Jenson USA carries one of the most extensive selections of curated bike gear online. We’ve developed learning guides to aid you in making informed decisions and we have backed this up with our expert Gear Advisors who are available by phone, chat, or email 7 days a week.

 

HOW TO CHOOSE ROAD BIKE CLOTHING

Heading out on the road can be about getting out and pushing your limits, exploring the world around you, or about the convenience of a two-wheeled commute. A proper road bike clothing kit will improve your ride experience regardless of what your reason for grabbing your bike. There are many great options for riding apparel that is both highly-functional, designed for specific riding needs, and steeped in fresh style.

From commuting to road racing, we’ve built this guide to help you navigate the fit, materials, function and look for your next road bike clothing kit. If you have more questions, please call our Gear Advisors at 888-880-3811 to get more help.

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THE COMPONENTS OF A ROAD KIT

Whether you are a committed road rider or just dabbling with your daily commute, choosing the right road bike clothing can be a daunting experience. Road bike clothing kits are composed of all the gear that a rider will wear while out for a ride. This includes everything from top to bottom. Since your cycling shoes and bike helmet are unlikely to vary too often we will focus on the other key pieces; cycling jerseys and cycling shorts.

 

CYCLING JERSEYS

In general, cycling jerseys are constructed of a snug fitting synthetic fabric that will stretch and conform to the body. Cycling jerseys will have either a ¾ zippered front or a full zip front that will completely open. Full zip cycling jerseys are easier to take off and in warmer weather, can be fully unzipped while riding to cool off. Lastly, cycling jerseys will have pockets in the back to hold on the bike essentials


Things to Consider:


  • Slimmer fitting cycling jerseys will slice through the wind more effectively
  • For longer rides, you may want to check out the pocket situation and make sure you have enough space. Most cycling jerseys will have three pockets, but some cycling jerseys will have additional zippered compartments for small items that you may want more secure
  • In cold weather, some cycling jerseys will be available in long sleeves and use material suitable for colder weather. Check out the temperature rating for those cycling jerseys
  • Summer cycling jerseys will have heavily vented materials that allow air to pass more freely. These are great on sweltering days. Don’t forget sunscreen with these cycling jerseys!
  • Typically, the more value priced cycling jerseys will have heavier and more durable materials. The pricier cycling jerseys will have lighter weight materials that sacrifice durability for performance.
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CYCLING SHORTS / BIB SHORTS

One of the most important decisions you will make is what kind of cycling shorts to wear? Think about the amount of time spent sitting on the bike and how important your comfort is to your body and the process for choosing the best cycling shorts becomes quite important. So why Tight Road Bike Shorts? This is a question that you may hear or have thought of yourself. The professional cyclist may point to aerodynamics and a place for sponsor logos as a main reason, and they aren’t wrong. However, what about all of us normal folks?


Things to Consider:


  • Body hugging cycling shorts reduce chaffing on the legs
  • Road cycling shorts offer padding (chamois) in the crotch to keep your sensitive areas comfortable
  • Aerodynamics matter for efficiency. This means you have to work less hard to get to where you want to go
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ALL CHAMOIS ARE NOT THE SAME

In the old days, the padding in cycling shorts were made of a natural leather material that needed to be conditioned on a regular basis. These days, advanced synthetic technical fabrics offer superior cushioning while also adding protection against bacteria that could lead to saddle sores.

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ROAD CYCLING SHORTS AND CHAMOIS TECHNOLOGY IS OFFERED
FOR THREE GENERAL TYPES OF RIDERS

SHORTER DISTANCE RIDERS

  • Chamois will be less expensive and thinner
  • Designed for the rider that will be riding less than 2 hours
  • The short will feel more forgiving as the material does not offer as much compression

MEDIUM DISTANCE RIDERS

  • Chamois density increases to deal with rides that may last 2-4 hours
  • The material may have more compression to aid in reducing vibration inducing fatigue in the legs
  • Will use advanced fabrics to wick away moisture and add ventilation for comfort

LONGER DISTANCE AND RACING CYCLING SHORTS

  • Ideal for competitive riders that are racing and/or on rides lasting 4 hours or more
  • Cycling shorts in this category have anatomical race cuts that are designed to be in an aggressive riding position
  • Materials used in these cycling shorts are the most technologically advanced offering high levels of comfort while managing body heat and moisture
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BIB SHORTS VS REGULAR CYCLING SHORTS

This is a personal decision, but the proponents of the bib shorts enjoy these three qualities:

    • Bib shorts will stay in place during the ride
    • You will not get the dreaded space between the back of your cycling jersey and the top of your cycling shorts exposing your back to the sun
    • Most of the high-end technology is reserved for bib shorts

The main negative to the bib short is the added difficulty when needing to take a nature break. This is especially important for female cyclists. Many manufacturers have created special access or extremely stretch straps to allow easier bathroom breaks for female cyclists. Check out the product pages to see if the women’s short you are looking for has one of these features.

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SPECIALTY CYCLING SHORTS

There are also many styles of cycling shorts that cater to specific weather conditions

  • Knicker or ¾ length cycling shorts are designed to be worn in cooler temperatures and add warmth to the knees
  • Full-length cycling tights are worn during more extreme winter weather when you want to protect yourself from the cold. These offer additional wind stopping panels on the front for even colder temps. You will also find some cycling tights that do not include a chamois so that they can be worn over your regular cycling shorts.
  • Warm weather cycling shorts will offer more venting or perforations than a normal cycling short for riding in extreme heat
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STYLES BY RIDING DISCIPLINE

Just which cycling shorts and cycling jersey to pick will be determined by your personal style, favorite type of riding, weather conditions, and key features. Let’s break down the choices available.

 

ROAD (CLUB) KIT

“Club Fit” apparel is looser fitting than their “Race Cut” siblings. Generally, this looseness is primarily noticed in cycling jerseys, but bike shorts and bib shorts may also be a bit more relaxed. These road bike jerseys offer a more generous fit that accommodate more body styles. Women’s cycling jerseys offer these same general fit types, but also are cut to fit the female body proportions.

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ROAD RACER KIT

The “Race Cut” is a slimmer fit (tighter) that mimics a more aggressive riding position. These tend to be kits that are more comfortable on the bike versus when you are just walking around. This is due to how the cycling jersey, cycling shorts, and chamois are cut in order to work best when in a riding position. These kits are generally only offered with bib shorts and carry a higher price.

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COMMUTER KIT

Commuters can choose from a club or race kit to take on their commute, but many choose to wear more relaxed or casual road bike clothing. Often, these look like normal clothes that also happen to be functional for breathability, moisture control, and ease of movement. Often a commuter’s preference for their road bike clothing is driven by their riding distance or terrain difficulty. A club kit is preferable for those commuting long distances or over challenging terrain as it will provide less wind resistance and increase efficiency.

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WET WEATHER ROAD BIKE CLOTHING

Riders in wetter climates may opt for waterproof apparel to keep them dry and comfortable. Often waterproof cycling gear does not breathe as well, so it can be a challenge to stay cool while riding. Riders can balance this out by picking key elements that breathe versus those that are waterproof. Some riders prefer cool/wet legs and dry torso/arms, while others prefer the opposite. We often recommend a very thin waterproof cycling jacket shell that can easily be packed away if the rain stops. You can also unzip this to cool down while still getting good rain protection.

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ADDITIONAL ACCESSORIES

Here are some other apparel accesories you may consider for various kinds of riding conditions.

 

BIKE HELMET

There are a ton of bike helmet options, and they are designed to match your riding needs and style. We’ve put together a guide to help you find the right bike helmet for you and make sure it fits just right. Check it out here.

HOW TO BUY A HELMET GUIDE
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HEAD WARMER

Head warmers and caps are an awesome addition to your kit if you ride in cool/cold areas. This small/thin piece of fabric sits under your bike helmet and keeps the wind/cold away from your head and ears. Since much of your heat is lost through your head, these can really help you regulate the temperature of the rest of your body too. The come in skull-cap styles or head bands. They are easy to stow in a pocket should you get too hot.

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CYCLING GLASSES

Eyewear can be a highly functional aspect of your riding gear. They keep dust and mud out of your eyes, provide protection in the event of a crash, and can even enhance what you can see while riding. Plus, they look cool. Many higher-end cycling glasses feature ventilation holes to help keep the glasses from fogging up.

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BIKE GLOVES

Bike gloves for road riding are all about comfort and breathability. When you’re in the saddle for 2 or more hours, the last thing you want to worry about is having your hands hurting or going numb. Road bike gloves come with ample padding for a comfortable feel and helps reduce the vibrations from the road. These bike gloves will also feature materials that wick moisture away to keep your hands dry.

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CYCLING JACKET / VEST

Another key item in cool/cold weather riding is a good cycling jacket. Generally, we find that a thin and breathable cycling jacket provides ample warmth from body heat. Sometimes a sleeveless cycling vest is just the right amount of additional core warmth needed. One of our favorite innovations is cycling jackets that have removable arms that can be easily packed away, leaving just the cycling vest. The arms often are zipped on or have magnets holding them in place.

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ARM/KNEE / LEG WARMERS

These pieces are great if you live in cool/cold areas or in areas with wide temperature swings. These can easily be slipped on to add additional warmth to your standard MTB short and MTB jersey kit. As your body warms up, these can be removed quickly and stashed in a pocket. We highly recommend these as an integral part of cold-weather layering

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CYCLING SOCKS

Cycling socks may not seem like a crucial apparel item, but a good cycling sock provides comfort, breathability and style to your ride. The type of cycling sock material will depend on your riding temperatures and weather. Cycling socks have become an easy and affordable way to show off your style on the trails. We, personally, recommend our Keep Pedaling cycling socks for motivation while turning out the miles.

KEEP PEDALING SOCKS
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CYCLING SHOES

Cycling shoes are another component of a road kit that has lots of aspects to consider. We’ve created a cycling shoe guide to help you navigate all the options and find the best fit for your riding needs. Follow this link to check out our Guide to Buying Shoes.

SHOE BUYERS GUIDE
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APPAREL CARE & REPLACEMENT

We recommend following the wash and dry instructions found on the tags on your specific mountain bike clothing items. We generally recommend hanging mountain bike clothing items to dry as it helps to improve the longevity of materials. If protective apparel items are damage or torn, it is often good to replace these items, so they can continue to provide the highest level of protection while riding.

 

SHOP WITH CONFIDENCE

We want to make sure you can go from shopping to riding as soon as possible. We’ve provided fit charts on all our mountain bike clothing products and have additional customer feedback in our reviews sections on product pages to help you choose the correct size. If the fit isn’t quite right, we’ve got you covered with free returns on all unused apparel and protective gear