cg1985

I am sure there are many a thread about this already, but I'd figure I'd ask anyway.

So the past two days I did a couple of 30 mile rides. Though I only averaged about 14.6 miles an hour, give or take a little. Though I bet stopping at every stop light/stop sign effects that number. Anyway, normally I ride with regular cotton shorts over my Lycra Bike shorts. I decided to give it a shot with just the bike shorts. WHOLLY COW! Does it make a difference!

It felt better, cooler, Faster, better than it was before, WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY.

So anyway, I was thinking to myself, if these Lycra shorts felt so good, Then, could a bike jersey be as significantly superior to the Cotton t-shirt currently stuck to my body?

This is in regards to commuting. How many of you ride in bike jersey's on your commute? And did it make a significant difference?

I had been turned off by their usual 60+ dollar price tag. But if they make a difference like the shorts, then it might be worth it.

DataJunkie

I don't think they make a significant benefit for performance or comfort [compared to athletic t shirts] . I just like them and the pockets in the back are very useful for me being a roadie and all. That and the whole lycra shorts \ jersey combo goes well together.

On the cheap you could ditch the tshirts and purchase polyester exercise shirts at target, walmart, etc for around $8-$10. However, they are not cut for a bent over posture. Jerseys are tailored not to show crack.

d2create

Synthetic jerseys are way better than cotton t-shirts. Cotton holds moisture. It gets heavy, sticks to your skin and takes forever to dry. The jerseys will wick sweat and not stick to you and dry much quicker.

That said.... anyone wearing synthetic jerseys really needs to try WOOL. I'm in Houston and I rode in this morning in a SmartWool t-shirt. IT ROCKS! It wicks sweat away at least as good as syn jerseys. It dries QUICKER. Feels better against your skin. Looks "normal". And the best part.... no stink! You can wear wool, without washing, several times and it still won't stink! This is great for commuting. No stinky shirt hanging in your office, you can walk into a crowded starbux without offending anyone. You don't need as many of them or have to do as much laundry because you can just keep wearing them. It's GREAT. I only wear my regular cycling jersey if I want to go for a long ride on my roadie bike and I need the pockets in the back.

I won't even get into the fact that I wore an unbuttoned long sleeve seersucker shirt over the top of the wool t-shirt to keep the sun off me.

DataJunkie

If it compares at all with the smartwool socks I have then d2create has a point. God those are comfy. Merino wool still makes me itch a bit. Smartwool does not. Go figure.

cg1985

Where does one fine wool shirts?

philski

A bike jersey will make a noticeable difference, at least where I live (hot, humid Alabama). On my rides my cotton T-shirts would get drenched in the first 10 miles, and a wet heavy T shirt is no fun. Especially with the humidity, the sweat goes nowhere.

A cheap alternative which works is an athletic T-shirt. You can pick these up for $6 at your local WalMart, it's damn near as good. Nashbar has jerseys from $15.

I have a jersey for my weekend rides and I wear bright athletic T-shirts on my commutes. I have to wear reflective vests on my commute (regs commuting on the arsenal I work on) and the velcro backing pulls on my jersey... which is not cool, so I let it eat my cheap T-shirts.

kwrides

Welcome! You have been assimilated!

I strongly disagree, but maybe just because we live in different climates. I live in Houston, where a cotton t-shirt soaks up sweat and sticks to your body, thus making you hotter and more uncomfortable. When you get to work, that cotton t-shirt stays wet all day long and you get to put on a freezing cold and semi-soaked with sweat shirt at the end of the day. A jersey (or poly t-shirt) is wicking, which keeps you cooler and drier on the bike, and dries in an hour or so on a hanger after your ride.

Totally agree here. When I ride my roadbike, I use jerseys for the pockets and the snug fit. When I commute, I wear the Champion exercise stuff from Target that costs $10 or so bucks. Why? Because I don't want to show off every curve and bump on my body in the office. Having said that, I wear MTB shorts that come higher on my back and there is no "crack" issue like there would be if I work khaki's or something.

EDIT - OK, I clearly type too slow! You guys already said all this :-)

cg1985

Also. I'm a pretty small dude. 5'9 123.4 lbs. My chest, last time I checked was 32-32 ish, Most "small" jersey's and shirts are recorded as (34-36).

Am I boned and stuck with a wind flapping oversized jersey?

DataJunkie

I miss spoke. What I had meant to say was that it does not make a difference over a athletic shirt. Anything makes a difference over a tshirt. Yuck

DataJunkie

Go with euro sized jerseys. Your size is pretty common for european cyclists. I fit more of the standard american mold at 5'9" and 165lbs.

cg1985

Well the opinion is nice to have anyhow!

cg1985

Where does one find "Euro-sized" Jersey's?

DataJunkie

You can find them here and there but one could try https://www.probikekit.com/ first.

cg1985

Perfect! Thank you

DataJunkie

You are most welcome. There are other sites as well.
Twin six cycling is nicer american made closer fitting gear.
Competitive cyclist.
Colorado cyclist.
Excel sports in Boulder.
Even performance bikes has tight fitting jerseys from time to time.

Captain Slow

Nothing like microfiber to wick away sweat and keep you cool. Heck, I wear Lycra bike shorts and a team jersey when I cut the grass on really hot days. Neighbors gave up wondering about me years ago. I'm just that crazy bike dude who keeps his lawn neat and pays his taxes, so they pretty much don't care how I dress.

Check out the sale rack at your LBS. Often you can find super deals on discontinued & old stock team and logo jerseys.
I found a couple of oooold USSR cycling team jerseys... logos in Russian!... for $9.95/ea. (Local yahoos can't read it. One pickup driver asked, I told him it was Greek, from the Athens Olympics.

Also, if you're into the no-product-logo look, try Underarmor microfiber undershirts. In the summer here, which lasts from mid-May through late October and can feature 100DegF+ days for weeks and weeks, I use the sleeveless models. I catch them on after-season sale at the big sports stores. One caveat: Buy Underarmor at least two sizes too large, they're cut way small. I wear M jerseys and sportshirts, but had to go up to XL with these.

cg1985

Good to have choices.

d2create

Do a google search for Smart Wool.
Amazon, REI, several other outdoor websites... www.rivbike.com, too.

cg1985

If they are cut way small then all the better for me!

d2create

Also try World's Softest Socks.
Not for riding, but for general wear. I'm wearing them right now. OMG.

jhenson

I always wear a jersey and a pair of normal shorts on my commutes. I find it much more comfortable to ride in a tight fitting jesery than to ride in a tshrt. Bike shorts on the other hand, I only wear when I'm just going for a ride with no destination in mind.

d2create

Here's some actual smart wool jersey's. $90 bucks a pop (yikes) but you'll love it.
https://www.smartwool.com/default.cf.../Apparel/Tops/

lil brown bat

I disagree strongly. IME, a bike jersey has a significant cooling effect.

knucklesandwich

I also like them for the pockets. I have a couple jerseys and only wear them on long weekend rides. When riding to work I carry a small pack, so I don't need to extra pockets and I just wear your standard $12 coolmax shirts from Target.

DataJunkie

I corrected myself a couple posts later. I was comparing jerseys to athletic t-shirts in my head and that did not make it into my post.