There’s a saying that there’s no bad weather for biking, only the wrong clothing. That’s true when it’s cold or wet, but also when it’s suffocatingly hot. If summer heat saps your enthusiasm for tackling a big bike ride, check out one of the season’s newest cycling jerseys and shirts.
All of them make riding cooler and more comfortable than anything else in your drawer of cycling jerseys, even when the heat and humidity is oppressive. Whether you’re a roadie, gravel rider, or singletrack shredder, jerseys made from feather-light and cooling fabrics will make pedaling your bike comfortable on any given hot day.
Keep Your Cool in the Best Hot-Weather Cycling Jerseys
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1. Kitsbow Superflow Cooling Tee
Made for mountain biking and gravel riding, the Superflow Cooling Tee is a breezy crew neck to wear cycling or kicking around town. Its meshy Polartec Delta fabric is ultra-wicking. While the shirt is synthetic, it feels more like cotton, which makes it feel like there’s a breeze even when pedaling in intense humidity. The medium fit is perfect for mountain biking and everyday wear—not too baggy, not too tight. Better yet, each jersey is made to order in Old Fort, North Carolina, which minimizes waste. Choose from nine colors.
Skinsuit fit and race-ready, the Radiator is so breathable, it’s cooler than wearing nothing at all. Evaporative wicking creates airflow against your skin as the fabric pulls away heat and sweat. Velocio’s articulated pattern is fast and functional with UPF 30. While the body of the jersey is ultralight, it doesn’t skimp on functionality. The Radiator has three anti-sag stuff pockets, and a zip pocket with a sweat barrier sized to carry tools, food, and a smartphone. Bonded hems with silicone gripper elastic in back stay put whether hammering in the saddle or standing to power up a hill. To maximize airflow, Velocio opted out of a collar, but built in a full-length zipper garage up the front to keep the closure from chafing.
With six pockets, Rapha’s summer-weight, quick-dry, highly breathable Brevet gives roadies and gravelleurs storage galore for long rides. The large low-back zip pocket holds a phone, cord port (if you ride wired, the internal headphone guides run up to the neck), and a jacket in case of threatening weather. That’s also where you’ll find a sewn-in Tyvek tag printed with beta on foraging wild garlic while riding that cleverly doubles as a tire boot. Store cash and ID in the hidden chest pocket, can’t-lose items like keys and credit cards in the hidden hand pocket, and snacks and tools in the cargo pockets. Fully loaded, you’ll be lumpy, but most of the pockets are mesh-backed so you won’t feel stifled. An elastic hem keeps the Brevet from riding up and mesh side panels keep things breezy. On a multi-day ride, the antibacterial treatment keeps odor down. Just rinse the jersey to get the salt out and let it dry overnight.
This feels like your favorite well-worn cotton tee, but it handles the hottest trail and gravel rides without getting sweat-soaked and saggy. The hybrid shirt-jersey is woven from polyester with lyocell wood fiber that retains some sweat by design. Like a damp bandana, it feels good against your skin and keeps you from overheating on sweltering days. When you stop for a post-ride coffee, the shirt dries almost instantly. It’s as versatile as it is comfortable. Wear it with swim trunks, jeans shorts, and gravel shorts as the day’s adventures dictate.
Most cycling jerseys are either crew-neck tees or zip-front roadie tops. Gorewear’s poly/merino blend Henley brings another style option to the world of cycling jerseys, and there’s no better top for multi-day gravel adventures. Polyester wicks sweat and merino keeps it smelling fresh longer. That’s key if you’re packing one shirt for a four-day adventure. The styling keeps it looking cool and casual off the bike to boot.
Midday sun can have your skin searing, but waning daylight will have you shivering in the home stretch. This long-sleeved mountain bike jersey magically maintains T-shirt coolness when it’s hot, but keeps you warm and covered when the sun sinks below the horizon. Yeti’s secret sauce is its open-weave UPF20 fabric that staves off stink with an anti-odor treatment. It has less elastane than previous iterations, so it dries faster than ever before. The Turq Air LS doesn’t have pockets, but the sunglasses wipe is a lifesaver in rain squalls, sandstorms, and humid days. With a pack on, the drop hem keeps the shirt from riding up, and the trail fit was comfortably loose without being baggy.
As airy as you can get without showing skin, Fox’s Flexair has two-tone color blocking, flatlock seams that are imperceptible under a pack, and a drop hem that keeps the jersey from riding up. It’s not just open-weave mesh that keeps you cool. Polartec’s Delta fabric wicks aggressively for evaporative cooling. The fit is contoured without being tight, with four-way stretch that lets you move freely uphill and downhill. The sleeves are more densely knitted than the body of the jersey. Fox says that’s for abrasion resistance. (We didn’t take a digger wearing this jersey, so can’t confirm.) The jersey is minimalist and too light to support loaded pockets, but the simple design and minimal branding makes this a favorite everyday pick for trail riding.
Body armor is hot, whether wearing a back protector and elbow pads or a full-compression top for lift laps. In short, less is more when adding a jersey over pads. This ultralight, race-fit pick is made from wicking stretch mesh with visible air channels for breathability. The elbows are reinforced with an abrasion-resistant scuff guard film for peace of mind when you’re not padded up, and elbow patches also prevent the jersey from shredding. Stash gloves in the internal side pockets between laps (there’s enough room for fuel too). We tested the black colorway, which didn’t show dirt or stains. It can be chalked up to the jersey’s stain-resistant coating, or it might be the color. The flat-seam neck is pressure-point-free when paired with a Leatt neck brace. It also comes in a bevy of sizes: XS-3XL.
There’s no doubt when the weather turns colder as we settle into winter, stouts take center stage. And while we enjoy all its iterations: standard stout, imperial stout, and robust barrel-aged stouts, we think this malty, chocolate-filled beer’s close cousin deserves a little respect as well. Of course, we’re talking about the oft-overlooked porter. And the best porters, oh buddy, they’ll have you rethinking your seasonal bevvie of choice.
For those uninitiated, the porter style had its genesis in England like many other iconic beer styles. It first appeared in the 1700s and is (you guessed it) named after porters—individuals tasked with transporting luggage.
A confusing origin story
“Stout is the direct descendant of porter. In the 1700s, it was common to use the word ‘stout’ to refer to a bolder, higher-alcohol version of any beer style, much in the same way we use the word ‘imperial’ today,” says Zach Fowle, advanced cicerone and head of marketing for Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix, AZ. “Porter was the most popular beer of the day, and over time, “stout porter” became a popular variant. But by the late 1800s, demand for regular porters evaporated, and stout porter shortened simply to stout.”
But more has changed between the 1800s and today than just our penchant for wearing top hats. “Today, most brewers seem to market beers as either stout or porter based on vibes, rather than on any notable stylistic differences,” he says.
Specifically, porters are known for their dark, almost pitch-black color and rich, sweet flavor profile. If you were to drink a porter and a stout side by side, you might even have difficulty discerning the differences between the two.
Stout versus porter is an enduring topic of discussion in the brewing industry. “While there’s no debating the porter came first—and stout used to be called stout porter, so it was a stronger version of a porter—the lines have become very blurred over the years,” says Rob Lightner, co-founder of East Brother Brewing in Richmond, CA.
“I would venture that even among professionals, a blind taste test would often yield inconclusive results,” says Lightner.
The difference between porters and stouts
Porters tend to be on the milder, more chocolatey end of the spectrum, Lightner says, whereas stouts are typically a little stronger and more roasty. Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule
Fowle agrees, “Porters tend to be fruitier, sweeter, and less bitter than stouts, with cocoa and caramel flavors in balance with dark malt bitterness. And stouts are usually hoppier, drier, maltier, and more coffee-forward—and may even have a touch of acidity.”
Whether or not they fit neatly into boxes, one thing’s for sure: both make for incredible cold-weather brews.
“As the nights grow longer, drinking a light, summery beer just doesn’t seem right,” says Fowle. “Porter is the perfect style for the transition to winter: warming and toasty yet not too heavy, with flavors of coffee, chocolate, and pie crust that correspond with autumn weather and holidays.”
It’s the perfect time to broaden your repretoire. Sweet, robust, warming, and well-suited to the season, here are the best porters to drink now.
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1. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
There are few porters more well-respected than Deschutes’ iconic Black Butte Porter. It’s brewed with Cascade and Tettnang hops as well as 2-row, Chocolate, Crystal, and Carapils malts as well as wheat. This 5.5% ABV year-round offering is great for cold-weather drinking because of its mix of roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate. It’s a robust, subtly sweet beer perfect for imbibing on a crisp fall night.
The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.
“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.
If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.
Directions
Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.
Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength
Circuit 1
Marius Bugge
A. Barbell Back Squat
Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps
Marius Bugge
B. Renegade Row
Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side
Circuit 2
Marius Bugge
A. Dumbbell Bentover Row
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps
Marius Bugge
B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 3
Marius Bugge
A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Marius Bugge
B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Circuit 4
Marius Bugge
A. Pullup
Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Marius Bugge
B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top. Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 5
A. Dumbbell Pushup
Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
B. Biceps Curl
Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
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If you haven’t picked up a jump rope since elementary school, you’re missing out on a fantastic cardio workout. Not only will you burn a ton of calories in a short amount of time—200 to 300 calories in 15 minutes—but jump ropes can also improve your coordination and agility. Better yet, jumping rope doesn’t require much space, so it’s easy to do at home, and it’s often more mentally stimulating than jogging or swimming.
Choosing a Jump Rope
When deciding which jump rope is best for you, it’s important to determine what your goals are. While lightweight speed ropes are popular for cardio-focused training, weighted or drag ropes will be best for those focused on strength training.
No matter what your training goals are, we’ve got you covered with this roundup of 10 jump ropes from top brands including Crossrope, TRX, Rogue, and more.
The Best Jump Ropes of 2022
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