Tell me about jerseys

Foxtrot Oscar

Well with the milder weather and the imminent arrival (hopefully) of spring, I'm starting to think about my first ever cycling jersey. I'm also a bit fed up with how the saddle bag looks and would rather carry everything in jersey pockets.

So my questions are:

- What brands should I look at at a sort of value-for-money quality level? I'd guess I can spend around £50.
- Should I colour match my silver and black Specialized and will I be scorned and ridiculed unless I wear a silver and black jersey? Or should I avoid colour-matching my jersey to my frame as that looks too 'try-hard'? (Also, silver and black are a bit old school, this bike is from 2005).
- Any other tips about jersey buying, features to look for / avoid? Pics of what you think looks good and what does not might be good!

Many thanks.

napoleond

Buy what you think looks good. My favourite jerseys are Castelli. Do a google of Castelli jersey and see what it throws up...

graham_g

Keep a small saddle bag in use - if you come off your bike, you don't want to be unnecessarily impaling yourself on multi-tools, tyre levers and house keys.

My own personal preferences for jerseys:

Full-zip - if riding all day, it saves hassle when you need to lay cable (i.e. you can remove your jersey without stuff falling out of pockets)
Three pockets PLUS a fourth zip security pocket in amonst that for money/phone
Tight fit - baggy jerseys are a bit useless really, stuff in pockets will sag over your arse and bounce around whilst it won't be doing its job wicking away sweat either.

Foxtrot Oscar

Ooo Castelli look good, nice simple designs (mostly) so I don't fool anyone into thinking I'll be difficult to overtake.

I like this actually, Castelli Prologo HD Jersey - 2011



Now to decide what my signature colour scheme is going to be .

Graham G wrote:

Keep a small saddle bag in use - if you come off your bike, you don't want to be unnecessarily impaling yourself on multi-tools, tyre levers and house keys.

My own personal preferences for jerseys:

Full-zip - if riding all day, it saves hassle when you need to lay cable (i.e. you can remove your jersey without stuff falling out of pockets)
Three pockets PLUS a fourth zip security pocket in amonst that for money/phone
Tight fit - baggy jerseys are a bit useless really, stuff in pockets will sag over your ars* and bounce around whilst it won't be doing its job wicking away sweat either.

I never thought about the impaling aspect. Is that really a concern given how many other things could impale you in a crash?

graham_g

NapoleonD wrote:

Buy what you think looks good. My favourite jerseys are Castelli. Do a google of Castelli jersey and see what it throws up...

Oh yeah - that should be number one. Ignore the price and get the one that you think is the dogs - you'll definitely get loads of use then instead of it ending up stuck at the back of a drawer or relegated to turbo use

graham_g

Foxtrot Oscar wrote:

Ooo Castelli look good, nice simple designs (mostly) so I don't fool anyone into thinking I'll be difficult to overtake.

I like this actually, Castelli Prologo HD Jersey - 2011



Now to decide what my signature colour scheme is going to be .

Graham G wrote:

Keep a small saddle bag in use - if you come off your bike, you don't want to be unnecessarily impaling yourself on multi-tools, tyre levers and house keys.

My own personal preferences for jerseys:

Full-zip - if riding all day, it saves hassle when you need to lay cable (i.e. you can remove your jersey without stuff falling out of pockets)
Three pockets PLUS a fourth zip security pocket in amonst that for money/phone
Tight fit - baggy jerseys are a bit useless really, stuff in pockets will sag over your ars* and bounce around whilst it won't be doing its job wicking away sweat either.

I never thought about the impaling aspect. Is that really a concern given how many other things could impale you in a crash?

Not a major concern but best leaving pockets for food/fuel/arm warmers/gilet/jacket whatever that will actually be needed during the course of a ride instead of accommodating emergency supplies.

MattC59

Craft jerseys are great ! Not too pricey and they fit well.
Castelli jerseys are lovely (as I've recently discovered) but you do need to size up. I'm usually a size L or XL, but I recently bought a Castelli Priviligio and had to go up to size XXXL ?!?!?!

When you buy, buy something that you like. Sounds daft, but go with your own taste rather than what you think you should wear, that way you'll get most use out of it.

Personally I like a simple design, with a hint of a retro feel about it. At the moment, this is my favorite summer jerser:



£50 will get you a good jersey, especially at the moment. Evans, JE James and some others have end of season sales still on.

meanredspider

+1 on the Castelli sizing. You should probably expect to go 2 sizes up from regular clothing and 1 size up from other bike stuff. I'm a large in most normal sizing schemes. I'm an XL in Assos stuff and at least an XXL in Castelli

graham_g

meanredspider wrote:

+1 on the Castelli sizing. You should probably expect to go 2 sizes up from regular clothing and 1 size up from other bike stuff. I'm a large in most normal sizing schemes. I'm an XL in Assos stuff and at least an XXL in Castelli

People always go on about what constitutes a L/XL etc. ....just look at their sizing chart and go by that.

Foxtrot Oscar

According to the sizing chart I'm an L, and I always buy L stuff. However all of the comments on Wiggle are saying size up by one.

No great risk as I can always send one back and I'm thinking buying an L is a good incentive to slim down this summer.

desweller

I tend to keep emergency kit (inner tubes, puncture repair, pump etc.) on the bike otherwise I am bound to forget it.

ilm_zero7

NapoleonD wrote:

Buy what you think looks good. My favourite jerseys are Castelli. Do a google of Castelli jersey and see what it throws up...

love castelli everything - great jackets too

zippypablo

Have a look at prendas, they have a good selection of jerseys and will give you sizing advice if you phone them.
They are very helpful.

PhilPub

Go retro!



While you're at it, ditch the saddle bag and go even more retro by carrying your spare tube and levers in a plastic bag, secured under the saddle with a tatty old Alfredo Binda pedal strap. It's the only way.

Monty Dog

I'm not a big seatpack fan - having worn through expensive shorts due to the velcro straps rubbing my leg. I prefer to carry as much as possible in my jersey pockets - I have a zip-up pouch that contains a mini-tool, spare inner, tyre lever, sticky patches, chain link, money, ID and mobile. Keeps everything neatly bundled and sits firmly in my centre rear pocket. I prefer a neat fit for a jersey to minimise flapping and sagging - you don't want to look like an MTB rider ;-). I'm a big Castelli fan too and have a couple of Campagnolo jerseys also - they are sized even smaller than Castelli IME. If budget is a key consideration, also look at DHB on Wiggle, or likewise Prendas for a more timeless/ retro look that won't date as quickly.

Zoomer37

Etxeondo do some really nice plain well fitting jerseys.

nickwill

My only concern re the illustrated jerseys in this thread is that they all have short zips. A long zip is a godsend when climbing or in hot weather. Re sizing i'm a great believer in going by manufacturers sizing charts. Every time I've gone with advice to go up a size I've ended up with loose baggy clothing. Castelli are great quality as are Assos but you do pay for the privilege with the latter!

ptr_

I love my two Specialized jerseys. I've tried various others and always end up either selling, returning or using for turbo use.

Great fit (I'm 6ft, 72kg and get a Medium), nice and thick but wick really well, full length zip to keep cool on climbs. Only thing I wish they had was a zip pocket for phone etc.

ShutUpLegs

Monty Dog wrote:

I'm not a big seatpack fan - having worn through expensive shorts due to the velcro straps rubbing my leg. I prefer to carry as much as possible in my jersey pockets - I have a zip-up pouch that contains a mini-tool, spare inner, tyre lever, sticky patches, chain link, money, ID and mobile. Keeps everything neatly bundled and sits firmly in my centre rear pocket. I prefer a neat fit for a jersey to minimise flapping and sagging - you don't want to look like an MTB rider ;-). I'm a big Castelli fan too and have a couple of Campagnolo jerseys also - they are sized even smaller than Castelli IME. If budget is a key consideration, also look at DHB on Wiggle, or likewise Prendas for a more timeless/ retro look that won't date as quickly.

Saddle bags have no place on a road bike, and are only acceptable on mountain bikes in extreme cases.

ShutUpLegs

Graham G wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

+1 on the Castelli sizing. You should probably expect to go 2 sizes up from regular clothing and 1 size up from other bike stuff. I'm a large in most normal sizing schemes. I'm an XL in Assos stuff and at least an XXL in Castelli

People always go on about what constitutes a L/XL etc. ....just look at their sizing chart and go by that.

How does that work out when its 'race' or 'aero' fit?

cougie

Go for what you think looks good but steer away from the all dark colour jerseys. A bit of bright colour on the top makes you far more visible to dopey motorists.

I normally have my tools in my pocket in a pouch. Not impaled myself yet.

napoleond

Thats the 'cut' more than the sizing. Race/aero fit means short front, long back.

Coach H

You could try TORM http://www.torm.cc/index.html
Sportwool for £45 with full zip available

I have a T4 and a long sleeve T5 (£50) and they are every bit as good as the Rapha equivalent they emulate.
My only SMALL issue with them is the pockets which are a bit of a strange design.

king_jeffers

Sorry for the slight thread hijack... Do you normally wear t-shirts under jerseys? - yes I am a noob :-)

MattC59

depends on what you mean by 't-shirt' and the weather.

Some wear a wicking base layer in the summer to draw sweat away from the skin so that it can evaporate. If it's really hot, I just wear the jersey. In cooler weather, I might wear a merino short sleeved base layer to keep the chill off.

But.......... don't just wear a cotton T-shirt. They hang on to the moisture and just get sodden. Not nice to ride in.

Bobbinogs

I agree with Matt, avoid cotton T-shirts like the plague. Went out after work today to do some hills with a nice s/s jersey and had a thin l/s Altura (tight fitting) baselayer...combo worked great. In the summer, I haven't found the need for a s/s baselayer as a decent jersey will do all the wicking I need.