Loving the Tour de France? Here’s our top cycling gear to help you get back on your bike

Bonjour cyclistes! It’s time to dust off your racing steed with some hardworking kit

We’ve rounded up the best of the best kit for both beginners and experienced racers alike (iStock/The Independent )

The three-week event has already produced some standout stages, with Van der Poel donning yellow in his grandad’s memory, Cavendish crying like a big-thighed baby, and last year’s champion Pogacar proving once again that he may be more bike than man.

With all this excitement, it’s no wonder that July is often when we get reacquainted with the joys of riding. And while the weather might not be screaming summer just now, it’s the perfect time to dust off your commuter whip, de-dust sheet your indoor setup or check the tyre pressure on your racing steed.

Here we’ve brought together some of our top IndyBest recommendations for the best biking gear, whether you’re trying out cycling for the first time or you’re just settling back into the saddle for the season.

From brilliant bikes to colourful jerseys and sporty glasses, our reviewers have tried and tested all manner of kit so you’ll have everything you need to get out there and experience the wind in your… helmet. And don’t worry, we’ve tested plenty of those too.

Perhaps the pro peloton is a little out of reach, but thankfully the joys of cycling are open to all. Now, allez!

Read more:

• 10 best cycling glasses to protect your eyes from the elements
• 9 best panniers that keep your kit safe on every ride
• Helmet buying guide: Everything you need to know
• 8 best cycling water bottles for staying hydrated on every ride

For beginners

If you’ve never ridden a bike before, we have plenty of advice in our guides on how to start cycling and which bike you should buy. They can help you narrow down what kind of cyclist you think you’ll be, and find a new whip within budget.

If you plan on doing some pottering around town and light fitness rides to start, then a hybrid (which combines the best parts of road and mountain bike technology) is a great first bike.

Boardman bikes are known for their incredible value, and we recommended the Boardman HYB 8.9 (£1,000, Halfords.com) in our guide to the best hybrids. But if you want to keep your initial outlay more modest, we named the Raleigh strada city crossbar (£575, Raleigh.co.uk) our top pick for beginners. With hydraulic disc brakes and a lightweight alloy frame, this is by no means an entry-level machine. It also comes in a step-thru design (which is often considered more “female friendly”, but works for anyone) and is made by a brand that our reviewer called “the best-known name in British cycling”.

In our guide to the best women-specific hybrids, we selected Decathlon’s riverside 500 (£329.99, Decathlon.co.uk) as our “first bike” pick. Despite its bargain price, it also has disc brakes (which provide more stopping power than traditional rim brakes), and components from Btwin, Decathlon’s in-house bike brand, which “won’t match Shimano for lifespan, but do a great job for casual riders”.

Decathlon’s riverside 500 was named “best first bike” in our women-specific hybrids roundup (Decathlon)

The only other thing you really need to start riding your bike is a helmet – you can check out our buying guide for plenty of tips.

For a starter helmet, we loved the dhb R2.0 road helmet (£50, Wiggle.co.uk). It’s a steal at this price for a relatively lightweight option with plenty of airflow, but you can also get cheaper models that still meet all the safety requirements.

The dhb R2.0 road helmet offers real bang for your buck (dhb)

If you just cannot when it comes to wearing a sporty-looking style, then Bern makes well-regarded lids that have a bit more of a town-friendly look. We liked the Bern Hudson Mips (£109.99, Wheelbase.co.uk), which has a rechargeable rear light and is also designed for use with e-bikes.

For returning to the commute

If you’ve been working from home since the start of the pandemic (or you’ve just had a spell of laziness), the Tour de France can be a great motivator to return to the daily ride – although we hope you don’t wince as much as some of the domestiques.

Our guide to cycling essentials has great tips on the accessories that will keep you pedalling, from bike lights to hi-vis jackets.

Now that WFH is more normal, many commuters will be carrying laptops into the office for the first time. For this, you’ll need a bag that’ll keep your kit bone dry.

Our favourite backpack for cyclists was the barrage cargo backpack by US brand Chrome (£150, Chromeindustries.com). You’ll see plenty of bags by this company on the roads of the UK, and that’s because its products are top quality and durable.

This Chrome barrage cargo backpack nabbed top spot as best backpack for cyclists (Chrome)

Our writer commented on its 100 per cent waterproof liner and liked its, “reinforced section at the bottom to resist scrapes when it’s resting on the pavement as you rummage inside”. They also said it re’s also a “big cargo net across the front that is great for storing wet jackets or your helmet, and there’s a sleeve for a laptop or tablet inside”. Perfect.

If your bike has a rack, you can take the weight off your shoulders with some on-bike luggage. In our guide to the best panniers, we loved trusted German brand Ortlieb’s urban line back roller bags (£66, Cyclestore.co.uk), which are completely waterproof. The brand also offers commuter-specific inserts (£40, Tredz.co.uk) to create a snug home for your laptop and other day-to-day essentials.

For an outer layer that will ensure you don’t spend the first meeting of the day dripping onto the conference table (thank you British summertime), we loved the Chrome Industries storm salute commute coat (£175, Chromeindustries.com), which would easily slip on over office-wear.

For women, all the other competition was seriously outshone by the Proviz switch cycling jacket (£99, Provizsports.com). Our reviewer called its reflective capabilities “as effective as good bike lights”, and said its side vents “make it breathable, with capacious chest pockets”.

The Proviz switch cycling jacket outshone all other reflective cycling jackets in our roundup (IndyBest)

Finally, there’s no way you’re getting through a summer of cycling without at least one puncture. That’s why it’s good to always carry a multi-tool, should there not be a bike shop within angry-clumping distance. In our guide to the best, the Park Tool mt-40 multi-tool (£49.99, Freewheel.co.uk) came out on top, for including “everything a keen cyclist could possibly need when out on the road”.

For racier riders

If you’re keen to regain your race-readiness, or rejoin the back of the weekly club ride, we’re here for you. Nothing helps encourage you back onto your bike more than treating yourself to some new kit – it’s actually responsible to spend money. We think.

When it comes to clothing, our top buys for the season include the impossibly chic Café du Cycliste eglantine merino jersey (£152, Cafeducycliste.com) and these sleek-looking Kalas passion Z1 bibs (£149, Kalas.co.uk), recommended in our guides to the top men’s summer jerseys and bib shorts respectively.

Café du Cycliste’s eglantine merino jersey was recommended as our men’s cycling jersey (Café du Cycliste)

In women’s-specific styles, our reviewers loved the floral delight of Café du Cycliste’s women’s floriane freesia jersey (£137, Cafeducycliste.com) and Rapha’s women’s core shorts (£70, Rapha.cc) from our guides to the best women’s summer cycling jerseys and shorts to help you go the distance.

If you just don’t think your old bike is going to cut it for the rides that your Tour-de-France-fuelled legs are ready to take on, then perhaps a new endurance road bike is in order.

The Ribble endurance SL R disc (from £3,699, Ribblecycles.co.uk) was our top pick, with our reviewer putting it through its paces on Struggle Dales, “Yorkshire’s hardest sportive”. They came away raving about its ability to balance “nimble handling, stiffness and speed with comfort and reliability”. Then added, “It looks and feels racy, but even after 108 miles and 10,000ft of Yorkshire’s toughest climbs, we still found it comfortable.”

Got your road setup sorted, but are thinking ahead to winter training miles? Then it’s time to consider indoor kit – and we have plenty of great advice in our beginner’s guide to indoor cycling. The wheel-on Wahoo kickr snap (£429.99, Zwift.com), however, took first place in our turbo trainer edit, with our tester noting: “Other wheel-on trainers don’t offer anywhere near the quality, performance or quietness that this thing brings to the table.” Maybe you could even get spinning while watching the Tour.

Voucher codes

For the latest discounts on sports and fitness gear, try the links below:

• Go Outdoors discount codes
• Nike discount codes
• Sweaty Betty discount codes

Tired of lugging a backpack around on every ride? Try our best saddle bags for carrying all your cycling essentials