A Review on Shebeest Gear

This year, Shebeest did it again and came out with some rad jerseys and shorts I felt would make my closet beam with pride! I have found myself going back and forth with either liking patterns, colors, or both. Shebeest came out with some kits that sparked my interest and I felt like I had to give them a shot. I finally figured out my true top sizing for the Divine jersey and with my proportions I'm an XS for the fit I prefer. Otherwise, if wear a small, the sleeves are too loose and the waist goes past my inseam.

The fit and feel of the Divine jersey is silky smooth, soft, and luxurious!

I love full-zip jerseys so I can easily regulate my temperature, especially when layering. The arm bands are super comfortable and I love the length of the sleeves. I like to try and keep as much of my skin covered (sun protection!) and the grips on the sleeves do not tug or pull your skin at all!

The waist band is also very comfortable too! It's wide in the back and "disappears" towards the front. It doesn't dig- really, it's more of a gripper style vs. elastic and I think many will appreciate its forgiving nature. It stays down where needed without sacrificing comfort.

I'm totally digging the Bias Rose Divine short sleeve jersey with the fun pattern and black & white coloring. It can go with everything! I'm going to pull on a pair of Marirose Skinny Americano shorts in the menthe color next season when it's warmer for a pop of color!

Basic black shorts are great, but I've fallen in love with the sleek and chic design of the Marirose Petunia short with it's black on black pattern. The subtle pattern of roses on this short can totally play up any jersey. I have a pair of Petunia shorts in the Kelo design that is black on black and I wore them with our Decorah Bicycles jersey just about every FWD Sunday ride! The fit of the Petunia shorts is fantastic. There are no biting bands that dig into your legs or waist. The chamois pad is awesome too! It's a fantastic update to the original Shelastic pad. Now using the Shelastic 2.0 pad, the quality and comfort is definitely increased.

The Skinny Americano Shorts are a nice way to add a little casual style to my usual ride outfits without sacrificing comfort or fun patterns. True to my love of roses this season, the Marirose Skinny Americano short in black offers the same as the lycra short. A subtle pattern that will work with every top because it's black in color.

The fit of the Skinny Americano short is snug, but not too snug. They hugged my butt, but didn't swallow my legs- a problem I've had with other shorts is how billowy they are to the rest of my body.

The fit was comfortable in a size Small. I do not wear XS sizes in shorts- Shebeest recommends you size up. To be sure, I tried on a pair of Mediums and was able to shimmy out of them without undoing the zipper or snap closure. I think the XS would've been impossible to button/zip up. The small was perfect.

Wearing these shorts for a couple rides, I was happy to not have the material snag my seat. That is what pushed me away from baggies for so long. Especially when most of the baggy shorts I had access to were more Freeride style without tapered legs, or too casual and short for my liking. I wanted something that provided some coverage but didn't drown my legs in fabric. Tough call. I also wanted a short that fit well, didn't have back gap, and would work with my muscular frame. These tick a lot of boxes!

You have a zipper and snap button closure and one zippered pocket to keep essentials in.

You can wear the shorts over liner shorts, but I've found them to be perfectly comfortable worn over my favorite Petunia shorts.

Last up for new Shebeest gear this year is the Overexposed Virtue Jersey. Same soft and silky material as the Divine jersey line, but long sleeves! Again with full-zip and some reflective details for those who would be riding in low-light conditions. The neck area is plenty long, allowing you to have coverage for the back of your neck/under the chin for those brisk rides. The coloring is awesome! Bright with fun colors- it's perfect for your favorite group ride out on the roads or trails.

With this jersey in the XS size, I still had ample room for wearing a base layer under it. This makes an excellent layering jersey for slightly cool temps, or more brisk fall temperatures where a layer provides just enough additional warmth.

I've found myself gravitating towards my Shebeest jerseys/shorts quite often this season, and with good reason. The pattern/color and fit make me feel good with either the shorts or jerseys I've tried out. I told myself that I wouldn't purchase any new gear this year, but found myself bending that rule several times! In doing so, I've found several pieces of cycling apparel that I will be wearing for years to come.

What I dig the most is that Shebeest has provided fun, colorful designs and/or patterns, but still has the sensibility of creating bottoms (and a top or two) in a colorway or pattern that can go with the more exciting stuff, but still is subtle enough to wear with all of your other jerseys/shorts. Also- some of their items are great mix/match pieces, I would say more this year than last. Which makes it fun and easy to swap around pieces of your favorite kit allowing for more looks. Treat yo' self!