Road Cycling - Newbie Question - Cycling Jerseys

I have just recently gotten back into cycling and have been looking at getting some cycling jerseys (instead of wearing cotton t-shirts) and had a number of questions:

1. What is a minimum # of jerseys that are recommended- 1 long sleeve and 1 short sleeve?
2. The long sleeve jerseys I have been looking at are lined - at what outside temp will these become too hot to wear?
3. Is it better to do a short sleeve jersey with arm warmers than a long sleeve jersey?
4. At what temps should you start wearing base layers?
5. Are the more expensive jerseys in th $80 - $120 range worth the additional price? I have been looking at Descente, Nike and Castelli)

Thanks
Mike

1) most people do not ride in cool weather so the minimum is 1 short sleeved.
2) the temperature at which you wear a long sleeved jersey depends on the person. I would say in the 50s for most people. When you get into the low 50s or high 40s you will need another layer. (temps are in farenheit which should be obvious).
3) a short sleeved jersey with arm warmers is better if you start the ride with it cold enough to need something on your arms and you expect it to warm up enough to make it too hot for a long sleeved jersey.
4) as I said above low 50s or high 40s. This varies with individual and length of ride. The longer you are out there, the more comfortably you will want to dress. If you are out for an hour, well you can stand almost anything. If you are out for a century, you had better be almost optimally dressed.
5) I don't buy expensive jerseys. And that is subjective. The cheapest jerseys I buy are basic jerseys from performance. They are made of good material and hold up well but their cut has something to be desired. They are not exactly tailored. I have seen more expensive jerseys with wonderful designs but made of cheap materials and those are great looking but almost worthless in my opinion. Now the expensive jerseys you mention have great materials, great cut, and great designs and you pay for it.

I do most of my riding solo so I want a basic yellow jersey that offers max visibility. So what do I want with great cut and great designs ANYWAY when a cheap gold jersey will do the job better?

1) This question could also depend on how many times during a week do you plan on riding and if you like doing laundry every night. I've amassed quite the wardrobe over the years. Get a couple to start and take it from there. That is how I started.

2) Just to confuse everyone. For myself, once the temps up here in TO start to get into the high teens (degrees Celcius) the warm weather gear starts to get put away.

3) I've always thought that if it was cold enough for arm warmers then you should be wearing a long sleeved jersey. Although, arm warmers provide a degree of versatility while in the middle of a ride if the temps rise.

4) This all depends on you. Some people don't mind the cold, some do. I usually judge my layers by getting dressed, then standing outside for a few minutes. If I'm a little cool then I'll stick with what I have on as I'll generally warm up once into a ride. If I'm cold I'll add a layer, If I'm too warm, I'll take something off. The worst thing is overheating, sweating and then the sweat cools making you colder.

5) I'm a little spoiled in this area. For the first little while I used to get my jerseys from MEC (Mountian Equip Co-op) for $30 CAD which did the job for a while. Then I bought a nice team jersey and it was all over from there. However, the collection I have now was bought over years of riding. I have jerseys, socks and bib shorts coming out of my *** right now. Which is fine, as I can wash my cycling gear together instead of mixing the smelly sweaty stuff with my other laundry.

BTW...I love the Castelli stuff. Soooo nice.

I have just recently gotten back into cycling and have been looking at getting some cycling jerseys (instead of wearing cotton t-shirts) and had a number of questions:

1. What is a minimum # of jerseys that are recommended- 1 long sleeve and 1 short sleeve?
2. The long sleeve jerseys I have been looking at are lined - at what outside temp will these become too hot to wear?
3. Is it better to do a short sleeve jersey with arm warmers than a long sleeve jersey?
4. At what temps should you start wearing base layers?
5. Are the more expensive jerseys in th $80 - $120 range worth the additional price? I have been looking at Descente, Nike and Castelli)

Thanks
Mike

Like has been said, all depends on the person. I do not wear traditional cycling jerseys with the pockets in the back as I had an abundance of Nike, Adidas, Russell, and other wicking shirts, both long and short-sleeved. I ride every day except in hurricans, blizzards, thunder storms, or driving rain.

How you dress for the cold depends on the individual, but one word of advice. Always dress for the second half of your ride as you will heat up during the first. I learned the hard way. If you dress to be warm at the beginning, you will be drenched in sweat by the time you get to the second half, even when wearing wicking layers.

You will probably accumulate gear over time - I know I have.

I have a couple of short sleeved jerseys - one with a zipper in front and one without. I use them both, but it is nice to have the zipper for ventilation. Couple of pairs of shorts - like the Sugio chamois better that the foam waffle on the Nike. Leg warmers and arm warmers on order; got a bright yellow vest the other day. Bought a base layer also. At the end of the day, you'll want lots of different parts that you can mix or match depending on the temperture and wind, etc.

If you ride enough, it will all gets used eventually. Also, as I get more into cycling, I find that I want to stretch the riding season and do more cool weather cycling that you can't do with shorts and a short sleeved jersey, so I am naturally adding gear over time.

let's see... i have seven ss jerseys that i wear regularly [two club jerseys, one shop jersey, a canadian maple-leaf jersey, a reviwear jersey with the famous smoking cyclists print, a plain red jersey and a voler gadsden battle flag jersey], three thermal-weight long-sleeved jerseys, one lightweight longsleeved jersey... and various other accoutrements.

i tend to wear the thermal jerseys when the temp is below about 12c, with a vest at the higher end, and a shell or an insulating jacket down at the lower end. when the daytime highs are above 15c, i'll wear a ss jersey with arm warmers. arm warmers and leg warmers are very convenient for long rides when the temp rises throughout the day.

rant/
I have been riding for years and never owned a jersey, why are they so expensive? I would guess it is because so few are sold compared to other types of shirts. I see them on clearance alot and always think about buying one but they are never the right size. Also when I ride I don't really want to stand out like a sore thumb, I have seem some cool jerseys but a lot of them look like the prints were designed by the same folks who design the boys wear at wal-mart.
/rant