Clothing for the tall cyclist

[tessartype]

As a cyclist new to winter, I've been looking in vain for some cold weather clothing that fits my 1.88m, 64kg (~6ft-something, 140lbs?) body. Everything, and I mean everything that I've tried was either too wide or too short.

I tried jerseys from Castelli, Assos, Nalini, Pearl Izumi and 2XU, but they never fit right: The L sizes were long enough but too wide, while S (or even XS) was finally form-hugging, but would then barely go below my belly-button even in cycling positions. I left it at that - I'm willing to pay the premium for good stuff (Castelli's Aero Race felt fantastic), but I'm not going to pay loads of money for something that doesn't fit well. Instead, I just kept using a (slightly short) Skinfit sleeveless tri top in size S, or giveaway jerseys from tours I completed - they're too big, but they're free.

With bibs, I picked up a Castelli Presto bib in L because with the "compression", it finally wasn't flappy while the straps are still long enough to fit. Higher-end stuff - Castelli's Bodypaint, Assos' range - again doesn't fit exactly.


But winter clothing has to fit better - I can't have huge gaps in my windbreaker or jacket if I want them to insulate. It also makes no sense to wear a baselayer that doesn't fit your body. Swimsuits come in Small-Tall sizes, why not cyclewear?

So my question is: Who makes clothing that's exceptionally tight, but still long? Will I find the holy grail of jerseys that's both form-hugging but still long enough at the bottom? Or the jacket that does just that, with the addition of tight sleeves that are still long enough for my skinny, long arms?

[AzTallRider]

So my question is: Who makes clothing that's exceptionally tight, but still long? Will I find the holy grail of jerseys that's both form-hugging but still long enough at the bottom? Or the jacket that does just that, with the addition of tight sleeves that are still long enough for my skinny, long arms?

As Scooby would say "Rotsa Ruck". I haven't found a good solution, opting for baggy but long enough, except for race-wear, where I go for tighter but short so it isn't flapping around.

For winter, it helps to break apart the pieces: go for arm warmers and leg warmers instead of long sleeved jerseys or bibs with full legs. That way you can size each part based on what works. For example, I have a pair of Merino wool arm warmers that stay tight enough and are plenty long. No way that would be the case for a long sleeved jersey.

[JohnnyCyclist]

Tall rider here, too. For what it's worth ... to address the "too-short arms on long-sleeve jerseys" problem, I take an arm warmer, cut a small hole in it about an inch from the wrist end, and stick my thumb through it. The arm warmer can't go any further than the middle of my hand now, so a too-short arm jersey length no longer means exposed skin.

[Seattle Forrest]

I'm 6'1" (1.85 m) and wear wool base layers, insulating mid layers if it's cold enough, and either a wind breaker or parka, depending on the weather. Besides being cheaper than cylcospecific clothing, it's also useful in other hobbies like hiking and kayaking.

[Tall Cool One]

Just kidding.

What I do is start with a pair of short legged bibs and an Under Armour Cold Gear compression top. Then I add a short sleeved jersey, leg warmers, and arm warmers. I finish the ensemble off with a cycling vest. I am comfortable down into the low 30's with this setup. I haven't ridden in the 20's but I would like to add a jacket so that I have that capability. Sometimes, I will add a pair of running tights over my bibs if it's really windy.

I have found that if you go hard enough, the body is a great furnace in cold weather. The big thing for me is keeping the wind off my skin. Some face protection is high on my list that has been provided to Santa Claus for this Christmas season.

[tessartype]

Low 30s is just below freezing, right? If so, that's as cold as it ever gets here.

Keeping wind off seems indeed like the key, and I guess if I can't have one-piece protection in the form of a jacket, I might as well get modular with arm- and leg-warmers. I've seen some wind-breaker gilets and vests that fit - Assos' for example - and they fold up neatly, to boot.

Cheers folks!

[masshoff]

I've found that Hincapie jerseys seem to run on the long side of things. Hope that helps.