Should I be wearing an aero jersey?

Drag-cutting designs boost your speed but there's more to it than 'smooth and skin-tight'

- Andy Turner

At speeds of just 30kph, the bike still makes up only 20% of the total drag that a rider experiences. Most of the aerodynamic drag that is holding us back comes from our own body, and of that 80%, the only part that is not constantly moving and therefore can be better manipulated for enhanced aerodynamics is the upper body.

For this reason alone, aero jerseys are one of the most valuable performance upgrades available to riders seeking to reduce their aerodynamic drag. But aerodynamics is a complex business. What can be fast at one speed might actually be slower at another. With the market being flooded with aero garments used by the WorldTour, how can we determine what is right for us? Fortunately, there are a few inherent aero trends that work across the entire speed spectrum, while others are more dependent on a specific target speed.

Fabric choice