I’m new to bmx and have always ridden lycras on and off road. Currently riding jeans in the bmx track but they get completely soaked in sweat, was thinking of getting some kit that can also be used for mtb.

I’m tall (6ft), have skinny legs, and know nothing on what to look for in this kind of clothes, any suggestions that don’t break the bank?

The best bit about BMX compared to say MTBing and the like is you DON’T need special clothes to do it. I’d say for the image of the sport, persevere. Or, cut the bottom half of your jeans off to make some shorts.

If you’re familiar with technical outdoor clothing you’ll find a lot of crossover. Alpine climbing jackets and similar garments are frequently of higher quality and lower cost than MTB specific items.

Get some decent baggy shorts and wear them over lycra bibs with a loose technical shirt that wicks well and carry a decent jacket. Some sort of DWR 3-way stretch softshell is probably plenty unless you plan to really go out in storm conditions. The running T- shirts they sell for £3-£5 in Decathlon are probably as good as any of the expensive MTB shirts. Decathlon’s shorts leave a bit to be desired IMO but Endura, Madison etc are good for reasonably priced but functional items.

I bought some endura a few months ago but having skinny legs I look like a footballer from the 80’s :-). Was looking at something that fits a bit mire snug.
Problem with jeans is that it’s the inseam that gets soaked, not sure if cutting them will improve that, but might give it a try.

Hm, missed that bit! Not sure what shorts are on the narrower cut tbh…

Jeans have a crucial problem in the UK outdoors which is that when they get wet, they stay wet which obvs leads to chilling, chafing and so on.

Depending on your waist size, maybe larger youths’ sizes might work? Alternatively possibly check European stores such as Alltricks.fr, Bike24, Bikediscount.de etc. British mountain bike clothing sizes do tend toward the ‘more generous’, possibly overcompensating because there have been so many complaints about it being offered in ‘euro-roadie sizing’ at times from some brands…

Alternatively, maybe look at general outdoor trousers with a view to cutting down… once you have a set of padded bibs then considerations of seam placement etc become a lot less important, and freedom of movement, durability, water resistance, breathability etc become the key points – all of which should be covered by any self respecting outdoor clothing.

The local charity shop bargain bin.Does me.