Hi-vis colors. Do they fade? Am I allowed to buy two of the same jerseys?

[IBrakeforPastry]

I bought my first hi-vis jersey this year after driving through my neighborhood, and realizing the dappled sunlight through the big shade trees made it difficult to see people on the side of the road. I found one online that fits well and I'm glad I bought it. Is there anything about the hi-vis colors/dyes that would make them fade faster than normal colors? Synthetics don't fade as much as cotton, anyway, but I'm wondering if I should buy a second one. End of season, it's on sale ;)

[Eden]

I don't think I've ever seen a cycling jersey fade at all, no matter the color…

[OakLeaf]

Mine have faded a little over the years, but they're still plenty bright. Some brands fade more than others - look for yarn-dyed, not printed. I dry them outdoors, which means they'll fade more than if I'd dried them indoors - it's just too humid where I live to dry anything indoors when it's not forced-air heating season (plus the solar UV helps eliminate odors). They certainly haven't faded any faster than any other colors. Still so bright they hurt my eyes if I look at them in direct sunlight.

Anyway it's wearing, washing and drying that fades garments, not sitting in a dark drawer! No reason at all not to stock up.

[ny biker]

I don't think I've ever seen a cycling jersey fade at all, no matter the color…

Me neither.

You are always allowed to buy as many jerseys as you want, even if you already have the exact item. We won't stop you. ;)

[cosc]

I have a LG orange fluorescent jersey that has faded badly. I try to air dry bike clothes, but when touring I put them in the dryer and think that could be the cause of fading.

[Aromig]

Anecdotal evidence at best - but I've seen a lot of skydiving parachutes. The oranges and hot pinks seem to fade the most quickly in the sun (they're not often, if ever, being washed). Yellows seem to do better. Maybe some high-viz colors just do better than others when exposed to long periods of sunlight.

[Helene2013]

We have a few (bright green lime or pink) and both so far remained very flashy. If you missed seeing us, you need to go have your eyes checked. hihi

[IBrakeforPastry]

Thanks for the replies. I thought I had replied already, so my apologies if my silence was rude. I guess I was just nodding along as I was reading.

I didn't buy the second jersey (yet). We'll see what comes out next year. How many quarters would you need to launder a parachute?

[Aromig]

How many quarters would you need to launder a parachute?

Ha! A lot - since I usually pay a professional to do it if my parachute ever needs it :-) (I've only ever had one washed in more than a decade because it somehow got a spot of oil on it and I was afraid the oil would affect the nylon). Hand wash only, usually in a big bathtub :-)

[CycleTime]

Do your high-vis clothes need to be hand washed and air dried or can you put them in the tumble drier?

[ny biker]

I don't hand wash anything. I hang up most cycling clothes to dry rather than using the dryer. However I have put ankle and wrist bands -- hi viz yellow with 3M reflective material -- in the dryer on low heat without problems.

Best to check the care instructions for any particular garment.

[IBrakeforPastry]

Funny that this just got bumped up. I just ordered the second jersey a few days ago. They changed the style this year and I prefer the older style, so I grabbed it while there was still some stock left.

As far as laundering, I give it a quick rinse under the faucet as soon as I'm done riding, then hang it up until laundry time when it goes in with the regular load. I have a front loader so the spin cycle is very effective. I'll throw it in the dryer for about 10 minutes, if at all. It doesn't take much time to dry synthetics after going through the spin cycle in a front loader. My washer has a "sport/synthetic" setting but I never have enough clothes to run that cycle exclusively.

[Trek420]

Our very own TE is having a huge sale. What's this about the warehouse moving? Susan? Jeff?

Aaaaaaaand there's a high vis section; http://www.teamestrogen.com/product/high-visibility/c0-atspecialty_14.html?sorter=brandName-asc&keyWords=High+vis

[ny biker]

The moving sale has been going on for a while. I've been getting lots of emails about it. I've done my best to help empty the current warehouse. :D

[IBrakeforPastry]

Good job! The jersey that's been in my cart for a week is on sale today. Time to buy, I guess ;)