Why do cycling jersey's have only pockets on the back??
 

So I'm out on my 25 mile ride and stopped for my last break before home :thumb: After a quick drink, I reach for the tissues I had in my rear pocket, planning to clear my head, as I had on the previous two stops. Reach around, and no tissues, left to drag back to the house with sinuses full. :cry:
Its hard enough for (an old) guy to ride without making it tougher to get at stuff you need, like a nose rag. No pockets in the front. The wind breaker I was wearing also has no fount pockets, just a rear one. I have to stop to get anything out , and have a devil of a time if I have multiple items to (feel) sort through. What gives with this setup in cycling??

In typical cycling posture, items in front or side jersey pockets would flop around. I have never had anything lost from rear pockets. Gravity works well.

Some mtn bike shorts are like cargo shorts with chamois. They have pockets.

There is no law that says you have to wear a cycling jersey.

Cycling jerseys are designed to work with your torso bent forward. Having stuff in low pockets would not be comfortable. Stuff in high/chest pockets would either fall out or hang and swing (not comfortable either).

Back in ye olde tymes (like before 1973 or so) Jerseys routinely had a couple front pockets. Two. Right at chest level. With buttons. Of course, they were made of itchy wool then, too (not at all like the wonderful comfy merino wool of today). I came into cycling right at the very tail end of this era. My first jersey or two had front pockets in addition the rear ones. I liked carrying my wallet in front. I have no idea why they disappeared, but I have a couple guesses.

Guess 1: As the advertising on jerseys got more involved, the front pockets got in the way.

Guess 2: Along about the late 1960s or early 1970s, the pros started using jerseys that no longer had front pockets, for whatever reason. I suspect that it was related to rules easing over time (a long process that played out over decades)about what racers had to carry vs. what items they could retrieve from cars, but I am in no way sure about that. In any event, then, as now, what the pros did or rode or wore had a big influence on what enthusiasts did or rode or wore.

By the time of miracle petroleum-based fibers and longer zippers, front pockets had gone the way of the dodo, and I think loaded front pockets on such jerseys would sag too much to be practical. I frankly cannot see front pockets and 3/4 or full length zippers playing well together.

BTW, I have seen jerseys with front pockets on the Kucharik website, but they have no rear pockets and are aimed at recumbent riders.

,,,,, where did you have your cellphone??if you're gonna be kitted out, you're not supposed to have all the frills hanging on or around you, the back ones are for a gell pack or two, not a box of klennex,,,and you're taking too many stops for a 25 mile ride,,,,,

No tissues? Rode home with a stuffed head? Geez, man, ever hear of snot rockets? :D

It's a skill you need to develop. ;)

Like in all things, practice makes perfect. ;)

And making sure there's no one directly behind you.

If you want a jersey with front pockets, look for ones made for recumbent riders.

Cycling Jerseys for Recumbents | By Aero Tech Designs
Recumbent Jerseys | Recumbent Clothing | Recumbent Wear
Mt Borah - Hostel Shoppe Recumbent Jersey - Hostel Shoppe

The last one has pockets on the sides.

My guess would be that the front pockets started to go away when the pro riders stopped smoking on the way up the Alps.

Snot rocket/farmer blow...one of the best things about riding a bike is just letting those things go out the side. Have to be careful when descending though, could hit your shoulder (been there before).

Two words: handlebar bag.

The pockets on one of my jerseys are so secure, I once exhaustedly threw the jersey in the washer with the pockets near full-- including my gloves, skullcap, food wrappers, money, etc, and none of it came out in the wash. Everything stayed right in the pockets.

So what I'm saying is I'm thankful I don't ride with tissues. That would have been gross.

Fold a paper towel and stuff in the front of your shorts on the leg.

Take a look at my avatar. I have to be sure my whiskers are clear before I do a snot rocket. Pull them to the side with my left hand and use my right to blow. (or vice versa to clear the other nostril. ;)

Bento box style bag on the top bar. You could also consider a slim fanny pack style thing that you wear in the front.

I like that my wind jacket has a zippered pocket in the front up under the collar. Perfect for tissues! I sweat enough that a tissue in the jersey pocket would be a bit soggy. My phone and wallet go into a baggie and then into the jersey pocket.

they used to have pockets on the chest also.. 65+ years ago ..
∏

Practice projectile nose blowing .. down and away.. :innocent:

My 15 year old son started riding this year. Snot rockets are part of his training.

What kind of bike do you ride? Most cycling jerseys are designed for road bikes with dropped handlebars.

I usually ride recumbents so I've acquired a few jerseys that have pockets on the side. My favorite brand is Mt Borah.

I don’t wear cycling jerseys, rather scrub shirts though I do wear Lycra shorts and use clipless pedals, and I carry an I6+ phone:

It's very comfortable, hardly noticeable, very convenient, and protective of the I-phone.

Nobody said there was.

love the I-bra, lol.

Thanks That's the first response I have received after describing it on at least three threads. :D

A Money belt + some suspenders ..

On my Bike tours I had my Money belt in a tunnel pocket I had sewn to a singlet across the Back

so I did not need the waist belt tight..

It was my Base layer .. the money belt: Ortlieb, so sweat proof , and held my Passport and debit card and a stash of cash.