General Cycling Discussion - clothing question

is it worth it to invest in a cycling jersey/t-shirt that has wicking ability? (I got the shorts for padding).

are they supposed to fit tighter than your everyday t-shirt? I assume ATB riders wear tight jerseys just as road bikers?

thanks.

For general biking around, a wicking inner layer is great. It doesn't haver to be a cycling jersey, wicking T shirts are fine, esp ones with a lower back hem.
The rear pockets can sometimes be useful, but if you wear them in layers during cooler weather, they can get uncomfortable. I prefer pocket-less inner layers. Long sleeve inner layers are also useful.
The difference in action between budget wicking shirts and big-name brands is not that much.

yeah, i'm just going to get a budget wicking t-shirt. I'm just bothered by the fact that I was told I should get a more tight-fitting one than the regular t-shirts I wear.

I want to know if cyclists should wear more tight-fitting shirts? To reduce drag? Thanks for comments.

The tight thing is a roady thing to make a generalization. For the everyday cyclist that isn't worried about tenths of a second, comfort should come first...

Originally posted by *WildHare*
The tight thing is a roady thing to make a generalization. For the everyday cyclist that isn't worried about tenths of a second, comfort should come first...

I was thinking along the same line, thanks.

GT,
Welcome to BikeForums!

I LOVE Coolmax T-shirts and jerseys. Sierratradingpost.com has some Duofold Coolmax T-shirst for $5.95-6.95. Do a vendor search on Duofold. Long and short sleeves. They also have some Wickers brand that cost a little more. Both are pretty good deals for Coolmax. They had, and may still, some Canari Coolmax jerseys with the usual three pockets for just over $20. Nashbar has some of their Evapr8 jerseys on sale for about $15. I got one. They all work great for me. They are definitely cooler than cotton, and I used to really like cotton. I live in New Orleans; the heat and humidity don't get much worse than here. STP also has Coolmax tights if you need some for winter. Cycling gear and apparel are under Specialty Sports. They have a couple of models of Look pedals at $40 and $70 as well as Shimano and Northwave shoes dirt cheap if they have your size.

I have a couple of XL yellow T-shirts and a couple of L red. These are my day to day commuting tops for visibility. The XLs are a little large for me now, but not enough to matter. I also bought a medium (tight on me) white specifically to wear under snug fitting jerseys when I need it. I seldom wear anything but Coolmax, including tights and long sleeve Ts for winter.
Regards,
Raymond

Originally posted by GTcruiser
is it worth it to invest in a cycling jersey/t-shirt that has wicking ability? (I got the shorts for padding).
I think jerseys are great. For one thing, they don't get all soaked and damp from perspiration, for another thing, they have some pretty useful features -- back pockets, zipper closure that you can open and close while riding. You don't have to spend $80 on a jersey; I've seen them at Nashbar for $20.


are they supposed to fit tighter than your everyday t-shirt? I assume ATB riders wear tight jerseys just as road bikers?
As a rule, they should be a little tighter than street clothes. The idea is that wicking fabrics work best when they are in contect with your skin; a loose jersey will develop pockets of damp air next to your skin. In addition, loose clothes can flap uncomfortably at high speeds. That doesn't mean they have to be skin-tight, just not baggy.

And, yes, mountain bikers tend to prefer looser clothes than do us roadies. For one thing, mountain bikers rarely attain the speeds of a road cyclist; for another [and this has been my MTB experience], cycling in the woods is usually a slightly cooler activity than cycling on a road.

RainmanP and velocipedio, thanks a lot for the information; they are very useful and I got the answer that I was looking for.

Happy riding. :thumbup:

My favorite coolmax jersey is not tight. But it is coolmax. Local rides I wear cotton t-shirts, I feel clammy, awful. Coolmax is a tremendous invention. I do not market Coolmax or any other 'new fabric,' but that moist hot feel of regular street clothes would discourage me from going out. New fabrics actually wick better than no shirt at all. Guess you can tell, I am sold. I almost think the wicking thing, feels like a fan on the body.