Question I hate to ask...

ok pet peeve. Cycling tops with elastic at the bottom hem. These jerseys ride up emphasizing both lower belly and mid-belly fat. Mostly I acquire these jerseys from event rides. They have a little bit of sentimental and pride value. I believe they are all just men's jerseys anyway.

So, I take the elastic out of the hem. They look ok or much better than they did with the elastic hem. My suggestion is that you try some men's jerseys (club cut) and have them altered. (Or do it yourself.)

Also, it is usually the pockets on the back that make the belly area tighter. You might look for jerseys that have a single zippered pocket on the back. MTB jerseys. Storage capacity is lost, but courage is won.

Good luck with finding the right fit. I avoid looking at the photos of myself in cycling clothes. Instead I focus on the beauty of the ride!

If it's not too hot out, you could wear a his vis vest over the jersey. It's safer anyway. I bought one that is a jacket with removable sleeves that stuff in the back pocket. Unless, it's a real heat wave, I wear this all the time. Your midriff is covered up and you are more visible.

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Originally Posted by sarahkonamojo

ok pet peeve. Cycling tops with elastic at the bottom hem. These jerseys ride up emphasizing both lower belly and mid-belly fat. Mostly I acquire these jerseys from event rides. They have a little bit of sentimental and pride value. I believe they are all just men's jerseys anyway.

So, I take the elastic out of the hem. They look ok or much better than they did with the elastic hem. My suggestion is that you try some men's jerseys (club cut) and have them altered. (Or do it yourself.)

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Oooh, the jerseys you described are my favorite jerseys, the uni-sex size jerseys. I love the elastic at the hem. I love the length. I love the pockets on the rear being a bit lower down than the women specific size jerseys. The jerseys don't ride up on me. And I don't show any stomach bulges or fat rolls because the jerseys fit well on me.

The trick is purchasing the correct size. Most of the makers, the size should be one size larger than a person's unisex t-shirt size. However, some makers, like Canari and Free Spirit are the same size as the unisex tees.

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Originally Posted by sarahkonamojo

ok pet peeve. Cycling tops with elastic at the bottom hem. These jerseys ride up emphasizing both lower belly and mid-belly fat. Mostly I acquire these jerseys from event rides. They have a little bit of sentimental and pride value. I believe they are all just men's jerseys anyway.

So, I take the elastic out of the hem. They look ok or much better than they did with the elastic hem. My suggestion is that you try some men's jerseys (club cut) and have them altered. (Or do it yourself.)

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I'll have to give that a try. I have soooo many of this type jersey with the horrible elastic at the bottom!!! HATE THEM! But it's my only choice for team kit :-(

They ride up and bulge and look (and feel) horrible!

I am not fat, but I take the elastic out of every jersey! I have large hips and the jerseys always ride up on me. I like Shebeest, too, and they fit well and often don't have elastic at all.

Just think, as you ride, you lose weight and then the jersey issue (which is really not an issue, unless you think it is! :( ) will become much less of an issue!!!

Keep on riding!!!

Happy Thanksgiving all.

I have never worn a jersey with elastic. I hate it, it rides up horribly. I can't blame fat.. I weigh 106 and I'm 5' 1". Maybe it's because my hips are not like boys' hips? I have a couple of long sleeved, full zip thermal pieces with silicone grippers that are OK, though.
I used to wear Terry jerseys exclusively, but now I really like Voler's women's jerseys. They fit tightly, like race cuts, but no elastic. I tried Shebeest, but, the top part of the jerseys are just too big on me and often they are just too baggy.
I couldn't wear a men's jersey if I had to. It might fit over my hips, but the rest would be huge.
I think Terry jerseys would be a good solution for those who are looking for more stomach coverage. Some of their styles are looser (the tourer jersey), but not baggy. They also come in a large range of sizes.

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Originally Posted by Crankin

I have never worn a jersey with elastic. I hate it, it rides up horribly. I can't blame fat.. I weigh 106 and I'm 5' 1". Maybe it's because my hips are not like boys' hips?

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I hear you! Though, I can blame fat :) Went to a team meeting to pick out kits, and all they had for sizing were men's jerseys, which was being pushed - some women were okay with them. I had to speak up and ask for women's jerseys as I'm so NOT built like a boy!

ok, I'll say something no one else has....

There is no actual law requiring you to wear a 'cycling jersey'. :cool:

Though I like wearing cycling tights or knickers for practical reasons, i prefer to wear comfy tops that aren't really intended for cycling per se. Typically i wear very lightweight merino easy-fit base layers during Spring, Fall, and winter. I wear other layers on top of that depending on the weather, but rarely anything very form fitting on top. One favorite combo i wear is a lightweight Smartwool pullover long sleeve merino wool top with a neon-hi-vis relaxed fit windbreaker vest with full zipper and pockets. That keeps my core warm but allows for breezy ventilation. Lightweight windbreaker vests or loose light jackets are great!
Polyester jerseys always smell funky after one short ride! This never happens with my other tops or with my merino.
I have a nice saddle bag on my bike and thus I don't need the weird back lumpy pockets on jerseys anyway. :D

I don't always wear cycling jerseys under my jacket in the winter or fall. But, unfortunately, I do need my pockets, as my bag broke this summer and the one I have is even smaller than the one that broke (not a lot of bags fit on my bike). I don't have any problems with "stink," though.

I too, will often wear non-cycling jerseys especially in the colder months. On chilly rides, I usually will opt for either a merino wool long-sleeved baselayer top by itself or coupled with an Under Armour Cold Gear top. I rely on my jacket for pockets and my top tube "feed bag" for storage.

In the summer months, I generally stick with Terry or Shebeest sleeveless jerseys.

And I agree with the comments about "rise" on shorts. I simply cannot wear anything "low rise", due to my ample pot belly. :mad: And drawstrings just exacerbate that problem even more, so I try to avoid shorts/tights that have drawstrings...or I just pull the drawstring out completely. I love wearing bibshorts to eliminate the dreaded "muffin top"...it just feels SO much more comfortable not having an elastic waistband digging into me. The only issue I have with my bibshorts...is that I'm not too fond of the chamois in them (PI P.R.O.'s).

I also have another issue that nobody has mentioned here...the dreaded "back fat spillage" that explodes out of the sides of my bra near the armpit area. :eek: That unsightly mess is an even tougher problem to mask than a muffin top.

Linda

I feel your pain. I can only imagine my physique is not what I want it too look like on a bike yet. I decide to own it when I broke down and bought my first pair of spandex shorts.I cant to find a jersey that fits right and flatters cuz my boobs are too big to make most jerseys fit right in length anyhow. Its kinda like unicorns, I hear they are out there but I havent found them. I finally realized it doesnt matter what I wear its how I think about my body. I don't let my chunk affect me in a negative way I just ride longer, faster, burn more. Good luck

I feel your pain. I can only imagine my physique is not what I want it too look like on a bike yet. I decide to own it when I broke down and bought my first pair of spandex shorts.I have yet to find a jersey that fits right and flatters cuz my boobs are too big to make most jerseys fit right in length anyhow. Its kinda like unicorns, I hear they are out there but I have yet to find them. I finally realized it doesnt matter what I wear its how I think about my body. I don't let my chunk affect me in a negative way I just ride longer, faster, burn more. Good luck

Empire waisted tops! I have two of them and always get complements on how cute and feminine they are. One is a general workout tank top by New Balance. The other is a cycling specific jersey by Novara http://www.rei.com/product/794927. I use them for running, tennis, bikram yoga, cycling, etc.