Perzist Tall and Wide Cycling Jerseys

Big Men Don’t Need to Wear Generic Cycling Jerseys

Perzist is a brand created to fill a need. Although road cyclists are often thought of as super fit and skinny, this stereotype doesn’t hold true for many recreational road bikers. Yet most cycling jerseys are being made to fit only those lean racers. This leaves the “Tall and Wide” cycling enthusiasts without great looking apparel that actually fits.

When a group of over 300 cyclists were asked how they felt about the way cycling jerseys fit, more than one third described them as too tight in the belly and too short in front. Most tall cyclists expressed frustration with the length of cycling jerseys. And although both of these groups of bigger men manage to find cycle wear that works, more or less, they complain about how generic or even boring the designs are.

Scott Rockwood, one of those bigger bodied cycling enthusiasts who are “hard to fit,” decided to do something about it. For the past six months, Scott has been working with pattern designers to develop a line of cycle wear tailored for large men. “After about four rounds of prototype, I think we finally have a cut that fits tall men and a cut the fits men who are wider in the torso,” says Scott.

If all goes well, Perzist expects to have its first set of jerseys ready to sell by mid to late June. The main distribution channel will be Perzist.com. Pre-orders are currently available to Kickstarter supporters until May 3. Detailed information about size can be found at www.perzist.com.

More about the concept and company:

1)    At Perzist, the approach to sizing is clearly not like most other jersey makers, who assume their buyers are young, skinny, racer types, and size their kit to fit that body type. Most use their own arbitrary sizing standards, so an extra large in a cycling jersey rarely fits anything like an extra large in non-cycling sportswear. But Perzist is not making jerseys for racers. Perzist jerseys are for large men who don’t want the snug fit of traditional jerseys. They are tailored to fit looser, and to feel comfortable and hang nicely, but not cling to every little body bulge. The sizing system aligns much more closely with what you might expect when buying non-cycling sportswear. So, If you’re a 2X in casual clothing and sportswear, you’ll probably be a 2X in Perzist cycle wear.

2)   The sizing targets two different groups of cyclists: Tall men and wide men. Each group has slightly different needs. So Perzist spent months working with pattern designers to create jerseys that are tailored for each group.

3)   The initial size set, for men of common height and less common girth, will be sizes L, XL, 2X and 3X. For tall men the size set includes LT, XLT and 2XT. (Tall sizes are best for men between 6’2″ and 6’5″, give or take a little). Visit persist.com for more details about sizing.

4)   The initial offering is limited to jerseys, since that is the area of greatest need for many men. If that goes well, Scott hopes to expand the line to shorts, bibs and base layers.

5)   Being a small start-up, Scott believes the greatest challenge to success will be trying create awareness among a very small part of the population. Scott hopes social media sharing will get the message out to those men who will appreciate the unique products Perzist will have on offer.

6)   About the founder: Scott Rockwood is a semi-retired graphic designer and entrepreneur. For the past 14 years, he has been the CEO of a Salt Lake City based ad agency he co-founded in 1986. Though still a partner in the firm, Scott has stepped away from day-to-day management to pursue the development of Perzist cycle wear.