GEAR UP FOR THE BIKE

       August is high season for cyclists as millions of people inspird by the eic rides of the Tour de France get out on two wheels themselves.
       But without the right preaparetion and equimment, a cold or sunburn might be the consequeneces of an afternoon in the saddle.
       The basic rule for buying cycling gear is that it must be lightweight, notes Bettina Cibulski of Germany's ADFC, an organisation government transport policy.
       "A cotton wool shirt," she adds, "will absorb sweat and then the wind absorb sweat and then the wind will cool you down. Synthetic fibre jerseys, on the other hand, direct the sweat outwards."
       Peter Nickel of the German cycling association Bund Deutsche Radfahrer says the best jerseys are
those with climate zones. They ensure you sweat less and that moisture dries faster.
       Jersey maker Gore manufactures the Xenon brand, with a mixture of five differnt matrials and is attuned to the body's climate zones.
       The Fission jersey from Vaude is supposed to provide good ventilation on hot summer days. It jersey has fine mesh sections on the back and under the arms to allow maximum ventilation.
       To achieve the least amount of wind resistance on a bike, you need to pick the right-sized jersey. Helmut Loetzerich, a cycling expert at Cologne's sport high school, points out that many beginner cyclists make the mistake of following their T-shirt size when buying a new jersey.
       "A jersey must tightly fit the body-otherwise it will flap about in the wind."
       And it should leave no part of the back exposed when you're bent over the handlebars.
       Loetzerich says cyclists should choose shorts that have as little stitching as possible, especially when it comes to areas where friction will occur.
       Another aspect to consider is padding. In a normal seated position, most of the body's weight is resting on the sitting bones, but while cycling weight is spread across the posterior and public bone.
       To allow for more comfort, most cycling shorts have integrated padding. "Not everyone likes that," says Cibulski, so some dodels allow you to remove the padding. Gore places extremely thin padding in its Xenon shorts.
       The sports clothing company X-Bionic makes a unique pair of shorts called Fennec, using a silver
reflective material that reflects the sun's rays to keep the body cool.
       As to cycling shoes, a smi;le rule applies - the lighter the shoe, the more expensive-but all models are compatible with the three standard pedal systems.
       Nickel also favours wearing gloves with padding on the palms to prevnt sweaty hands for losing grip on the handlebars. During long trips in the summer, gloves also protect the backs of hands from sunburn.
       Clothing maker Roeckl makes a model that allows sunrays to pass through the material, thus preventing the formation of tan lines as can happen with short-fingered gloves.