The cycling skinsuit is Spandex Lycra and sometimes with a composite of mostly Spandex Lycra and a small amount of polyester. Professional bicycle racers wear the cycling skinsuit, which cuts the wind drag considerably. The suit is also very lightweight and sleek apparel, which also aids in higher speeds.
Many advantages when wearing cycling skinsuits
Especially compared to the typical short sleeve shirt and shorts, the cycling skinsuits are very aerodynamic. Cyclist skinsuits are now the norm for clothing in bike races. There is just no excess to add to wind resistance. It is much more comfortable to wear than any other cycling attire, also.
There is no elastic waistband, and with the Spandex Lycra material, it not only snugly conforms to the body, but “breathes”. Sweat dissipates rapidly through pores in the material, which also prevents skin problems, such as chaffing or rashes. They can be manufactured with brilliant colors for visibility if you are on a typical road with other traffic. For time trials and short distance races, the cycling skinsuit is superior over the jersey and shorts.
Cooler to wear during hot days
The few disadvantages of a cycling skinsuit:
- The cycling skinsuit shows all the contours of your body, so if you’re self conscious about any of your body parts be aware of this.
- It is reportedly cumbersome if you have to take this one-piece attire off to use the toilet, although, one rider claims you merely have to roll up the skinsuit leg if you’re a male.
- Riders on long races prefer the racing jerseys and shorts in order to pack food and water.
- The Jersey and shorts are convenient to find and are cheaper to buy than the cyclist skinsuit.
Triathlon suits for men are popularly a two-piece wetsuit. It is comprised of a bottom that unfastens, with a choice of a vest-like top or long-sleeve style. Also, there are cycling shirts for men are worth a look.
Testimonial by one skinsuit-wearing cyclist racer
One racing cyclis, A. Troll, has this, in essence, to say about use of his skinsuit. I enjoy skinsuits, therefore I believe they are worth paying more money for time trials, track and cycling competition. These things are truly comfortable, and are really cooler on those blistering hot afternoons. I race at Northbrook, and everybody here races in only skinsuits. They're best for short races because there are no pockets for lugging anything extra for the race. You can put a leg gripper in your gel pack, though. I think the skin suits with the little holes look great, too! I saw many pro riders sporting skinsuits already this year at "crit nat". Well, as for using the toilet, if you're a guy, just roll up the leg, and it's as convenient as with typical shorts. That's good, that is, if you're a man.
For many amateur and professional cyclists, the one-piece cycling skinsuit is the clothing to wear for short races, time trials, and long-distance rides that don’t require a quick clothes change. This apparel is lightweight, cool, comfortable, and is now used by world-class cyclists.