The Technical Evolution of Cycling Apparel

Chapter 2 - Zip, Pockets and Lycra

Published: November 7, 2025

We continue our exploration into the evolution of cycling apparel, an evolution where tradition gradually makes way for modernity.

For decades, wool had been the cyclist’s second skin: natural, breathable, and beautifully imperfect. It told the story of grit and endurance. But as cycling grew faster, more competitive, and more technical, so did the demands placed on what riders wore.

The late 1950s and 1960s marked a turning point. Science began to meet sport. New materials, once reserved for different industrial use, started finding their way onto the road. Function began to shape form. Comfort and performance became inseparable.

This was the beginning of a new chapter, where craftsmanship met chemistry, and cycling apparel began its transformation from simple protection to precision-engineered performance wear.

The end of the buttons and front pockets - Cycling is on its way to be more functional.

By the 1950s, cycling apparel began to evolve beyond pure tradition. Manufacturers started blending wool with cotton and early synthetic fibres like acrylic, introducing greater durability, flexibility, and comfort. This era also saw small but defining innovations: the addition of short front zippers for ventilation, and while the front pockets were eliminated, the rear ones endured — a functional detail that remains iconic in modern jerseys.

Club and sponsor branding makes its appearance in cycling jerseys and shorts, increasing the technical challenge.

The front pockets will start to disappear from the jerseys in the late 1960s.

Above, two original jersey of the Italian Cycling B Team. Left a jersey used in the 1960s and Right a later version of 1970s.

This jersey is dated 1967. The year after, the front pockets disappeared forever from this team jersey and from many other jerseys wore in the Pro Peloton.

Original Team Max Meyer Jersey, 1967

Sponsors start to claim their space not only with their names but also with their branding, creating a real challenge to many apparel manufacturer.

Original Team Brooklyn Jersey, circa 1970

These changes were driven by practicality, yet they marked a shift as cycling apparel was no longer just protection against the elements; it was becoming a tool for performance. But the real revolution came less than two decades later, with the introduction of elastane, better known by its trade name: Lycra.

Hello Lycra!

When Lycra entered mainstream cycling apparel in the late 1970s, it redefined the very idea of fit. Integrated into nylon and polyester fabrics, elastane brought unmatched elasticity, recovery, and muscle support. This innovation gave rise to the bib short, a close-fitting garment with integrated shoulder straps that eliminated waistband pressure and improved posture on the bike.

Lycra didn’t just change how cyclists looked; it changed how they performed. It minimized drag, reduced chafing, and maximized efficiency, ushering in a new era of apparel where fabric became as critical to performance as the bicycle itself.

Introduction of Lycra shorts in the 1970s

Credits: castelli-cycling.com

The jersey’s composition also evolved in favor of more technical fibers that enhance breathability, moisture-wicking, lightness, and a more contoured fit.

Fabrics become more refined and wool leaves space to cotton and acrylic fibers.

Left Saronni’s World Champion Jersey 1982. Right Tour de France Yellow Jersey, circa 1980

The 1970s and 1980s marked a turning point, setting the foundation for the modern era of performance-driven cycling apparel.