General Cycling Discussion - Jerseys and Shorts

Now that I have my bike I have began my search for a good jersey and shorts, many that I saw ran from $50-$80. I have seen some shorts near $30 and then all the way up to $70, and jerseys near $80. When buying a jersey and shorts what should I be looking for so I don't burn a hole in my pocket? Or do I need to buy the most expensive apparel that they offer to get the best quality stuff? I have tried Olympia Sports nearby and they have quality equipment, but I thought I'd get fellow rider insights on what to look for in buying bike apparel.

I have a pair of Danskin shorts that I got on sale for $15 a yellow canari jersey that i got for $8.99 at some canari outlet store clearance sale, one Azonic long sleeve jersey($16) and a Louis Garneu Team jersey($50).

One thing I have heard from lots of people here is that gel shorts are crap. I haven't used any so I don't personally know, but if that many people are saying it then I don't want to take my chances.

Jerseys don't really matter as long as they are comfortable and have a good fit, unless your looking for a pro jersey or something.

Yeah I'm not looking for a pro jersey, just something nice and comfortable to wear. Better than a T-shirt, I went on a ride today and I just pulled a large T-Shirt out of my drawer and I wore that on my ride home. It was a windy day and the wind was blowing against me and even then my shirt acted as a parachute so it made it much more difficult, these jerseys are usually tight and wind resistent so I don't have a parachute on my body, and some of the shorts I saw today had padding on the crotch area for a little more comfort.

Hey, I actually just bought some stuff today. You would not believe how much that stuff helps. I got some shorts for like 15 dollars from the local discount sports store. And then as far as the jersey goes I bought an underarmour heat gear t-shirt. I love it.

go to campmor and check out the clearance/discount for Duofold shirts

I usually buy my jerserys when they go on sale. I have several; Fox, pearl izumi, pace, all the name brands. They all feel good and work well at wicking moisture away and all were purchased for about $20 each. I started with the inexpensive Performance brand century type shorts, about $25 and they work as well as my Pace shorts which were $80.

If you get stuff from Performance Bike, they've got lots of jerseys cheap. They have some good, solid color, dri-weave jerseys that can go cheaply, especially when they have their off season sales. They also have their Performance brand shorts- you can get lite gel, gel shorts that have a little more gel, foam seat and no chamois for cheaper too.

Koffee

I found some stuff online for a local sports store at the mall near me and they have a Under Armour Heat Tshirt for $25 and some Canari Paceline Cycling shorts for $27.99. Seeing that these are online I am not sure if they will be in stock at the store itself, ill go and check tomorrow anyhow. I am hoping that I won't have to order and play the waiting game, I suck at it, I am praying they have them in stock at the store at a decent price as listed on the website and not these prices be the special order only price.

The chamois is the most important aspect of shorts..IT saves your arse...As to jerseys. The reason for jerseys to cyclists...THe most important is wicking properties..I would not cut back on this..A good coolmax material..And not to have the parachute effect to give you more resistance...Don't need that. Looks pretty silly when riding down the street and looks like a parachute slowing you down.
Don't necessarily have to spend lots of money to get these qualities. Particularily with the frequency of sales.

i dunno i like the jerseys but the shorts i dunno if i could be caught wearing them. to tight. (good post however im in teh market myself for a jersey)

The shorts are tight, but the jerseys are as well. I don't want to discredit your opinion, but it is a matter of comfort and everyone's is different. The shorts are good just for the chamois which is the padding near your butt and crotch area. If you go for long rides, it saves a ton of pain.

haha oh man its cool discredit it all ya want. Im probably the only guy here that doesnt wear the shorts. I just cant handle how tight they are. but for some reason i love the jerseys i cant handle having loads of sweat on a soakin t-shirt. But to each his own right?

haha oh man its cool discredit it all ya want. Im probably the only guy here that doesnt wear the shorts. I just cant handle how tight they are. but for some reason i love the jerseys i cant handle having loads of sweat on a soakin t-shirt. But to each his own right?


They have loose shorts that have a chamois pad.

really? that i may need to check out, anyone have a link?

really? that i may need to check out, anyone have a link?

I own a lot of Sugoi shorts for MTBing... they also sell liners seperately too so you can just wear those under regular shorts.

http://www.sugoi.ca/consumer/section.aspx?sectionID=531

If you get stuff from Performance Bike, they've got lots of jerseys cheap. They have some good, solid color, dri-weave jerseys that can go cheaply, especially when they have their off season sales. They also have their Performance brand shorts- you can get lite gel, gel shorts that have a little more gel, foam seat and no chamois for cheaper too.

Koffee

I do the same. Guess Koffee and I have the same "values" when it comes to cycling clothing. Performance has stuff that is relatively inexpensive and it is made out of good to very good material. I get their short sleeved jerseys (solid colors) and the century bike shorts (black). The cut isn't fancy and they look rather generic but they function very well.

The problem with "name" brands is they tend to look "sharp". At the moderate to even pricey price range, you can get great looking stuff made out of barely adequate material. To get great looking stuff out of good material, you generally have to pay top dollar, about 3-5 times what performance charges.

I find the shorts comfortable..Lycra does stretch...More comfortable than jeans..Biggest reason for these shorts. The chamois...But, I find I hate baggie shorts getting wraped about the saddle's horn...Sometimes it felt like it is enough to bring you down. The baggies I wore , eventually the impact of the horn ripped about the baggies seams.
Modesty problem..Carry a pair of gym shorts to put over your bike shorts, when you get off the bike..Thin Gym shorts fit easily into a jersey pocket.

Wal Mart carries the "Dri Star" with or without zipper. No rear pocket, but they look good and they work.

Being cheap and not in any way style-conscious, I get everything on sale at Nashbar or Performance or wherever.

FWIW, I find Pearl-Izumi to be extremely small cut for the size, especially for we Clydesdales.

who has links to some online stores for riding apperal im new and need some things to get started on the rite track

who has links to some online stores for riding apperal im new and need some things to get started on the rite track

NASHBAR.COM

PERFORMANCEBIKE.COM

REI.COM (ALSO THEIR OUTLET, WHICH YOU CAN GET TO FROM THIS WEB SITE)

CAMPMOR.COM

COLORADOCYCLIST.COM