The Best Cycling Clothing in London

First things first, don’t let anybody tell you that a one-piece skin suit is too much for city riding. If you’re comfortable that way, then go for it – we promise we won’t giggle. For those of you who prefer to keep the hair on your legs (and that goes for males and females) and ride in clothing you could just as easily wear to Sunday lunch, use our list to find the best casual cycle clothing - for women and men - in London.

Condor
Condor is a real cyclist’s bike shop - you won’t find a bike for under £1000 – and it takes its heritage seriously. It has a long history with hip, directional brand Rapha (they are both sponsors of the Rapha Condor team) and stocks a number of their products. You can also find brands like Capo and Sportful, which both design functional yet stylish clothing for on the bike.

Rapha
Love it or hate it but just don’t say that Rapha don’t design some highly desirable clothing. If you have money to spend – and a lot of money at that – then Rapha is the place to find functional performance clothing that you can just as easily wear to dinner or down to the pub. Their Soho store on Beak Street has a good selection of the Rapha collection and a sweet café too. If you’re going to be a poser on the bike, then this is the brand to do it in.

Kinoko
Formerly Tokyo Fixed Gear, Kinoko is another of London’s bike shops that resides on the stylish end of the scale. As well as bikes, helmets and other parts the shop has a good selection of clothing. Brands like Morvelo, Vulpine and Le Coq Sportif provide Kinoko’s answers to the question of casual cycling clothing that does its job.

River Island
Given the popularity of the sport it was only going to be a matter of time before bigger retail brands got into the market. River Island was one such player new to the game and the high street store has recently released a small cycling collection. We wouldn’t be too quick to employ their gear for longer rides but if you want to dress snappy during city rides then we think it is worth giving the range a once over.

Le Coq Sportif
The proud French sporting company already makes the leader jerseys for the Tour de France but cycling’s popularity has given the brand even more exposure of late. On the back of the Bradley Wiggins Tour win, a stand-alone Le Coq Sportif store was launched in Seven Dials in 2013. Here you can find some fine garments inspired by the label’s heritage. There are casual shorts and trousers with deep pockets, reflective turn-ups and wide crotches for ride comfort; plus there is an attractive collection of retro merino jerseys for that Eddy Merckx off-duty look.

Cycle Surgery
They may be the most mainstream cycle shop on the list but nevertheless, Cycle Surgery sell a small collection of covetable cycling clothing. The standout brand is Vulpine, a small company offering smart yet casual pieces for the urban cyclist.

Look Mum No Hands
Look Mum No Hands is primarily a café and workshop but every time we visit they seem to have increased their retail offering. Lambasted by some and loved by others, the Levis Commuter line can be found here. Style over substance? Probably. But when a big company like Levi’s gets in on the cycling game with cycling-inspired jeans, shirts, shorts and sweats there is a lot of scope for refinement and improved function.