dwing

I applaud him for going against tradition possibly starting a new trickle down trend. I can appreciate the variety of fashionable zippered jersey kits out there, but, I think there's room in the market for more zipperless offerings that might appeal to those that might not want to look so roadie. Thoughts?

Marcus_Ti

And here I thought the 3/4 length zipper was the dumbest "innovation" in cycling apparel.

FlashBazbo

After all, for a roadie, there's nothing worse than looking like a roadie?

redlude97

I still find 3/4 length the most comfortable and you don't get the weird bunching at the bottom that you get with some full length zippers, but most of my jerseys have full length zippers for the convenience.

Marcus_Ti

This mostly relates to the jersey being cut too long for the rider's torso, when in a riding position....not the zipper being there (or not). Remove the zipper, and that jersey on that rider would still have ripples on the front.

I find most standard roadie jerseys are cut so they look good standing up vertical (as in a cycling catalog ad)...rather than when hunched over on a drop bar.

TimothyH

A zipperless jersey is more difficult to take off when sweaty.

I can't imagine trying to get a zipperless jersey off at home after a ride.

redlude97

Ha! I play that game with my base layers, feel like I'm going to dislocate a shoulder sometimes

Bandera

It's a $150 T-shirt.

-Bandera

caloso

Yeah, no.

I'm a roadie who rides roads where it's typically 105F in the summer. A full length zipper is non-negotiable for me.

brianmcg123

I will only buy full zip jerseys. I don't care how they may look on me, its after the ride you realize how nice it is to get the thing off.

I have a couple of 3/4 length zipped jerseys that I only wear if I absolutely have to. I almost dislocate a shoulder every time I take them off.

znomit

Is this weight driven or advertising space driven?

TimothyH

Is Dan Martin maybe nobibs?


-Tim-

caloso

DrIsotope

Full-zip ONLY. I have a couple of 3/4-zip jerseys, and they simply do not get worn. No zipper is nonsense.

kbarch

I have a couple of their jerseys, and they don't seem any worse than any others I've gotten as team kit and the like. They aren't fancy, but I figure they didn't want to make people pay top dollar for a jersey they were obligated to wear. When the team switched brands, they went with something that seems kind of overbuilt. The one bad zipper I have on a jersey is from Giordana, which is normally good stuff. Not their top-of-the-line kit, though - just a shop jersey.

As for zipperless or 3/4, I don't mind the 3/4, but can't imagine not being able to unzip at all for ventilation on a climb.

OldTryGuy

Full zip = so easy to get on/off even when wet from sweat

3/4 zip = damn thing to get on/off when dry or wet

NO ZIP = NO WAY since I'm not a contortionist

Not getting paid to look good so bumps/folds here or there = I really don't care

Bah Humbug

This whole "not wanting to look like what you are" seems to be exclusive to bicycle sports. Triathletes are also very eager to not look like triathletes (I know y'all will have a stack of jokes about that). Runners and swimmers though? There's basically zero market for running or swimming outfits that look like standard casual wear. I don't understand the horror of looking like you dressed appropriately for your sport.

Iride01 

If I were on a team that's management was telling me to make certain the jersey is zipped up so the sponsor's logo was displayed properly, I might tell them to give me a zipperless jersey just to keep them from griping at me when I'm at the line and the zipper sticks or I simply forget.

It is nice to be able to completely unzip it to remove it whether sweaty or not. I don't have soignées to help me after a long sweaty ride.

canklecat

I didn't appreciate full length zippers until my shoulder was injured. Several weeks later, after my first outdoor ride since the injury, I was struggling painfully to dislodge myself from a pullover jersey with collar zipper.

Next day I bought a jersey with full length zipper. Much easier.

kbarch

It's pretty easy to be an avid and enthusiastic cyclist without being particularly sport-minded - it's a much more social activity that swimming, that's for sure. Triathletes, I have no idea what they're supposed to look like anyhow, so I wouldn't know whether they were trying to look like something else or not.
I don't know any racers who are eager to not look like racers, but the folks whose idea of a race is a town-line sprint - that's another matter. If snug fit, a chamois, and small-of-the-back pockets are all one wants from cycling gear, why does the whole outfit need to look like a sponsored pro's when one isn't a sponsored pro - if one just wants to spend a few hours on the bike and get a coffee and pie with some friends?

Bah Humbug

The statement was "not wanting to look so roadie". Nothing about looking like a racer, nothing about a million brands, which can be avoided with lycra and zippers. Usually the "not want to look like a cyclist" means wanting clothes that look like khaki or basketball shorts and a t-shirt.

Triathletes, the stereotype is a visor or headsweats hat. To the point where a few years ago everyone decided to start wearing trucker hats to "not look like a triathlete", only now 95% of triathletes wear trucker caps and just look like skinny rednecks. And now that's what triathletes look like.

kbarch

Ok, I get the picture!

As far as "not wanting to look so roadie," I think it's similar to not wanting to look too "pro" .... It's not so much about signaling that one isn't one of "those roadies" but more about signaling that one is just out for fun, socializing, or something other than sport, fitness, perfecting form and paceline skills, or whatever it is that "serious cyclists" are about. They just don't want to give up everything that cycling kit offers. Who knows: maybe they really are more keen on playing basketball. I mean, that's why I would be interested in such stuff. But whenever I want to do something like that (typically in winter), I just wear street clothes and deal with the inconvenient pockets and so forth.

Lazyass

How many strava watts do you gain without the weight of a zipper?

seypat

In my area the roadies are trying to look as pro as possible, down to the matching socks. I can't remember the last time I have seen a rider in a plain jersey without something printed on it. I see plenty riding 5-6 days a week with a different perfectly matching kit for each day. Some even appear to have a matching helmet for each of those kits. Maybe all of those bright kits are needed since most of the bikes I see are dull, ugly matte black.

I don't see many triathletes with loose shirts or sleeves on them.

thehammerdog

Back in the day when I was a young strong lean machine not 52...I went sans shirt.at times