Cycling Shirts for All Seasons
There are many reasons why people should wear a cycling shirt when out on the road, whether for leisure, competition racing or just commuting to work and back. One of the main general reasons is for safety. Just looking around the internet for different brands of cycling shirts, you will find that a substantial number of them are brightly colored. This helps you stand out when you are riding on the roads, as it is common for drivers to focus their attention past you and onto bigger vehicles in front of you; most serious or fatal accidents involve a vehicle where the driver simply never saw the cyclist until they had already collided. So wearing your normal jacket might not be good enough to get you spotted; a cycling shirt in bright canary yellow will probably do the job though.
There are three main types of cycle tops you can opt for, depending on the conditions. You should be able to find a few very attention-grabbing colors for each of them, and if you opt for clothing that is moisture wicking for a more comfortable ride, then you will ideally need all your layers to be made from performance fabrics; it’s no good having a normal t-shirt and a moisture wicking jacket – you’ll still end up damp!
For summer riding, short sleeved cycling shirts are great. They have all the benefits you come to expect from cycling gear: longer in the back, rear pockets, long front-zipper to help you control your temperature when working the bike hard. In early spring, and the beginning of fall, you will feel the chill and a short sleeved top might not be quite enough. Go for a long sleeved cycling jersey; you can even wear this over the top of a lighter cycling shirt – remember to match those performance fabrics though, or you’ll get no benefit from them.
For winter, there are heavier cycling jackets and waterproofs which allow you to ride, whatever the conditions, with some degree of warmth and comfort. Whichever layer you have visible to other road users though, make sure it grabs their attention and screams “Take care! Cyclist here!”
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