Cycling Jerseys

Most avid cyclists will never get the opportunity to don that coveted yellow jersey worn only by the leaders of the grueling Tour de France but there are plenty of cycling jerseys available that are designed to help us each achieve our own personal best.

Innovations in sports technology, aerodynamics, and textile manufacturing all come together in the design of the cycling jerseys found in most sporting goods stores. And while most of us think of clothing, even sports clothing, as mere coverings for our bodies, it's interesting to see how all those technologies make cycling jerseys so much more than mere shirts.

Most of us who wear cycling jerseys do so because they fit the sport and announce to others that we are serious cyclists. Even more of us just wear what's comfortable and suitable to the weather conditions we come up against.

Competitive cyclists, be they professional or amateur, prefer to wear cycling jerseys that will improve performance. This improvement in performance comes by way of ease of wearing and design.

Cyclists spend so much time bent forward toward the handlebars and most shirts are uncomfortable in this position. Typically, shirts are cut the same length in the front and back but cycling jerseys have longer back panels so as not to expose, or sun burn, the tender bare skin at the base of the back.

That bent-over-the-handlebars position makes pocket placement tricky, too. Cycling jerseys place pockets on the back panel instead of the front so nothing will fall out of them.

Longer zippers on men's cycling jerseys work as ventilation systems. Zipping them open as far as possible brings about faster cooling.

Cycling jerseys are most often tightly fitting garments. The closer these shirts hug the body, the more aerodynamic the cyclist's body becomes.