What should you wear on a gravel ride?

Gravel riding is very on-trend in the cycling world. It is where mountain bikers and roadies can meet in the middle and enjoy combined elements of both disciplines. However, as a new and growing discipline, many of us still have a lot to learn about gravel, and a lot of questions about how to approach a ride.

The question we want to answer today is: what are the best clothes to wear for a gravel ride? Is it your regular road riding kit, or should you be donning some baggy shorts and a flannel shirt?

The short answer is that you should be wearing whatever you want to. Sure, there are going to be things that we think might be worth considering, but the main thing is that you are comfortable on the bike for the conditions you ride in.

Sometimes, cycling can feel like a sport where you have to ‘look the part’ but we here at GCN firmly believe that if you are out there having fun, you are doing it right, regardless of what you choose to wear, and the same applies to gravel.

With that being said, we are going to look at some of the things we think can make gravel riding more comfortable and also allow you to get the most out of each ride. Read on for our gravel clothing tips.

• Read more: Gravel bikes, riding, racing and events: Everything you need to know about the sport in 2024

What should I wear on my legs?

Regardless of what style you decide to go for, you will definitely need to wear something on your lower half. There are plenty of options open to you, from traditional road bib shorts all the way through to mountain bike baggy shorts.

If you are in the market for some new riding shorts and you are riding a lot of gravel, the new wave of gravel-specific shorts are a great option. Although these look like traditional lycra shorts, they tend to be made out of a lycra blend that is more resistant to abrasions. This is simply because the likelihood of small slides and tumbles are all part of gravel riding and having a pair of shorts that can take some abuse will ensure that they last much longer.

© GCN

Gravel shorts have a greater resistance to abrasions than typical road shorts

Something else that has become more common in gravel fashion recently is stash pockets on the legs of the shorts. This allows you to carry extra food, spares or tools on your body rather than needing to add any additional bags to the bike. These tend to be exclusively on more premium shorts but if you are the kind of rider that hates the idea of riding with a backpack, it is worth a consideration.

• Read more: Gravel bikes, riding, racing and events: Everything you need to know about the sport in 2024

The chamois used in gravel-specific shorts differs from that used in road shorts and is designed to be more effective at looking after your sensitive regions on rougher terrain. Road riding is fairly static, with your seated position remaining unchanged throughout a ride. Gravel riding, on the other hand, is far more likely to cause chafing due to the continuous high frequency vibrations that a gravel surface presents.

© GCN

Gravel-specific chamois will help prevent chafing on rougher longer rides

Although baggy shorts can be a nice casual alternative to lycra, they do have some drawbacks. When you mount and dismount, the crotch of the short can get caught on the tip of the saddle. This isn't an issue if you hop on the bike at the start of the ride and hop off at the end, but if you are a more adventurous gravel rider it could prove troublesome.

What should I wear on my body?

Although we would recommend a set of gravel-specific shorts, what you wear on your top half is far more open. It really depends more on the type of gravel rider that you are and your specific needs.

• Read more: World’s toughest pub ride: Yoeleo and Gore kit check

Gravel-specific lycra jerseys

As with everything else in the past few years, you can find yourself a gravel-specific jersey from almost any of the big cycling clothing brands.

These, similarly to the shorts, have a lycra blend that is more abrasion-resistant as well as putting more emphasis on the wicking properties to keep you comfortable on the traditionally longer rides that gravel presents. Another addition to gravel jerseys is that some, if not all, of the pockets are zipped for better security.

© GCN

Gravel jerseys have zipped pockets to prevent any lost gear when you get on to some particularly rough gravel

Casual t-shirts

If you are all about the good times, the ‘true spirit of gravel’ and whatever that means to you, but you couldn’t care less about setting any record times, casual shirts could be a nice way to go. These will not offer the same level of wicking or storage that a dedicated lycra jersey will but they are stylish. A number of riders wear a casual shirt on their easy rides; the fabric flapping in the wind is a nice reminder to take it easy and enjoy the scenery. These can be incredibly comfortable, although they're best avoided on the hottest of days.

• Read more: Who's to blame for gravel bikes?

© GCN

There is nothing wrong with going for a gravel ride in a casual t-shirt

Flannel shirts

These are along the same lines as a casual t-shirt, but they are both button-up and wonderfully patterned. Flannel shirts are more of a trend in North America but can allow a bit more temperature regulation than a standard t-shirt as you can unbutton the shirt as you get warmer. Once again, you won’t be setting any records but you will almost certainly be the most stylish rider at the cafe.

© GCN

We might suggest you steer clear of the shorts but a flannel shirt will make you the most stylish rider at the cafe

What else should you wear while riding gravel?

The great thing about gravel is that you can wear whatever you like; there is far less emphasis on aerodynamics than for dedicated road clothing and there is less need for garments to be resistant to big crashes like in mountain biking.

However, we would suggest that, no matter how good they might look at the start of a ride, white socks are not the best choice for the discerning gravel rider. No matter how hard you try, we promise they will not stay white for more than a few rides.

Having a light windproof or shower-resistant layer is always a good idea when gravel riding too. Conditions can change quickly and the speeds you ride on gravel can vary considerably more than they do on a road ride. Having a layer to keep the chill off you on long fire road descents can be an absolute saviour and they take up very little space in a jersey or short pocket.

• Read more: Road or MTB pedals: which should you choose?

Beyond that, the only thing worth considering is the shoes you wear. We have done a piece specifically on the merits of both road and mountain bike pedal systems but if you are going to spend any time walking around, mountain bike pedals would be our recommendation.

© GCN

Gravel riding might have you off the bike and pushing meaning mountain bike shoes and pedals could be a good choice

Choose what makes you comfortable

Gravel riding is a discipline that even years on from its inception still fails to be pinned down and defined. What this means for you is that you can pick and choose the best clothing for you from all other areas of cycling and beyond.

The only cycling-specific clothing we strongly recommend is a good pair of padded bib shorts. These will keep you happy and free from saddle sores for many an off-road kilometre.

If you choose to don some baggy shorts on top of these or ride with a flannel shirt flapping in the wind, who is anyone to say you are doing it wrong? Certainly not us.

If you want to find out more about gravel riding, the kit you need and the events you are almost certainly going to want to do, then head over to our gravel hub page, linked here.