Human beings are strange creatures. Once upon a time we clothed ourselves for comfort and dignity. We put on an outfit to hide away those parts of us that other people aren’t meant to see, and also to stop us from freezing to death or burning up, depending on the climate. As time went on, we began to think more about how our clothing makes us look. And the longer that time went on, we began to realize that the clothes we wore for one thing were not necessarily appropriate for another thing we might be doing immediately before or after. In short, we started to realize that we have to change clothes.

When it comes to cycling, this is important. Many of us want to cycle to work, for example. Now, the thing about cycling to work is that what you wear when you are working is not really the best thing to wear when you are at work, unless you are a professional cyclist. If you work in an office you will probably wear a suit or other formal clothes. When you are cycling, this is really not the best thing to be wearing. The trouser legs are liable to pick up all manner of dirt from the ground, the wheels and the chain. The jacket is going to flap around, and if you are female, the skirt is going to pose problems one way or another.

Some people wear their suit on the bike ride into work, but the simple fact is that it is virtually impossible to do this and keep it clean and tidy. Therefore, people are in the habit of wearing cycling clothes for the journey and then changing once they get to the office. Those outfits that you see Lance Armstrong and company wearing while they pound up and down the roads of Europe during the Tour de France now appear pretty often on civilian cyclists who value the way that they make cycling more comfortable and convenient.

The one word that keeps rising up when one thinks of cycling outfits is “lycra”. The close-fitting fabric is ideal for cycling because it provides wind resistance and does not interfere with anything else you are doing. It’s not going to get caught in the seat, the spokes or the handlebars. It’s going to do what it is meant to do. And if it is one of the newer, dri-fit, forms of the fabric, it will draw sweat away from the skin and let it evaporate on the outside rather than messing you up.

It’s still going to contain some sweat when you get to your destination, there is no avoiding that. If you have a shower at your office, you may even want to get there early and have a quick wash before beginning work. But if you want to keep your good clothes good, then a cycling singlet and shorts will do a very good job for you. Finish off the outfit with some easy-fasten shoes (no shoestrings getting caught in the chain) and you’re set