# jerseys for more muscular torsos



## Volsung

Anyone know of a jersey that fits a 42 inch chest but then doesn't also have a 36 inch waist? I always end up with excess fabric that bunches up around my stomach and looks bad, even on race cut jerseys.

Suggestions? Other than gain weight.


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## dainese

This can be an issue with many garments. The garment maker often cutting things from blocks... It is easier to make a larger shirt/suit 'fit' more people than make them tapered or more suited to skinnier waisted people. 

Whilst I don't have a solution for you, I get some of my business shirts tailored by inserting darts through the back. They basically fold the garment into itself to taper towards the waist area.


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## Drew Eckhardt

Volsung said:


> Anyone know of a jersey that fits a 42 inch chest but then doesn't also have a 36 inch waist? I always end up with excess fabric that bunches up around my stomach and looks bad, even on race cut jerseys.
> 
> Suggestions? Other than gain weight.


Skin-fit aero jerseys are made much smaller than regular but out of stretchier fabric (14.5-15" pit-to-pit versus 16.5-17" for LG skin-fit versus racer-fit XS) like shorts which lets them accommodate higher chest to waist ratios than regular (even race-fit) jerseys.

I like Louis Garneau's. With a 34" chest and 26" waist I can wear XS made for 35-37/29-31/35-37 chest/waist/hips without excess anywhere. Presumably the same thing would work scaled up to large (41-43/35-37 chest and waist on the size chart, maybe under 32" waist in practice) or XL (43-45/37-39, 34"?) depending on how tight you need in the belly and can tolerate up top.

www.strongbiker.com / ebay user morevalue (same guy) have 2014 20705 Mondo custom sizing program samples for $50. They're an inch shorter up front than the Course 2.0 which helps avoid the bunching when you bend forwards into a riding position reducing the distance between chest an shorts.









Top to bottom: skin-fit, racer-fit, pro-fit which is like most brands' race-fit.









Castelli aero does not work - those are sized for otherwise skinny people who ate too much gelato.

Pros get their jerseys tailored. You might ask an LBS which deals with racers to recommend a seamstress who can deal with stretchy fabrics. Boure can do custom sizes for 25% more, where AFAIK Voler is the starting point for their jerseys.

Some non-aero jerseys are less bad than others.


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## mikiek

Volsung said:


> Anyone know of a jersey that fits a 42 inch chest but then doesn't also have a 36 inch waist? I always end up with excess fabric that bunches up around my stomach and looks bad, even on race cut jerseys.
> 
> Suggestions? Other than gain weight.


Have you considered compression t-shirts? They are not as snazzy looking as some jerseys but the do come in colors and they will fit all sizes & shapes. I've even seen some with 1/4 zippers.


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## crit_boy

Volsung said:


> Anyone know of a jersey that fits a 42 inch chest but then doesn't also have a 36 inch waist? I always end up with excess fabric that bunches up around my stomach and looks bad, even on race cut jerseys.
> 
> Suggestions? Other than gain weight.


I wouldn't consider a 42 chest "muscular". At 5'8", I have been a 42 for a majority of my adult life. In my racing years, I had 29" waist and a 40 inch chest. During my "weight lifting" years, I was a 46 chest and a 34 waist. In my current older and fatter state, I am a 42 chest and a 36 waist. In all my states of fatness, I have never had much of a problem finding jerseys that fit. 

Unless your waist is less than 30", you may need to try out some different brands or models within brands. A 30-34" waist and a 42" chest is well within normal American size. 

I used to lift with a guy who was on the marine corps body building team. He was 5'7" and had a 50" chest. He was muscular. It was also hilarious to seem him get fitted for uniforms. The stuff that fit his shoulders and chest went nearly down to his knees. 

Maybe add some info about the jerseys you have and don't like.


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## Volsung

crit_boy said:


> I wouldn't consider a 42 chest "muscular". At 5'8", I have been a 42 for a majority of my adult life.


1- Try not to be THAT guy. It's the internet and no one can see how big it is.
2- I never claimed to be Jay Cutler. When I said "more muscular" I meant more muscular than your typical roadie beanpole.

The jerseys I currently wear the most are Pearl Izumi PRO stuff in a M/L and a Capo XL. Neither fit that great around the belly. I have a Twin Six which is even worse. I tried some Giro New Road on and those were returned immediately. 

I checked out LG's jerseys. They seem to have the same sizing of 42 chest 36 waist.

The best fitting T shirts I've found were Under Armour "fitted" cut. If UA made bike jerseys they would get all of my money.

EDIT- Sugoi claims their 42" chest is for people with a 33-35" waist. It's a step in the right direction if the waist is at the bottom of the range.


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## Local Hero

Pactimo has a nice fit.


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## Drew Eckhardt

Volsung said:


> I checked out LG's jerseys. They seem to have the same sizing of 42 chest 36 waist.


Sure, although actual measurements vary radically between companies with the same size chart entries

Here's a LG racer-fit and Voler race fit both for 35-37" chests:








Castelli aero is like a tent in the middle while LG made for the same sizes fits like a second skin should:








Giordana now makes their less expensive jerseys "for a wide range of body types" and touts that as a feature.

LG's aero jerseys actually accommodate people running off the bottom of the spec (at least 8" chest-waist with one size up, 10" at actual size)

Good luck finding something which fits - that was a big headache for me after I lost my middle-age spread.

Please let us know how Sugoi works out for you. Meaningful comparisons on what fits versus the measurements and other companies' products are nearly absent on the internet.


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## Drew Eckhardt

Local Hero said:


> Pactimo has a nice fit.


They're relatively large around the belly.

LG pro-fit vs Pactimo race-fit with the same size-chart entries:








and LG racer-fit vs Pactimo race-fit:


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## crit_boy

Volsung said:


> 1- Try not to be THAT guy. It's the internet and no one can see how big it is.


Because I was the one claiming to be "muscular" with a 42 inch chest? 

Good luck in your search.


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## steelbikerider

try Giordana Silverline jerseys
I'm 6' 205 with 42 chest and 34 waist and wear a large


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## Corenfa

Dude - if you're a cyclist and have a muscular top half, you're doing it wrong. You might actually need to STFU (Soften the F Up) so that you can have a couple pencils supporting your skin-covered rib cage. Think of the aero. Think of it.


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## jarbiker

crit_boy said:


> I wouldn't consider a 42 chest "muscular". At 5'8", I have been a 42 for a majority of my adult life. In my racing years, I had 29" waist and a 40 inch chest. During my "weight lifting" years, I was a 46 chest and a 34 waist. In my current older and fatter state, I am a 42 chest and a 36 waist. In all my states of fatness, I have never had much of a problem finding jerseys that fit.
> 
> Unless your waist is less than 30", you may need to try out some different brands or models within brands. A 30-34" waist and a 42" chest is well within normal American size.
> 
> I used to lift with a guy who was on the marine corps body building team. He was 5'7" and had a 50" chest. He was muscular. It was also hilarious to seem him get fitted for uniforms. The stuff that fit his shoulders and chest went nearly down to his knees.
> 
> Maybe add some info about the jerseys you have and don't like.


I was stationed at Quantico with Gunnery Sergeant Herb Gowing- the strongest man in the US armed forces at the time. He was a world class power lifter. He ended his warm up reps on the bench at 495 lbs. He had a 57 inch chest, was about 6 foot tall and weighed 375 pounds. He had to have a special waiver to exceed the Marine Corps weight limits. To state that he was a large man would be a gross understatement. He didn't ride bikes however so he never needed to find a jersey. Funny how nobody every kidded him about the way his uniform fit. LOL!


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