When I think about the equipment that has helped me keep going, a couple of pairs of bib shorts deserve more credit than they probably get. They’re unlikely to be the most exciting things in anyone’s kit cupboard, but when you’re spending a decent amount of time on a bike, being comfortable makes a considerable difference to both physical and mental comfort. For me, the right cycling clothing has also helped with something less visible: the confidence to get out and ride in public.
For a few years, I’ve been using clothing from Fat Lad At The Back, usually shortened to FLAB. If you recognise the name, it might be from their appearance on Dragons’ Den. If you’ve worn their kit, you may already understand why I wanted to include them in this equipment series.
Before going any further, this isn’t a sponsored post. I have no affiliation with Fat Lad At The Back or Cycle Wear Central. I’m sharing my own experience because something that helped me might help somebody else.
Finding cycling clothing that fitted me
Shopping for cycling clothing hasn’t always been an enjoyable experience. I still own bib shorts from other brands, but at my current size they aren’t comfortable. There’s a difference between being able to get something on and wanting to spend several hours riding in it.
FLAB understood that difference. Their clothing catered for bodies that weren’t necessarily the shape many cycling brands seemed to design around. It gave me an option that felt as though somebody had considered the person wearing it, including how that person would feel once they were on the bike.
I appreciated the sizing system as well. The kit I bought used numbered sizes, supported by a clear guide based on measurements. Personally, I found that much easier to deal with than working my way through an increasing number of Xs on a label. There’s nothing wrong with needing any particular size, but the way those choices were presented made the process feel more practical and less emotionally loaded.
I could measure myself, find the appropriate size and get on with choosing some clothing. That sounds simple, but it mattered.
The name that divided opinion
FLAB appeared on Dragons’ Den in 2014 and left without investment. The name became a significant part of the discussion, with the Dragons questioning whether it would put customers off. You can watch the branding debate in the BBC’s official Dragons’ Den clip on YouTube.
I can understand why people might respond differently to the name. Some found humour and a sense of belonging in it; others wouldn’t want those words on their clothing. My own preference was for FLAB’s designs without prominent branding. I wanted the fit and comfort, while keeping the appearance more understated.
Having that choice was important. I didn’t need to wear the name across my chest to appreciate what the company was doing. From my perspective as a customer, it was making cycling more accessible by providing clothing I felt comfortable wearing.
The contemporary account of the pitch makes clear that the Dragons recognised the idea behind the product, even though they weren’t persuaded to invest. Years later, I am one of the customers benefiting from that idea.
Feeling part of the ride
Earlier this year, before I started this transformation journey full-on, I was out on a social group ride when a seasoned cyclist said to me, “You don’t go bad for an old knacker!” It was the sort of good-humoured comment that could easily pass without much thought, but it stayed with me. Here was somebody with plenty of cycling experience recognising that I could hold my own, at a point when I wasn’t feeling particularly confident about myself.
That’s something I value about cycling: it can help level the playing field between people with different bodies and backgrounds. Size alone doesn’t tell you how someone will ride, and with a suitable route and a group riding at a comfortable social pace, there’s room to enjoy the same outing together. Hills and fitness still make a difference, of course, but a social ride doesn’t need to be a competition. For me, the important part is being included, sharing the experience and feeling that I belong there.
That sense of belonging matters, particularly when being larger has sometimes made me feel conspicuous or hesitant about joining in. Clothing that fits comfortably helps me get past some of that hesitation. It gives me one less thing to worry about, so I can settle into the ride, enjoy the company and discover what I’m capable of. That comment was a welcome reminder that I could be part of it already, even before the changes I’m making now.
That is why I think FLAB’s contribution extended beyond the products. A community grew around the idea that people of different shapes and sizes could get out, enjoy cycling and share what they were doing. The Facebook community continues to be somewhere I see riders sharing their stories, their outings and the kit they’re still enjoying. There’s encouragement in seeing other people getting on with it, especially when you recognise something of yourself in them.
A new chapter through Cycle Wear Central
Sadly, FLAB closed in 2025. Its farewell announcement described a business finishing after around twelve years, with the owners ready for a change. The summer collection was its last, and the original website now confirms the closure.
For those of us who had found clothing that worked, there was an obvious question: where would we go next?
One answer is Cycle Wear Central, started by Amy, who spent nearly a decade at FLAB. In her account of the business’s beginnings, she explains that she joined as a designer and buyer and went on to work across product development and many other parts of the company. That experience included listening to customers and understanding what they needed from their kit.
CWC is a separate business, but there is continuity in the products and fit. Amy says the established sizing system remains, and the clothing is made by the same European manufacturing teams. For somebody like me, who already knows how well the FLAB kit has worked, that is encouraging.
If you’re looking at it for the first time, CWC has both a measurement guide and a size guide. Those seem a useful place to start, particularly if previous experiences with cycling clothing have left you unsure what to order.
The kit I’m still wearing
I’m still using two pairs of FLAB bib shorts that I’ve had for a little over two years, along with more jerseys than I remember buying… They’ve continued to earn their place in my cupboard because they’re the clothing I feel comfortable riding in.
Recently, they’ve started becoming a little too big. Given the changes I’m working towards, that’s something I’m pleased about, even if it does mean I may soon need to buy more kit.
I’d like to fit comfortably into some of the other bib shorts I already own again. In the meantime, I think a top-up from CWC may be on the cards. My experience so far is with FLAB’s clothing; I haven’t yet made that next purchase, so I’ll save any verdict on buying from CWC until I’ve done it.
The photo accompanying this post shows the premium-brand bib shorts and jersey that were my everyday cycling kit ten years ago, hanging alongside one of my current FLAB outfits. When I call the older clothing my “normal” kit, that’s what I mean: it was normal for me then. It was also at the top end of the sizing available from the mainstream cycling brands I was buying from. The comparison helps explain why finding FLAB mattered so much. I needed clothing that fitted the body I had, and another size up in those familiar ranges wasn’t an option. The FLAB shorts have been the right clothing for me during this part of my journey. They’ve helped me ride while making the changes I want to make, and that gives them value well beyond the label.
That’s what I wanted to share with this post. If finding comfortable cycling clothing has been a struggle, there may be options you haven’t come across yet. What works for me won’t necessarily suit everyone, but knowing where to look can make the next step easier.
I believe more people would give cycling a go if they knew comfortable kit was available for bodies that don’t fit the traditional cycling-clothing mould. For some, that might mean feeling able to cycle to work, replace a few car journeys and reduce their commuting emissions; for others, it could mean a weekend ride, time outdoors or a boost to their well-being. Specialist clothing isn’t a requirement for getting on a bike, but knowing there are options that fit could remove one barrier for people who want them. I’d love to see that awareness grow, so more people feel cycling has room for them too.
I’m grateful to have found kit that helped me feel confident enough to get out on the bike. If passing that experience on helps somebody else enjoy a ride they might otherwise have put off, this was worth writing.
