Shoes and helmet
Shoes and helmet
Aside from the bike itself, your shoes and helmet come in pretty close as the next essentials on the list. As you won’t be able to partake in a sportive without a helmet, naturally this is something you can never overlook, and while technically you can wear any shoes, a quality pair will offer the right level of performance to enable you to be more efficient, ride longer and in more comfort.
Since we’re all different it’s important to find the right equipment that suits your own body shape and size most appropriately. When it comes to a helmet, buying from a recognised manufacturer will ensure that all of the safety standards are met so for the most part it’ll come down to budget, comfort and personal preference.
Shoes are similar. Spending hours in the saddle with your feet aching is not going to be conducive in achieving anything more than sore feet at the end of the day. If you have wider feet then look for a shoe that accounts for this with extra volume in the toe box area. Finding exactly what works well for you can take a little time but the end result is well worth it.