The one semi-expensive jersey I have -- a Castelli -- is the worst-fitting jersey I have. Too tight in the upper body/arms and too loose in the torso (and I'm hardly the body-builder).

There is NO reason to spend anything over $50 for a jersey, all jerseys are made of 100% polyester, from $15 ones to $200 ones, so why bother, I've never noticed any difference in being hotter in one over another, or stinking more over another. Same is true with socks. Sure there is a possibility that a $150 jersey may last twice as long, but mine only lasted about 50% longer not 100% longer, but whatever, if it lasts twice as long and you get a jersey on sale for $35 well guess what? you come out ahead with the cheaper jersey. Expensive socks is a joke comparison too. HOWEVER, don't go cheap on your shorts, because good padding can make a huge difference in ride comfort. I always find $60 to $80 range of jerseys on sale for between $20 to $35 at the end of the road season, so if I need them that's when I buy them; I've never paid more than $35 for a jersey, but I put $50 just in case someone is looking for a particular style of jersey.

lol that's for the MUP?

Actually I think never is the time for jorts and nowhere is the place. :twitchy:

im with you dude , other than pocket i don't get the whole jersey thing , i just use a compression base layer its 10 to 20 bucks , there is nothing i need to carry in my pockets that i cant put in a small 8 liter back pack along with all my tools and food/water , im just one of those guys that doesn't run water bottle cages outside of races or ride events , i dont like saddle bags , its more aero friendly to run a small tight back pack anyway ...

Even if the padding is made of the same material?

I haven’t had Assos, Rapha, or castelli jerseys, but I’ve have Gore and Girodana which I think are pretty good. Or at least they cost a lot.

Recently, I’ve ordered some “vintage” Italian team jerseys from Ali express for like 12-14$. They are very high quality and seem every bit as good. Maybe they’ll wear faster or the zippers won’t last. So far (about a year)they are holding up great and I machine wash and dry them.

None whatsoever.(well, maybe if its a limited edition/collector's item?) Otherwise, there's a point of diminishing return and the curve drops off dramatically after that. Its the same with shorts. Although I might be convinced to add another $10 to that.

And yet many people find reasons. Go figure.

I don't have any cycling friends ...

I have a jersey that's the same color as one of my favorite glacial lakes, and it makes me happy. Not exactly easy to Google for a jersey the color of Kool Aid Lake, but I saw one and grabbed it.

I made the money by going to work when I really didn't want to, and figured that was good enough reason for me. Should have got permission here first.

Easy...fit and/or fashion. I like aero stuff for fast hot rides. The aero stuff that fits me best tends to originate in the UK or EU (this is true for street clothes as well).

I'll also pay more for nicely designed local shop jerseys (which are sewn down the road) or jerseys with cats.

Incidentally, are any other Midwesterners getting the darned Menard's jingle stuck in their heads every time they look at this thread?

Just because YOU don't/cannot notice a difference doesn't mean there are not differences. The weave and material thickness, among other things, play a big roll.

I have gotten a good number of jersey from fundraising events over the years. There are DEFINITELY differences between them as a set and them vs. other jerseys I have either purchased or have been given. Those differences become amplified in hot, humid conditions. It's actually a good thing because temperatures tend to, you know, vary. I have my cool temp jerseys, by moderate temp jerseys and my hotter than all get out jerseys.

As for them all being polyester and feeling the same temperature-wise, the whole thicker, warmer, more expensive winter jersey conspiracy has just been exposed.

P.S. "Because I want to" is a reason for me to spend more than $50, as if I needed one.

I've never owned the real high-end stuff, but I tend to go for the stylish $80 (give or take) jerseys like those from Voler. I just like the look and the feel better than my older Performance or Cannondale cheapo jerseys.
I don't mind paying a bit more for something that looks and feels better. I'm not the strongest or fastest cyclist in the bunch, but at least I can look and feel like the cyclist I aspire to be. :innocent:

I can't justify anything over $100 on a jersey, but I hope you all do and then decide to sell it on ebay. (Med/LG and not pretentiously yellow please.)
One of my new favorites is an $80 Primal bought for 20. Used, but barely, so buyer beware. At such a price, it's worth taking a chance.

With shorts, stay NEW, for all the unspoken reasons you can imagine.

Saw a feature on Team Sky's laundry van with 9 separate washers so riders kits never touched each other. They claimed it reduced "funkadope" by half.

That's probably why Backcountry has some on same for $97. $100 seems like a hard like for a lot of folks. Someone a few posts ago listed $80 as not expensive.

I answer this as someone who commutes in full kit 5x week(1+hr each way TBF), not jorts because they chafe and don't own any wife beaters, but canvas shorts and tank? All the time. Don't be "that guy" showing up to a brewery in lycra to hang out with your friends

Is the photo of the cheap or expensive one? I like that it doesn't have stupid logos or yoga class patterns but pink is not my color.

It's the cheap one. It's red though.😎

We're in the same boat. Neither do I. 😞

Mostly a matter of scheduling and commitment. I can ride with one or two others, but the macho riding group mentality burgeons on my nerves.

If it's not at all serious then don't take it as such.

Ne sis sapiens apud stultus verba,

Been chewing on this for two years, coach? Seems serious to me....:foo:

I participate in 3-4 sportives each year and usually have to purchase the Jersey as part of the inscription. Those Jersey's are 75% of the time excellent fits. All I really need. The best ones come from the Cyclo du Léman in my view.