# Black jersey in the hot sun



## KipDRunner (Mar 13, 2008)

I'm about to buy a few jerseys and some of the black ones look pretty sexy but I'm going to be doing a lot of riding in france next july, sometimes in the mountains, so I am worried that a black jersey will be too hot. Should I keep them light colored to avoid overheating? In your experience have black jerseys felt hotter than other colors when riding in hot sun?


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

It can't help, but there's an even better reason to avoid that color: lousy visibility. Bright colors are better for being seen.


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

I live in the desert and save my black jerseys for cold starts. Yes, they get unreasonably hot on hot days. I also had the experience of going under a bridge and being invisible in the shadows to the cars. It's always better to wear light colors.


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

I've got a black Mavic Helium jersey that is probably the coolest jersey I own. The fabric is so light and the airflow so good, I don't even notice the extra heat from the sun.

On the flip side, I hate wearing my Vermarc Belgian Champion jersey in the sun since the fabric is so heavy.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

robdamanii said:


> I've got a black Mavic Helium jersey that is probably the coolest jersey I own. The fabric is so light and the airflow so good, I don't even notice the extra heat from the sun.
> 
> On the flip side, I hate wearing my Vermarc Belgian Champion jersey in the sun since the fabric is so heavy.



+1...fabric....I have a black jersey that is the coolest jersey I own... Super light weight and breathable...


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## RRRoubaix (Aug 27, 2008)

I definitely prefer lighter colored jerseys in the hot sun.
Same goes for water bottles!


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

All other things being equal, i.e., fabric, weight, etc. the coolest jersey will be white & the hottest will be black. The simple reason for this is that black absorbs all light waves from the sun. White reflects all wave lengths. This is just scientific fact. Whether or not you can actually notice the difference is a subjective judgment. Personally I don't like black because it's the most difficult color to see. White is the easiest to see. Bright colors like yellow, hi vis, day glo orange are easy to see because they stand out from the background so much.


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## Optimus (Jun 18, 2010)

From a visibility stand point, get some bright colored jerseys, drivers will have a hard time seeing black for sure.


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