling things for your child, yourself or even both for the above-mentioned events and more to come.

The sister shop of Mr Price Clothing, has you covered with all the sports and fitness attire and accessories you need for these cycling activities. You’ll find anything from cycling gloves to cycle tights, cycle jerseys, cycling shoes, junior and senior helmets, light sets, combination lock, hand pump and multi-tool sets. Visit the Mr Price Sport Canal Walk before everything is snatched up by all the other cyclists. 

This store is known as the home of sports apparel and equipment! When you’re in search for junior and men’s cycling jerseys, pro cycling shorts, lycra shorts and socks, Sportsmans Warehouse is the store for you. If you’re feeling proud of your country, you can get any of the South African flag embroidered cycling items like the socks, arm and leg protectors. 

Part of The Foschini Group, Totalsports and Totalsports Women are always pushing the boundaries when it comes to sports apparel. You’re going to want to get your cycling upgrades from these stores, whether it’s junior shoes, women shoes, sports bras, protective cycling gloves, tights and more. If you’re also keen on sports tech, you can get heart rate monitors fitness trackers, GPS watches, cycling computers, heart rate accessories, sports watches, cameras and audio accessories.

Go further with Salomon sports collection, hydration accessories and state of the art helmet collection. This international store has an undeniable passion for outdoor sports, so they always try to create progressive gear to enable you to freely enjoy and challenge yourself in the great outdoors. The store has everything for everyone; men, women and children.

The cycling season is set to begin on a high note, kicking off with the Cape Town Junior Tour for young cyclists. This activity is open to anything on wheels including prams, pushbikes, tricycles, small bicycles with training wheels and scooters. This event is followed by the World's Largest Timed Cycle Race event on the annual calendar, the Cape Town Cycle Tour. All happening next month, which gives you a couple of weeks of preparation for the big events. Unlike the non-competitive junior activity, the senior activity for pro cyclist asks of you to train ahead of time. That could possibly mean that you might have forgotten about the finer details such as your attire and accessories that you will need for the day. 

Fortunately, this list above has helped you make the best out of your preparation time. The amazing thing is, you can write a list using the above examples and check off under one roof at Canal Walk. So, head on over to Canal Walk before time runs out!