Bike clothes' sizing

secretsam

So: I'm your average office-working type chap, 5'9", 12.5 stone ish, 36" waist and 42" chest, size 9 (43) feet - ergo quite a chunky fella but nothing extraordinary.

So why, when buying cycling gear yesterday did I end up with size 10 (44) shoes and an XL Altura jersey? The size 9 (spesh) shoes were too tight and the Large sized jersey was a good fit, but when I leant into the "drops" position, it was too narrow across the shoulders and the sleeves rode up my arms...

Surely not all cyclists are little whippets? Come on, manufacturers, get this sorted, it's crazy - clothes should conform to high street sizing norms, not skinny whippet norms.

Rant over.

ShutUpLegs

Fat only gets into your body one way

suzyb

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Fat only gets into your body one way

And it's the easiest thing in the world to stop it :roll:

rick_chasey

SecretSam wrote:

So: I'm your average office-working type chap, 5'9", 12.5 stone ish, 36" waist and 42" chest, size 9 (43) feet - ergo quite a chunky fella but nothing extraordinary.

So why, when buying cycling gear yesterday did I end up with size 10 (44) shoes and an XL Altura jersey? The size 9 (spesh) shoes were too tight and the Large sized jersey was a good fit, but when I leant into the "drops" position, it was too narrow across the shoulders and the sleeves rode up my arms...

Surely not all cyclists are little whippets? Come on, manufacturers, get this sorted, it's crazy - clothes should conform to high street sizing norms, not skinny whippet norms.

Rant over.

Cycling stuff is the only stuff that remotely comes close to being small enough.

High street sizes are a massive pain for whippets like me. It's a real pain.

Come on, manufacturers, get this sorted, it's crazy - clothes should conform to my size.

secretsam

suzyb wrote:

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Fat only gets into your body one way

And it's the easiest thing in the world to stop it :roll:

Oh, gee, thanks for those constructive replies, glad I posted this on the Bikeradar Weight Watchers forum...oh, hang on...

So, apart from the size-ist Nazis :evil: , does anyone else have problems getting clothes/shoes to fit them?

suzyb

SecretSam wrote:

suzyb wrote:

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Fat only gets into your body one way

And it's the easiest thing in the world to stop it :roll:

Oh, gee, thanks for those constructive replies, glad I posted this on the Bikeradar Weight Watchers forum...oh, hang on...

So, apart from the size-ist Nazis :evil: , does anyone else have problems getting clothes/shoes to fit them?

I was being sarcastic (hence the rolling eyes)

Yes, I too have problems getting clothes to fit me. Fat + short = not a lot of choice when it comes to sportswear as women's aren't made big enough and mens are too long.

And of course when you do find a size that may be big enough you find it isn't because it bears absolutely no relationship to high street sizing so it is actually 3 sizes smaller than you expect :evil:

secretsam

suzyb wrote:

I was being sarcastic (hence the rolling eyes)

Sorry, didn't pick up on that :shock:

Sorry for calling you horrid names - I've calmed down a bit, but after a lifetime's battle with my weight (my Dad had the same problem) it gets a little wearing.

Glad I'm not the only sufferer on here - huggables of the world unite! You are not alone!! Come together and share diet tips, mutual encouragement and cakes...oh, damn, that's torn it... 8)

Omar Little

I dont mind the sizing being small so much it is the inconsistency between brands - in some i am a small, in others extra large. Think i even have an XXL somewhere! I dont expect every brand and cut to be exactly the same but the differences are a bit ridiculous

andrewlwood

I'm exactly your size and weight. It's damned comfusing.

I am a size up in Spesh shoes (usually 44, my BG Comp road shoes are a very comfy and not at all large 45). My fave jersey is an Endura Baabaa merino one - L in that. My Gore jacket is xxl and tight. My shorts range from L to XL. My helmet is a Spesh L with plenty of room, but a Catlike Whisper L won't even go on.

Short answer - there's no consistency in sizing at all. These s-m-l-xl sizing systems are all relative to other sizes in the same garment; not even the same manufacturer.

Makes it an arse to buy online. I'm looking at a Rapha jacket, but have no idea if I'd be an L, an XL, or an XXL, even though there are measurements in inches on the website.

Ho hum. Buy what fits, don't worry too much about the number on the label (unless it's smaller than you usually wear, of course, in which case you can legitimately use it to describe yourself )

sneblot

The sizing should be worked out but it would be interesting to see if cycling gear has the same vanity sizing (marking the size smaller then it actually is) high street clothes do.

suzyb

SecretSam wrote:

suzyb wrote:

I was being sarcastic (hence the rolling eyes)

Sorry, didn't pick up on that :shock:

Sorry for calling you horrid names - I've calmed down a bit, but after a lifetime's battle with my weight (my Dad had the same problem) it gets a little wearing.

Glad I'm not the only sufferer on here - huggables of the world unite! You are not alone!! Come together and share diet tips, mutual encouragement and cakes...oh, damn, that's torn it... 8)

np I get a bit touchy about it as well sometimes

Lillywhite

Interesting article here on bike clothing sizing.

Entitled Fit Like?

http://www.thewashingmachinepost.net/

andrewlwood

Slightly OT, but @Lillywhite , i found that blog looking for something else the other day. The subjects covered are good, and a bit different to the major sites; but It's so obscurely written as to be hard to understand, and the author's odd refusal to use capital letters just compounds the issue. I had to give up.

secretsam

@andrewlwood - there are two of us!!!!

That a British (?) company like Altura are unable to size to fit its core market is totally bonkers. I'm hardly the hulk but the Large jersey simply didn't fit my shoulders (have this problem with shirts also, I also have consequently short arms).

Somewhere out there is someone for whom bike clothing fits like a glove...hang on, don't get me started on gloves... :roll:

Lillywhite

andrewlwood wrote:

Slightly OT, but @Lillywhite , i found that blog looking for something else the other day. The subjects covered are good, and a bit different to the major sites; but It's so obscurely written as to be hard to understand, and the author's odd refusal to use capital letters just compounds the issue. I had to give up.

I agree it can be difficult to read but if you stick with it he writes interesting articles from a cycling perspective. My daughter who has visited Islay for their Whisky Festival for the last 3 years told me about the site.

Cheshley

you think that's bad? Try being 2 stone overweight AND having a 37 inch inside leg!!! I've given up trying to find road style riding gear and use my MTB baggies.

suzyb

Cheshley wrote:

you think that's bad? Try being 2 stone overweight AND having a 37 inch inside leg!!! I've given up trying to find road style riding gear and use my MTB baggies.

I'm the opposite, I've managed to find lycra shorts that fit me but not baggies lol

Duncan Place

Today I bought 2 SS jerseys that I know fit me.

A large size from Sports Direct.

An XXXL from Wiggle (size 7).

Quite possibly a reflection on the typical clientele of the respective stores.

briantrumpet

My dilemma is different - 30in waist, 40in chest - especially on jerseys, do you go for the waist size and end up trussed up round the shoulders, or go for the chest size and have enough space for two of you round the belly? Anyway, I've ended up with S in Endura, M in Gore and L in Northwave. But it all seems a bit hit-&-miss, even within the same brand.

carrock

SecretSam wrote:

So: I'm your average office-working type chap, 5'9", 12.5 stone ish, 36" waist and 42" chest, size 9 (43) feet - ergo quite a chunky fella but nothing extraordinary.
So why, when buying cycling gear yesterday did I end up with size 10 (44) shoes and an XL Altura jersey? The size 9 (spesh) shoes were too tight and the Large sized jersey was a good fit, but when I leant into the "drops" position, it was too narrow across the shoulders and the sleeves rode up my arms...
Rant over.

Italian sizing is more suited for whippets- whereas UK/USA manufacturers are more realsitic

I take a size Large in Specialized shorts and an XL in Jerseys

Whereas I take XXL in Sportful Jerseys and Giordana shorts ( Iti sizing )
As you're a more typical UK frame might be better just to go to UK/USA manufacturers, or size up. Unfortunately, Italian manufacturers like to think that every one of their customers is a potential tour winner I think......

Paul E

SecretSam wrote:

So: I'm your average office-working type chap, 5'9", 12.5 stone ish, 36" waist and 42" chest, size 9 (43) feet - ergo quite a chunky fella but nothing extraordinary.

So why, when buying cycling gear yesterday did I end up with size 10 (44) shoes and an XL Altura jersey? The size 9 (spesh) shoes were too tight and the Large sized jersey was a good fit, but when I leant into the "drops" position, it was too narrow across the shoulders and the sleeves rode up my arms...

Surely not all cyclists are little whippets? Come on, manufacturers, get this sorted, it's crazy - clothes should conform to high street sizing norms, not skinny whippet norms.

Rant over.

I'm just under an inch taller a stone lighter, 33" waist and I think 38" chest more bottom heavy than top so not what I would call a whippet but not overly built but getting jerseys that fit right is the problem length and getting it snug but not tight around the old shoulders more than anything

The best fitting I have is an endura fs260 one in medium, quite race fit, and craft and spesh in medium seem to fit fine with craft coming up a little bit looser and spesh being tight but not as tight as the endura one.

Shorts never had a problem with really, just jerseys and jackets, I have a nightvision evo and I should have gone a size smaller as the medium is a bit billowy.