topless

Thanks for the input!

Well the results are unanimous but I’m still a bit confused and unconvinced. Truth has never been determined by majority opinion and I’m not afraid of following my principles even if I end up being the odd man out.

The clear group consensus contradicts my experience and what I’ve read. The June issue of Bicycling Magazine (page 50 & 63) seems to clearly teach that air flow is cool. Here are some selections from pg 50:

“Air flowing over your exposed skin allows moisture to evaporate, which cools you off.”
Alan Cote also recommends sleeveless jerseys to keep cooler and unzipping during ascents.
“Take a cue from triathletes, who aren’t bashful about going sleeveless (or wearing even less) for maximum cooling.”

If sleeveless is cooler than sleeves then why not go further and let the core feel the breeze? If jersey material is cooler then why not wear pants and long sleeve jerseys and why unzip during a climb?

The aricle continues - “So why are Tour de France riders’ jerseys always sleeved? Under the rules for road racing , shoulders must be covered. The extra cloth also provides valuable advertising space.”
What? $ ? I’m shocked.

Here are my thoughts on the thoughts…
Visibility and pocket space are the strongest reasons I read. I normally eat beforehand and I rarely go for longer than 2 hours so my pockets aren’t packed full of snacks. I can fit a pack of gel, beans or a bar in my seat pouch. For a century ride I need a jersey but intense hill training is different.

I have my doubts that the super-thin material will do much to protect my skin as my 180lb body slides across the asphalt at 20mph. Wouldn’t it shred in an instant? Maybe that would depend on the accident: rolling or sliding.

UV protection makes sense just like sun screen application does. The article in Bicycling Magazine also warned about how UV rays pass through many newer, thinner jerseys and some manufactures now disclose the spf of the material.

I don’t understand how it’s inherently or culturally repulsive to expose that portion of the male physique. I realize it's not professional looking but I'm not sponsored.

I have an expensive bib but prefer the shorts so far.

“Other hot riders wear jerseys so you should too” does nothing for me.

For those of us who sweat profusely all over, the water dispersion technology of the jersey isn’t as beneficial if your whole body is already wet.

You're free to believe whatever you want.

Mr_Tee said:

For those of us who sweat profusely all over, the water dispersion technology of the jersey isn’t as beneficial if your whole body is already wet.

...and that's really the crux of the whole "jerseys are cooler" issue. On exposed skin, sweat pools immediately around the pores in beads which reduce the surface area and cooling effect. The next step is that it runs off the skin onto the ground so any potential cooling from evaporation of that sweat is lost.

The jersey material immediately disperses the beads of sweat to increase surface area and contact with the skin as it evaporates. Once the jersey is saturated with sweat (or at low speeds, like on climbs) then it probably is cooler to have airflow directly over the soaked body instead (which is why some people unzip), but the idea is that the jersey helps prolong the time before the body gets to that point.

In any case, I doubt anyone here really cares whether you ultimately choose to wear a jersey or not, and the choice is yours.

When it's 100F, an fully unzipped light colored jersey is better at cooling than wearing a regular jersey and technical undershirt.

The sad thing is I was wishing it would cool down to 100 degrees when I was out at the weekend.

The only downsides to riding with the top unzipped is the number of bugs that get caught in the bibs. And what is it with the kamikaze bees this year? I've been stung on the head 4 times this year... Fark.

swampy1970 said:

When it's 100F, an fully unzipped light colored jersey is better at cooling than wearing a regular jersey and technical undershirt.

The sad thing is I was wishing it would cool down to 100 degrees when I was out at the weekend.

The only downsides to riding with the top unzipped is the number of bugs that get caught in the bibs. And what is it with the kamikaze bees this year? I've been stung on the head 4 times this year... Fark.

I haven't found this at all, and we're on day 21 in a row of 100°+ days. Given the bias to which human perception is prone, there's no doubt there will be a broad range of observations from people.

I honestly have to wonder how many people have viewed this thread with very different expectations... Myself included😄

I saw a topless rider yesterday....quite a disgusting sight. The extra 30 or 40 lbs that he was carrying may have had something to do with it though.

oldbobcat said:

I was always taught that a gentleman keeps his shirt on unless he's at the beach or the swimming pool. You get the idea.

The tank top idea (my daughter calls 'em wife-beaters) is a good idea.

I recently went down while wearing a tank top, some of the worst road rash I got was on my shoulder, chest/nipple as a result. :eek: I will be not wearing one again while riding.

swampy1970 said:

The only downsides to riding with the top unzipped is the number of bugs that get caught in the bibs. And what is it with the kamikaze bees this year? I've been stung on the head 4 times this year... Fark.

The last few weeks has been June Beetle season here, those suckers sting a bit when hitting you at speed. I keep anticipating the first one I inhale.:p

oldbobcat said:

I was always taught that a gentleman keeps his shirt on unless he's at the beach or the swimming pool. You get the idea.

The tank top idea (my daughter calls 'em wife-beaters) is a good idea.

There are a couple of other occasions one of which is while wearing a lamp shade. It is acceptable and even appropriate to go shirtless while dancing with a lampshade on your head.
Very chic!

jhuskey said:

There are a couple of other occasions one of which is while wearing a lamp shade. It is acceptable and even appropriate to go shirtless while dancing with a lampshade on your head.
Very chic!

Gee huskey, did you dig up this pearl of wisdom from personal experience😄?

jhuskey said:

There are a couple of other occasions one of which is while wearing a lamp shade. It is acceptable and even appropriate to go shirtless while dancing with a lampshade on your head.
Very chic!

Do people actually wear lampshades when drunk? I've been to a lot of parties and seen a lot of things--people eating glass; a drunk, naked guy with a gorilla mask over his groinage with the gorilla's "tongue" hanging out; a naked girl handcuffed to the pilot's seat in an airplane--but I've never seen someone wearing a lampshade.