Downhill Mountain Bike Clothes
Mountain bike clothes are an important component when outfitting properly for a downhill mountain bike ride. Shirts, shorts, and socks are all essential for a safe and comfortable ride.
It is important to ensure that downhill mountain bike shirts and jersies are made of a polyesther blend fabric. Poly blends ensure that sweat will be wicked away from the skin and evaporated quickly, leaving a cool, dry surface. Poly blends are lighter and more durable than regular cotton, too, and provide a closer, more comfortable fit for endurance rides. Sleeves on a downhill mountain bike jersey or shirt protect against possible spills and falls - big abrasions and scrapes can be damaging, so perhaps a jersey or shirt with sleeves, either long or short, is the right downhill mountain biking shirt for you. Also, sleeves protect against overexposure to the sun, a common ailment faced by downhill mountain bikers eveywhere.
Downhill mountain bike shorts are essential to a comfortable downhill mountain bike ride. Mountain bike shorts are made of spandex, like other bike shorts, but they are equipped with thick padding in the crotch to protect against rough rides and seat abrasions. Mountain biking shorts may make you feel like you are wearing a diaper, but it is well worth the akwardness - your butt will thank you later. Make sure that your mountainbike shorts are made of a on-cotton, quick-drying material - sweat or rain won't dry, and will make for heavier clothing more likely to chafe.
Downhill mountain bike socks are also great to invest in if you are a hardcore biker, or if you want the best gear yuo can afford. Mountain bike socks are made of a special cotton-poly blend that wicks moisture away from your feet, protections against fungi like Athlete's Foot, while maintaining a cool, comfortable temperature buffer around your foot. Paired with a set of downhill mountain biking shoes, they also work to protect you from bruises and abrasions you are left vulnerable to while mountain biking.
It is always important to bring enough clothes with you so that if the weather catches you by surprise - say, a freak blizzard, thunderstorm, or torrential rains meet you unexpectedly on your downhill ride - you are prepared. Many downhill mountain bikers don't account for how quickly hypothermia cn set in when they get wet, especially during the cooler fall and winter months. Being prepared for every weather situation helps prevent future catastrophes.