the best cycling clothing brands
Rapha

The world’s coolest cycling clothes brands

23 Jul 2024 | | By Luxury London

From Le Col to Rapha, these are the most stylish clothing brands on two wheels

All products are chosen independently by our editors. Luxury London may earn commission on items purchased.

Cycling, in case you hadn’t noticed, has exploded in the United Kingdom in recent years. Inspired by the yellow jersey-triumphs of the likes of Mark Cavendish, Chris Froome and Sir Bradley Wiggins, more than 6.5 million of us now participate in some sort of cycling each year, according to Sport England.

Love bikes but hate the idea of joining the neon Lycra brigade? Fear not. As the popularity of cycling has risen, so too has the number of cycling clothing brands. These new, lifestyle-led outfits mix streetwear with sportswear, fashion with functionality. The result? Cycling clothes that you won’t be embarrassed to be caught wearing.  

Whether you’re looking for vintage-inspired jerseys, retro-style cycling caps, water-repellent bib shorts, lightweight base layers, helmets, cleats or bright pink socks, these are the cycling clothing brands adding some serious style to your cycling wardrobe.     

Café du Cycliste

best cycling clothing brands - Café du Cycliste

The story goes something like this: two friends were cycling in the hills of the Côte d’Azur when, mid-ride, they thought ‘stuff it, let’s stop treating life like a dress rehearsal; let’s quit our jobs and dedicate our existences to doing the thing we love.’ And the thing they loved was cycling. Café du Cycliste, purveyor of premium jerseys, bib shorts and base layers, is dedicated to people who share a similar passion.  

Visit cafeducycliste.com

Café du Cycliste Floriane cycling jersey

£145
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Pas Normal Studios

best cycling clothing brands - Pas Normal Studios

If Carlsberg did brand names, they probably wouldn’t be as good as Pas Normal Studios. Translation: Not Normal Studios. Great, isn’t it? And perfectly on point given the Copenhagen-based brand’s commitment to making cycling kit cool. Contemporary design meets space-age fabrics to create ‘fits that you’ll want to wear everywhere, not just on your bike. Except the bib shorts. Maybe only wear the bib shorts on the bike.

Visit pasnormalstudios.com

Pas Normal Studios Mechanism bib shorts

£270
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Rapha

best cycling clothing brands - Rapha

Now here’s a success story. In 2004, a brand consultant by the name of Simon Mottram and a creative designer called Luke Scheybeler established a cycling apparel business named after the French aperitif drinks company, Saint Raphaël. In 2022, Mottram and Scheybeler sold their brand, Rapha (you may have heard of it), for a princely £200 million. The company's mission statement today, as it was back then: ‘to inspire the world to live life by bike, because it's never just a ride.’

Visit rapha.cc

Rapha Core Jersey Cycling Top

£75
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Le Col

best cycling clothing brands - Le Col

Wales’ Yanto Barker had already finished as the highest-placed Briton in the 2005 Tour of Britain, won the Junior British National Road Race Championships and represented his country at the 2006 Commonwealth Games before he set up performance cycling company Le Col. Today, the brand is the go-to outfitter of a number of professional teams and is fronted by the coolest mod in cycling, Sir Bradley Wiggins. What greater endorsement do you need?

Visit lecol.cc

Le Col Sport Jacket II

£185
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CHPT3

best cycling clothing brands - CHPT3

Before turning his hand to manufacturing cycling apparel, Brit rider David Millar had won a stage of the Giro d’Italia, four stages of the Tour de France, and five stages of the Vuelta a España. Millar is also a former British national time trial champion and national road champion. So, it’s fair to say he knows a thing or two about performing at the top level. In 2015, Millar founded CHPT3, a clothing and accessories brand aimed not just at professionals, but anyone who gets a thrill from getting on two wheels.

Visit chpt3.com

CHPT3 Henley cycling jersey

£99
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Pedla

best cycling clothing brands - pedla

Established in Australia, made in Italy (mostly) and beloved by cycling fans around the world, Pedla is the road bike clothing brand that marries innovative materials with a distinctly contemporary aesthetic. Many of the playful lines that Pedla produces are manufactured in limited runs, meaning that to bag its playful designs, you have to act quickly. The brand’s mission: to elevate its client’s riding experience, no matter their riding experience.

Visit thepedla.com

Pedla Men's Classic Jersey

£121
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Attaquer

best cycling clothing brands - Attaquer

It may be firmly embedded in the world of cycling, but for inspiration, Sydney-based brand Attaquer looks to art, music, fashion and sport. The result? Collaborations with tattoo artists and young and emerging illustrators; pieces that reference the works of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat; and collections infused with the influence of streetwear and skate culture. Cycling clobber for riders that want to turn heads.

Visit attaquercycling.com

Attaquer All-Day Anatomic Insulator Jacket

£225
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Velobici

best cycling clothing brands - Velobici

It may sound like it hails from the foothills of the Italian Alps, but Velobici is in fact an English brand, manufacturing a selection of retro-inspired, detail-heavy jerseys, bib shorts, jackets, gilets and accessories from Leicestershire, the historic heart of the UK’s textile industry. Using sustainably-sourced fabrics, Velobici’s goal is to be a carbon-neutral operation by 2025. Cycling’s rich heritage is reflected in Velobici’s retro-imbued get-up, while the brand’s commitment to performance-led designs can be seen in premium fabrics and first-class finishing.

Visit velobici.cc

Velobici soloist base layer

£50
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Maap

best cycling clothes brands

Surfer-turned cyclist, Oliver Cousins, was a design director working for the likes of Stussy, Mambo and Globe before he establishing Mapp with his fashion-based friend Jarrad Smith in Melbourne in 2014. Being headquartered in a city famously obsessed with style and sport has led to an apparel company driven by aesthetics and performance. Mapp might have grown into Australia’s largest cycling apparel company, but it collaborates with athletes and cycling teams the world over. As has always been the case, bold form and top-level function remain the cornerstones of the business.

Visit maap.cc

Maap Training Bib 3.0

£195
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Pinarello

best cycling clothes brands

One of the most recognisable names in cycling owes its reputation to Giovanni Pinarello, an erstwhile bicycle maker who turned a successful amateur racing career into a professional pursuit back in 1947. He founded his eponymous company five years later and, since the 1960s, has sponsored almost every bi-name professional cycling team, including Team Telekom, Team Sky and British Cycling. Pinarello might be better known for its high-performance bikes, but the company does an equally high-achieving line in apparel.

Visit pinarello.com

Pinarello Cycling Cap

£22
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Assos

best cycling clothes brands

Not to be confused with the ancient Greek city on the Aegean coast, or the similar-sounding online fast-fashion retailer, Assos is a premium cycling clothing company from Switzerland. In 1976, Assos-founder Toni Maier began experimenting with bike frames inside a Zurich wind tunnel, only to discover the real enemy of aerodynamics to be what riders were wearing, rather than what they were riding. As a result, Assos helped usher in the age of slick cycling gear, developing the first Lycra shorts and drag-beating skinsuit. The brand has been a permanent fixture on professional podiums since the 1980s.

Visit assos.com

BOSS X ASSOS monogram socks

£26
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Black Sheep

best cycling clothes brands

Another style-driven cycling clothing brand from Down Under, on the Gold Coast to be precise, and also founded in 2014, Black Sheep invites riders to find their true, individual selves through cycling. Be your own Black Sheep, geddit? As well as making attention-grabbing, artistic-led cycling clothes and accessories, Black Sheep is committed to raising awareness around mental health through its Man Ride Program and WMN Initiative. A brand for those want to be part of a community, while expressing themselves.

Visit blacksheep.cc

Black Sheep cycling gloves

£48
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