Skinsuit or Jersey and Bibs? How to Choose

One piece or two? It depends on how you ride.

Skinsuits used to be something you only saw at a time trial. Now they turn up at crits, gravel races and fast Saturday group rides. If you're wondering whether one belongs in your kit drawer, here's a plain-language guide to when a skinsuit makes sense and when a jersey and bibs are the better call.

What a skinsuit actually is

A skinsuit is a jersey top and a pair of shorts joined into one garment, with the chamois sewn into the shorts. There's no waistband, no bib straps and no gap at the back. It's cut close to the body, usually from a smoother, stretchier lycra than a regular jersey.

Why riders choose a skinsuit

• Less flapping fabric. With no loose jersey hem or extra layers, there's less material catching the wind. At race speeds that matters, which is why time triallists wear them.
• Nothing rides up. The top can't untuck or bunch at your waist, however hard you're working.
• One thing to put on. On race morning there's no matching to do. It all fits together.
• It looks the part. A skinsuit reads as race day before you've turned a pedal.

Why riders stick with a jersey and bibs

• Bathroom stops. Getting out of a one-piece takes longer. On long rides with café stops, separates are simply easier.
• Mix and match. One pair of bibs works with several jerseys, and you can unzip, add layers or swap the top when the weather changes.
• Pockets and comfort. A regular jersey usually has deeper rear pockets and a slightly looser feel, which suits all-day rides.
• Fit flexibility. If your top and bottom halves are different sizes, separates let you choose each one.

A quick way to decide

Choose a skinsuit for races, time trials, fast group rides, and any ride where you'll mostly be on the bike. Choose a jersey and bibs for long endurance days, touring, rides with stops, and changeable weather. Plenty of riders own both, and use the skinsuit for the days that count.

Fit tips for a skinsuit

A skinsuit should feel snug standing up and right once you're on the bike, in a riding position. Check the torso length most of all: too short and it pulls at the shoulders, too long and fabric gathers at the stomach. If you're between sizes, think about which half of you is the bigger one. Our size guide has the full charts, and for reference a 180 cm, 153 lb rider wears a Medium.

Our skinsuits

If you want to try one, the Tuxedo Short Sleeve Skinsuit ($149.95) is a printed black-tie top with black shorts sewn in and a TMF 3D chamois, so you can race in a tux and it never untucks. It uses the same high-end lycra and sublimation as the Corbah Stealth Time Trial Skinsuit. If you'd rather keep separates, the Tuxedo also comes as a short sleeve and a long sleeve jersey.

Everything is made to order and delivered in 5–6 weeks. See all Corbah skinsuits