Just to add a bit or to underscore Ted's answer they are great for long unsupported rides or brevet's where a route sheet, food stuffs and possibly delicate items are much closer to the hands and eyes and ride suspended instead of banging against your back. I have used my S. Pellegrino Sport Jersey with 2 nice sized chest pockets in double centuries and 200K/300K brevets with xlnt results. I leave the back pockets for less often used and bulkier items. Nothing says FRED faster than overloaded rear pockets. I sponsor several vintage rides a year and it's nice to have the camera at the ready or cell phone for the stragglers as I often carry an extra water, tubular or tools for rider emergencies.
Matt "2 breast pockets" Gorski Belmont Shore, CA
>From: ternst <ternst1@cox.net>
>Date: 2007/01/10 Wed PM 04:57:41 CST
>To: Syke - Deranged Few M/C <sykerocker@yahoo.com>,
Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>Subject: Re: [CR]Those 1940s style racing jerseys.
>Front pockets harken back to before the '20's I'm fairly sure.
>My dad had them in the early '20's when he started racing.
>Years ago there was not much team support so you took all you could with
>you.
>The style didn't change much untill into the '60's and '70's when guys got
>lots of team personel working support.
>Then the wind catcher became obsolete.
>My '50's and '60's Jerseys all had front pockets.
>They were perfect for small food items.
>Grapes, small sandwichette squares, raisins, wafers, anything else that one
>need easy access to. Some guys would transfer stuff from front to back as
>needed.
>Once guys got stuff from cars and motors as the rules changed so did
>clothing, spare tires, etc. as then races got faster and more technicaly
>rationalized.
>Some of our nicer jerseys actually had two shoulder straps that went over
>your back to support the rear pockets so the jersey wouldn't pull down too
>far and out of reach.
>A lot of the old cotton and wool clothing didn't have a good memory and got
>kinda stretchy while being worn.
>I'm sure you all remember the great fotos Aldo Ross Pic of the Day shots had
>of the guys with baggy clothing not appoved by Mr. Blackwell.
>Ted Ernst
>Palos Verdes Estates
>CA USA
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Syke - Deranged Few M/C" <sykerocker@yahoo.com>
>To: "Classic Rendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 4:52 AM
>Subject: [CR]Those 1940s style racing jerseys.
>
>
>> You speak of cycling jerseys with front pockets as
>> being something rather old. When I got back into the
>> sport two years ago, the gear I had laying around were
>> two pair of cycling shorts which were my preferred
>> underwear for long distance motorcycling trips, and
>> the two remaining jerseys I hadn't gotten rid of,
>> mainly because they had my TOSRV patches from the 70's
>> sewn on.
>>
>> One jersey was a Lambertini, wool/acrylic blend, and
>> the other was a Cool Gear (which I seem to remember as
>> the first 'hip' line of cycling clothing that came out
>> of the bike boom) totally man made fibre - and both
>> had front pockets.
>>
>> Yes, that's where we kept out cigarettes, rolling
>> papers, or whatever else was small and probably would
>> absolutely horrify modern cyclists.
>>
>> I was actually disappointed when I started shopping
>> for a new load of jerseys to find out that we'd gone
>> down to just the three rear pockets. Anyone got an
>> idea when the style changed
>>
>>
>> Syke
>> Deranged Few M/C
>>
>> "France backed off its pledge to send seventeen hundred troops
>> to Lebanon Thursday and offered to send two hundred. No wonder
>> we keep testing positive in their bicycle races. Everyone looks
>> like they're full of testosterone when they're surrounded by
>> Frenchmen." ---Argus Hamilton
>>
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