Why do I wear a cycling jersey? A lot of people ask me that, wondering why I don’t just wear ordinary clothes when I ride my bike.
Normal clothing is okay for short, casual rides. But if you’re planning to get more serious about the sport, whether you want to race, ride in long tours or ride for serious exercise, you should seriously consider obtaining a good cycling jersey.
Ordinary clothing fits loosely and flaps in the wind, which not only increases wind your resistance, making you pedal harder, but can also chafe your skin. Cycling jerseys fit snugly to your body, decreasing wind resistance and the resultant chafing.
Standard clothing retains moisture. When the weather is hot, this makes you sweaty, clammy and uncomfortable. And when it’s cool outside, moist clothing makes you colder and can lead to hypothermia. Cycling jerseys are designed to draw dampness away from your body, exposing it to the outer air so that it can evaporate. This keeps you dry and comfortable in both hot weather and cool. Believe me, it makes a big difference.
Cycling jerseys have a lot of other advantages over ordinary attire, as they are designed with bike riding in mind. The shoulders have a wider cut to allow for extra comfort when your arms are in a forward position normal for riding. The sleeves, also, are specially shaped for a forward lean. Cycle shorts ordinarily have reflective areas to make you more visible to motorists.
Another feature of cycling jerseys is that they’re extra long in the back so that your lower back is never exposed when you’re bent over in a rider’s crouch. And bike jerseys are stretchable, so they take on your body shape after you’ve started wearing them.
Most cycling jerseys have pockets on the lower back area, which allows you easy access for things like snacks, energy drinks and tunes while you ride. Unlike front pockets, stuff doesn’t fall out of these rear pockets. On men’s jerseys, the zippers are long for good temperature control.
You have a huge variety of jerseys to choose from, as they come in many colors, fabrics and designs, both in men’s and women’s styles. The most common fabrics are polyester, nylon, cotton and wool.
Cotton is very comfortable and looks great. But cotton can get uncomfortable when you perspire or get wet, because it doesn’t wick moisture away as well as polyester, nylon or wool.
Nylon jerseys are a terrific blend of microfiber and spandex. This material is known for its terrific ability to absorb moisture, keeping you cool and comfortable. Nylon is long-lasting but doesn’t hold dyes well, so its color fades with time.
Polyester wicks moisture even better than nylon. Polyester feels warmer when wet than nylon does, and it sheds moisture better. It’s also more breathable. But it doesn’t last as long as nylon, and it will retain more odors.
Many cyclists used to consider wool too abrasive to wear, but the new merino wool jerseys are comfortable and soft. They are nonallergenic and have better wicking(design cyclng gloves) properties than the artificial materials. They also don't get as stinky when you ride as synthetic jerseys, but they're higher in price and don't shed the wind as well.