Dressing for Cape Town weather, which changes its mind
The thing that catches people out here is not cold, it is wind and the temperature swing. A ride that starts at first light in Hout Bay and finishes at ten can move through fifteen degrees, and the south-easter turns a pleasant morning into hard work without warning.
That makes layers and a packable shell more useful than any single heavy garment.
The vest and shell argument
A wind vest is the highest-value piece of kit most riders own. It weighs almost nothing, folds into a jersey pocket, and takes the sting out of a descent off Chapman's Peak or Suikerbossie when you have stopped working hard enough to stay warm.
A proper shell jacket goes further, and earns its place in winter — but the vest is the thing you will use fifty times a year.
Bibshorts, and where the money goes
Bibshorts are where it is worth spending. The chamois is the part that decides whether hour four is comfortable, and it is genuinely different between price points — density, shaping and the way it is stitched in.
Straps rather than a waistband matter more than they sound. Nothing digs in when you are folded over the bars, and nothing slips down.
Fit should be firm. Cycling kit that feels slightly tight standing in the shop is usually right on the bike; anything that flaps will chafe over distance.
Gloves and shoes
Gloves are the cheapest comfort upgrade available — padding on the ulnar nerve is what stops hands going numb on a long ride, and they save skin in a fall. Short finger for summer, long for winter descents. See gloves.
Shoes are about sole stiffness, which is what stops your foot flexing over the pedal and turning into a hot spot. See shoes — and see Castelli for their range on its own.
Common questions
What size am I?
European cycling brands generally run slim, and Castelli particularly so. This is exactly the reason to buy kit in a shop. Come and try it on at our bike shop in Scott Estate rather than returning a parcel.
