It is best to dress up for an occasion and according to the weather. When it comes to mountain biking, the same rule applies. Bike specific clothes make even a difficult terrain a comfortable ride! Imagine if you were to ride in clothes that made life difficult, you would have to deal with double trouble. Thanks to sundry clothing options now, you could pick and choose clothes depending on the ride you take. That’s right, different mountain biking styles dictate the clothes you wear.

Warmers
For many bikers who ride during the darker months of winters, Leg and arm warmers are a necessity.

Shorts and Jerseys
One of the most convenient and comforting pair of garment on a mountain biking ride is shorts. These could either be tight fitted shorts that are mostly worn during cross country races or the casual baggy kinds worn while biking along the trails.Quite like shorts, jerseys come in both form fitting and loose variant. While considering the jersey, it is important you choose a fabric that dries sweat quickly and can be washed without a fuss.

Gloves
Hand and wrist fatigue can greatly be reduced by using a pair of good quality gloves. Gloves with padding on the palms also help divert exertion caused on wrists and palms while riding. Be it full-fingered gloves that protect against the cold or the finger less ones that provide grip; gloves come handy and add protection in an unfortunate event of a crash. You can choose from a wide variety of gloves according to your needs. Broadly gloves vary in fits, sizes, finger length, palm padding and optional armor style. In extreme mountain terrains, armoring knuckles and the rear of the rider’s hands with plastic is common.

Helmets
Needless to mention, in addition to clothing gear, mountain bike helmets are an indispensable necessity during tedious rides on difficult terrains. Mountain biking helmets are quite different from standard road helmets for the simple reason that these provide more coverage and protection. It is important that you choose a helmet with ample amount of venting and protection at the lower back of the head. A full- face helmet works best if you are riding downhill.

There are a number of pads and armors that you can use based on the difficulty of your ride. If you are beginner and taking baby steps in the world of mountain bikes, make sure you are well equipped with the specified clothing gear before you go for your first adventure!