Build the Ultimate Gravel Bike Clothing Kit

The recent boom of dedicated gravel bikes designed to mesh the efficiency of a road bike with the ability to travel on dirt roads and paths introduced a whole new way for cyclists to consider their kit. Instead of the tight, aerodynamic fit of a road cycling jersey and shorts or the baggy, heavy, durable clothes worn by mountain bikers, gravel bike clothing carved out a niche somewhere in the middle. Think of this apparel category as trim casual wear infused with superpowers thanks to lightweight, sweat-wicking fabrics that are often treated with a water-resistant coating and comfortable fits that wouldn’t be out of place in a café or on a multi-day bike tour.

In Gravel Biking, Shorts End Up on Top

Chamois-padded cycling bibs and shorts will always serve as a foundation for any cycling kit, but they play an outsized role in gravel riding. Compared to road cycling bibs or shorts, these bottoms are asked to do significantly more since many gravel cycling jerseys are little more than tech T-shirts. The kit starts with a lightweight bib or short featuring a chamois pad designed to be worn under stretchy overshorts with versatile pockets to hold your phone, wallet, sports nutrition, or other gear typically stored in a road cycling jersey’s rear pockets. The chamois liner shorts or bib gives you the flexibility to pull off the liner at the end of a ride and wash it out, all while wearing your overshorts throughout the rest of the day (assuming you brought a clean pair of underwear to change into). If that’s one layer too many, there are even cargo bib shorts with slim pockets down the sides that will hold a phone or wallet and give you that road-cycling feel in the saddle.

Gravel Cycling Jersey or Tech-T?

Gravel cycling tops are technical T-shirts — or even button-up shirts — made from lightweight, sweat-wicking, and odour-eating fabrics. Their slim (but not tight) cut is basic by design, allowing wearers to transition easily from the bike to wherever they’re going. Commuting, running errands, cross-country bike-packing, or racing 150 kilometres, these tops will provide all-day/all-ride comfort without screaming “cyclist” from 100 metres away. 

PRO TIP: Change your sock game for gravel riding by wearing thicker socks made with sweat-wicking material or wool that will still be comfortable when you’re off the bike. Whether hiking up a steep trail or walking through the grocery store in your gravel cycling shoes,  your feet will be glad you did.

Gravel Riding Clothing Basics

One easy approach to building your gravel riding kit is to start with high-quality, flexible, and comfortable road-cycling gear that serves as the foundation for your ride. Megmeister’s L8 Bib Shorts offer multi-day comfort thanks to a high-tech suspended chamois designed to better absorb the shocks from bumpy dirt roads, breathable fabric to keep your skin dry, and a tight, stretchy fit that will slide easily underneath any pair of gravel biking shorts. On top, Megmeister’s short- or long-sleeved base layers keep your skin dry thanks to the Drynamo fabric and strategically placed ventilation panels. Wear it underneath any top you want. You’ll be more comfortable than going without it.