Mountain Bike Jersey vs Rashguard?

We recently got asked a question from one of our followers who is just getting in to mountain biking and road cycling. They asked is it necessary to ride in a specific cycling or MTB jersey, or will a standard moisture wicking rashguard have the same effect?

This person said they train a lot of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and grappling and have a ton of jiu jitsu rashguards lying around at home.

Well first off, let’s start by acknowledging that you can ride in just about anything. You can ride in an old t-shirt if you want to. But let’s take a look at some of the main differences and benefits of riding in different types of apparel.

Riding in t-shirt

As mentioned above, you can definitely ride in either a short sleeve or long sleeve t-shirt. That being said, most t-shirts are made out of cotton which doesn’t help combat any moisture. So the more you ride, the more you sweat, the more uncomfortable you get!

A standard t-shirt isn’t going to hold up to any abuse either. If you take a spill or even brush past a bush or tree limb it’s more likely to tear.

The pros? It’s cheap to ride in a t-shirt!

Riding in a rashguard

I’m not sure if there is much difference between a grappling or jiu jitsu rashguard and your standard water sports rashguard. But I imagine they are slightly more durable.

I actually really enjoy wearing a rashguard when I ride. I own a lot of rashguards because I do a fair bit of kayaking as well. Since they are made for water sports, I find they dry much quicker than bike jerseys, and feel much more comfortable when you’re sweaty (ahhh that cool breeze).

Another great thing is that you can pick up a cheap pack of rashguards at your local sporting goods store or on Amazon for really cheap!

Riding in a MTB Jersey

I’ve heard the argument that MTB & cycling jerseys are just overprice billboards. While that may be true, there are a few really nice features that a jersey will offer you over a rashguard.

While they are made out of similar materials, a jersey is going to fit slightly looser than your average rashguard, giving you more overall comfort. On top of that, some(not all) jerseys will have a 12-18″ zipper for additional comfort, pockets to hold small personal items, as well as provisions for headphones, etc.

So there you have it! In the end it all comes down to personal preference and how you like to ride.

Whatever you’re wearing, it’ll make us happy just knowing that you’re getting out there and riding more!