Switching From Cycling Shirts to Skin Suits For Indoor Track Racing
If you are somebody who loves cycling, the chances are you will spend much, if not all of your time riding on the roads and cycle paths. You might even spend a lot of time on your mountain bike, off-roading for the thrills and spills of cross-country trialling. Cycling shirts can offer several advantages if you are one of these people. Road safety is an important consideration, so wearing a brightly colored cycling shirt can help to get you seen by motorists. If other road users can see you easily, they are less likely to crash into you!
Normal cycling jerseys are designed to be longer at the back than the front, so they do not ride up your back when you are leaning forwards to cycle at high speed. The pockets are normally at the back, which is both convenient - as it stops heavy items banging on your knees when pedalling - and also has some safety ramifications, as it is more difficult for things to fall out of the rear pockets and perhaps get tangled in your wheels.
Compared to riding your bike wearing a normal t-shirt, cycle shirts can have an impact on performance. They are tighter and will not "balloon" or fill up with air as you ride, which means you are more aerodynamic since drag is reduced. They are also made from high-performance fabrics which wick moisture from your body, to keep you cool, dry and comfortable. This is far better than wearing a cotton shirt and finishing your ride soaked like a sponge!
For cyclists who make the switch from the roads to the velodrome for indoor track racing, even the tighter, better performing cycle jerseys may not be enough to increase their chances of winning events. Instead, everyone who competes indoors has switched to the even tighter, body-hugging one-piece cycling skin suits. This clothing incorporates a long sleeved top and cycling shorts combined together. The fabrics are ultra-lightweight and high-performance, leaving no room for air to get in, either via the sleeves or the shorts. Many top riders even wear very unusual looking helmets which are designed to optimize aerodynamics, and shave hundredths of a second from their lap times.
The one thing cycling skin suits do not offer is protection against a crash; they dispense with this for sheer speed, which is why a rider wearing one can generally beat an otherwise closely comparable rider wearing normal cycling shirt and shorts. Of course, this is of little consolation to a track racer who takes a tumble at over 40 miles per hour! So if you are desperate for extra speed as an indoor racer, you are better off getting a skin suit and keeping your cycling shirts for the roads.
Normal cycling jerseys are designed to be longer at the back than the front, so they do not ride up your back when you are leaning forwards to cycle at high speed. The pockets are normally at the back, which is both convenient - as it stops heavy items banging on your knees when pedalling - and also has some safety ramifications, as it is more difficult for things to fall out of the rear pockets and perhaps get tangled in your wheels.
Compared to riding your bike wearing a normal t-shirt, cycle shirts can have an impact on performance. They are tighter and will not "balloon" or fill up with air as you ride, which means you are more aerodynamic since drag is reduced. They are also made from high-performance fabrics which wick moisture from your body, to keep you cool, dry and comfortable. This is far better than wearing a cotton shirt and finishing your ride soaked like a sponge!
For cyclists who make the switch from the roads to the velodrome for indoor track racing, even the tighter, better performing cycle jerseys may not be enough to increase their chances of winning events. Instead, everyone who competes indoors has switched to the even tighter, body-hugging one-piece cycling skin suits. This clothing incorporates a long sleeved top and cycling shorts combined together. The fabrics are ultra-lightweight and high-performance, leaving no room for air to get in, either via the sleeves or the shorts. Many top riders even wear very unusual looking helmets which are designed to optimize aerodynamics, and shave hundredths of a second from their lap times.
The one thing cycling skin suits do not offer is protection against a crash; they dispense with this for sheer speed, which is why a rider wearing one can generally beat an otherwise closely comparable rider wearing normal cycling shirt and shorts. Of course, this is of little consolation to a track racer who takes a tumble at over 40 miles per hour! So if you are desperate for extra speed as an indoor racer, you are better off getting a skin suit and keeping your cycling shirts for the roads.
Comments
Post a Comment