Hi everyone, I just picked up my first road bike this past Tuesday, CAAD10-5. I have a pair of shoes/cleat/pedals. Only thing i need to grab at this point are a pair of shorts and some jerseys.

What are some good brands out there that don't break the bank? I see all sorts of brands and materials but have no idea which particular shorts and jerseys are good. I would like something that lasts a good time and is very comfortable. Any suggestions? Also, I'm trying to keep the range under $100 for both the jersey and shorts.

REI and/or Performance online clearance page sometimes have some good deals.

Bib shorts > *

Stay in place, no waste band discomfort. Sizing varies between brands... I'd recommend trying/buying locally, at least your first pair.

Sizing is all over the place. I'm a small in PI and they could still stand to be tighter, med in Sugoi&Gore&Castelli, squeeze into my med sportfuls, but really should probably have a large.

Pearl Izumi's are serviceable and pretty common, or at least sees to be.

Be aware of different cuts too, on jerseys. Some are race fit, others form fit, loose fit and so on. It can be hard on the eyes to look at an overweight roadie with race fit team kit. Ouch!

Ducking!

Btw, do you guys wear just the shorts? Seriously, I'm a noob when it comes to cycling clothing. Do you wear underwear underneath? Or am I going commando with these things?

Padding is only a secondary benefit of the chamois.

The primary purpose is sweat wicking/absorbtion to help prevent chafing, and anti-microbial nature of material for obvious reasons.

Don't wear underwear.

commando is the way to go

All commando, all the time. Underwear would just get in the way and cause comfort issues.

Try voler.com. I've been very happy with their stuff over the past few years. Good design, good quality, reasonable pricing, all made in USA. If you get it and you don't like it, they'll take it right back -- and they offer free return postage. Get on the e-mailing list and watch for sales. (No, I am in no way affiliated with the Voler, other than as a very satisfied customer.)

Or make a visit over to love2pedal.com. You can get 2 pairs of their falconi deluxe bibs for around $65 (if you order from the pair deal) and I've heard that the CLYD coupon is good again (Even if you're not a clydesdale). Decent quality bibs for less than $40 each? great.

Sugoi is expensive and fits selectively. Having said that, I have done multiple double centuries with them and never had a problem. Whatever riding shorts you end up buying, if you get hot spots on your sit area, get some Nubutte or Beljum Budder for lubrication. Chamois Butter is not (my) answer to long distance cycling.

No underwear, just the shorts. Some people prefer bibs and some prefer shorts. I am in the shorts camp. The shoulder strap on bibs annoys me for that the waste band on the shorts. Also, bio breaks with bibs takes more skill.

My first shorts and jerseys came from Performance Bike. Now, I buy jerseys during sales events where ever I can find them which tends to be Canari.

My next pair of shorts will probably be Aero Tech Top Shelf because I like a really firm pad and it looks like they have them.

https://www.aerotechdesigns.com/topshelf.htm

Another recommendation for Voler.

I have been very happy with my Century Shorts from Performance Bike. I think they are less than $30. As for jerseys...any moisture wicking shirt will do. Other than the pockets on the back (and colorful designs), there is no real difference between a cycling jersey and an UnderArmor shirt. You will probably want them a little snug so that you don't have a bunch of material flaping around. If you feel the need to get a real jersey, shop around and be patient. Pricepoint, Nashbar, Performance Bike, Primal and a whole host of other places offer discount jerseys. Wait for the sales. I always check the doscount rack at the LBS when I go in just to see what the have.

I'd definitely recommend Castelli gear. If you check out Bonktown.com they sell items from Realcyclist.com and their other company sites at pretty large discounts (40-80%, Castelli stuff is usually 50-70% off) so you can pick up short sleeve jerseys for $40, long sleeve jerseys for $60 or so, and bibs for under $80 (retail for $219).

I've also purchased Giordana FormaRed carbon bibs and they were nice too.

It looks like you already know the sizes, but to anyone else who doesn't, I'm 5'11" and about 150lbs and for Castelli I wear medium bibs and large jerseys (though I could fit into a medium jersey if I needed to).

+1 on watch for sales. Several of the online vendors are dumping remaining 2010 inventory, so especially if your size is towards the extremes, you may find a deal. My favorites have become bib shorts - Pearl Izumi, the top-of-line (ultra?) Performance house brand (if on sale), and I recently acquired a Pro-Corsa bib on sale. For longer rides, the comfort of a good pair of bib shorts is worth it! Next rung down are mid-upper-range PI shorts. I have several older Performance ultra or elite shorts that have fallen out of favor with my longer commute - I've noticed chafing with the longer mileage. I no longer care for the heavier pad in the cheaper Performance/Nashbar shorts - as others pointed out, you want to avoid chafing, not add padding. But if it works for you (or pgj), go for it. A good dollop or 3 of chamois cream (aka butt butter) can help improve the comfort of almost any shorts.

I absolutely love Castelli gear, the best I've used so far. However, it is Euro fit so order 1 size bigger than you typically wear

Yeah, Voler is a good value. Good service, too. They often have sales on samples or last year's line.