Wearing a cycling jersey isn't just about the right look. A cycling jersey can help keep you warmer in cold weather and cooler in warm weather and generally more comfortable. Because they're shaped to fit right when you're riding, cycling jerseys help exclude drafts and keep the sun off.
Cut and shape
A cycling jersey often features a longer back, shorter front, higher neck, and sleeves that fit when you're reaching for the handlebars in comparison to a t-shirt.
The degree to which a cycling jersey fits varies widely. Some are quite close, particularly if they are made for racing. If you're attempting to move as quickly as possible, having superfluous cloth flapping in the wind is not a good thing. This is sometimes referred to as a "race cut."
If you're not a racing snake, some cycling jerseys are looser and more attractive. 'Sport', 'City', or 'Casual' classifications should be avoided.
Sizing
One manufacturer's size L cycling jerseys will not be the same as another's, so try before you buy if at all possible. As a rule of thumb, Italian manufacturers tend to come up small, American-based manufacturers tend to be more generous.
Here comes the sun
The degree to which materials shield the sun varies among cycling jerseys. To describe how effectively their products function, some manufacturers give them a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) value similar to that of sun lotion. If you want to ride in the sun, look for products with high SPF ratings.
Sky rider Chris Froome learned that certain very light clothing offered little to no sun protection when practicing in South Africa at the beginning of 2014. Wear sunscreen underneath a riding jersey with a light mesh or open weave.
Long and short sleeves
Long sleeves are for winter; short sleeves are for summer. Except it's not quite that simple. Very lightweight long-sleeve cycling jerseys are good for pale-skinned riders in summer as they provide an extra layer of sun protection.
However, you'll usually find long-sleeved cycling jerseys are made from thicker, warmer fabric than short-sleeved, to keep you warm in cold weather.
Fabric
Most cycling jerseys are made of some sort of synthetic fabric that's designed to quickly carry sweat away from your skin so it can evaporate from the outside of the jersey.
This is where cycling jerseys really beat your cotton t-shirt. Cotton soaks up moisture and retains it next to your skin. That water cools down in the breeze and makes you feel chilly unless the weather is very hot. Even then, it can still leave you too cold when you stop riding.
So, jersey materials aid in regulating body temperature by directing perspiration away from the skin.
Wool, especially fine Merino wool, is a natural material that works well for bicycle jerseys. Wool is surprisingly pleasant in warm weather and remains warm when wet. Wool allows pong-causing bacteria to develop far more slowly than synthetics do, allowing a wool jersey to be worn several times before needing to be washed. Due to the fact that they don't want to have to wash a lot of cycling jerseys every week, commuting cyclists prefer wool over other materials.Synthetic cycling jerseys fabrics deal with the pong problem by coating the fibres so that bacteria can't take hold. Repeated washing gradually removes this coating, so synthetic cycling jerseys tend to get stinkier more quickly as they get older. Eventually, their ability to resist getting whiffy will be so poor that your loved ones won't want you in the house straight after a ride. That's the clue you need to buy a new cycling jersey.
Pockrts
The back of most cycling jerseys has three open-topped pockets for items like your wallet, keys, and munchies. You would worry that objects could fall out of them, but in reality, they are deep enough to prevent this from happening. Additionally, there is typically an elasticized band of cloth across the top, which also helps.
Numerous cycling jersey manufacturers have added variations to the conventional three pockets. It's typical to discover a small zippered pocket for your keys and cash or a pocket for your phone with a waterproof lining. The three might also vary in breadth, with a smaller pocket for a little pump.
Zips
Cycling jerseys almost universally have zips. Short zips look tidy, but you might want more ventilation if you're going to ride in warm weather.
More commonly, the zip will extend to about the middle of the jersey front or right to the bottom so you can open it for ventilation when it's warm.
At the top of the zip, look out for a small flap of fabric that will cover the zip pull when it's done up. Amusingly called a 'zip garage' this stops the zip from irritating your neck or getting caught in your beard.
