Men's Cycling Jerseys
Comfort, function and performance are found with the right fitting jersey. Short sleeve cycling jerseys are versatile garments that serve as your outer layer in warm months and perform a necessary role as vital base layers in cooler months. Designed to wick moisture to keep you dry and protect your skin from the sun, cycling jerseys also include tons of added features specifically aimed to make a cyclist’s hours in the saddle a little bit easier.
Features
Cycling is an activity that can be as complex or as stream-lined as we want it to be. Heading out for a short trip on the trail? No problem! Just grab a patch kit, some gels and a water bottle or two. Heading out for a century? Take it up a notch by bringing along some extra nutrition bars, your cell phone and some spare cash as well. No matter what you’re packing, there’s a chance that you can fit it all in your jersey’s convenient rear pockets.
Cycling jerseys also feature front zippers that really come in handy for ventilation and when you’re peeling the jersey off after a long, hard ride.
Fabrics
Most cycling jerseys are made from 100% polyester though some will include small amounts of spandex and even nylon on some occasions. The use of synthetic fabric blends enables jerseys to efficiently and effectively wick moisture, which keeps you cool and dry in the summer and warm and dry in the winter.
The lightweight nature of the fabric also makes your ride easier. Breathability is increased when the fabric is lighter in weight and this also enhances the jersey’s ability to wick moisture.
Fit and Style
Cycling jerseys vary in both fit and design as they range everywhere from a painted-on, slim fitting race cut to a more relaxed fit and everything in between. Sleeve design, zipper lengths, pocket shapes and placement, hem styles and silicone gripper material at the hem are all examples of feature that vary from style to style and from one fit to the next.
Regardless of features, your cycling jerseys should have one thing in common: they make you comfortable, provide functionality and help you perform while you ride. In order to achieve this, your cycling jersey should fit appropriately. Generally speaking, jerseys will fit somewhat close to your skin, even if you’re not after the slim-fit racer jersey style. This is done so that the lightweight polyester fabric can contact your skin regularly to wick moisture away where it can evaporate to keep you dry.
Cycling jerseys are always a few inches longer in the back than in the front, which provides necessary coverage while you’re leaning forward in the cycling position. This also allows the pocket placement to be at a good angle for you to reach in while riding.
Aero Tech Designs cycling jerseys are available in regular sizes, big and tall, women’s, plus women’s and youth styles. Each style has a fit tailored to a group of riders. The fit of our Aero Tech jerseys can be split into three general categories:
Premier - A Race-cut jersey that is snug and form-fitting, like the ones you see pros use. The jersey tapers from the shoulders to the waist to fit a more athletic build. The set-in sleeves include a power cuff to keep the sleeve up against the skin while racing.
Sprint - Our Entry-level jersey has a slightly looser cut than the Premier, but it fits a broader range of cyclists. The set-in sleeves give bikers a pro look without the pro fit.
Peloton - Our fuller, club-cut fits more like a t-shirt. The sleeves are a raglan style, meaning the fabric gives a rounded look to the shoulders and feel less restrictive.
Visibility is Important on All Cycling Apparel
Cycling jerseys can be made visible in two main ways: reflectivity and color. Reflectivity can be added as trim elements to the jersey in the form of heat-pressed 3M Scotchlite reflective tape. Also, many zippers feature reflective trim on either side of the zipper, which creates a long stretch of reflective material on the front and sometimes rear of a jersey. Reflective tabs placed below a bike jersey’s rear pockets is another great place for reflective placement because it is visible to motorists approaching from behind the cyclist.
The second method, color, allows you to be a little bolder with your visibility. Vibrant colors, including Safety Yellow and Orange, are high viz and more visible, even in low light, when compared to other colors. That is why construction workers and road maintenance crews always wear orange and neon yellow/green safety vests and jackets.
Getting the Most Out of Your Men’s Cycling Jersey’s Features
Perhaps the most cycling-specific of your jersey be the rear pockets. There are usually three of them evenly spaced out across your lower back. Overstuffing the pockets of your cycling jersey won’t benefit you, but if you balance your items well and develop an organization system that works for you, you’ll find that the pockets really come in handy. For example, if you find that it is easier to reach back with your right hand then perhaps you’ll want to keep items in the far right pocket that you’ll need access to the most, or quickest. This could be your nutrition bars for quick energy boosts. Or maybe it is a cue sheet if you’re on a longer ride. (Just make sure to stash fragile items like cue sheets and cell phones in a protective sleeve like a clear ziplock bag so that your evaporating sweat and the occasional rain shower don’t smudge the ink or ruin your electronics!)
You also want your cycling jersey to fit closer to your body than a t-shirt, for example, because anything that is stashed in the rear pockets will obviously pull down on the jersey in the back. If the jersey isn’t fitting close enough you’ll just end up with a lump of fabric swinging behind you and getting caught against the rear part of your saddle. Getting the right jersey fit will not only help with moisture wicking, but it will make your ride more comfortable from your pocket usage as well.
Many cycling jerseys will feature a three-quarter length or full-length zipper. This feature enables you to control the amount of air flowing through your torso, which is valuable during both warm and cool weather rides. Higher collars can also be found on fall and winter cycling jerseys to keep chilly wind from blowing down your jersey, even if you are using the bike jersey more as a base layer and you have a vest, windbreaker or jacket on over the jersey.
