Jerseys for the lanky

I’m 6’3” and 75 kg, which puts me pretty firmly in the ‘beanpole’ body type. A while ago I was looking for long-sleeve jerseys with a decent fit and a few people on here gave me some useful pointers.

I thought I’d report back with my findings. Since there doesn’t seem to be a sanctuary for the lanky like the orangutan or T-rex threads I thought I’d create one here.

My results so far:

Torm T8 (medium)

Pros

• Sportwool is a lovely material and the jersey is well finished.
  
• Classic, understated styling.
  
• The two zip pockets are very handy and will fit my smartphone (Galaxy S2).
  
• Well documented durability.
  
  

Cons

• The arm is a little short on me and also a bit baggy for my pipe-cleaner arms.
  
• The neck could be a bit higher for my tastes.
  
• The front of the body is cut a bit too long for me, so the zip bulges when in a riding position.
  
  
  

Northwave Extreme Graphic (medium)

Pros

• Nice tight fit on the body (I don’t like flapping)
  
  

Cons

• Sleeves a teensy bit short, but not baggy. To be honest I could probably have gone a size up in this to sacrifice form fit for a longer arm.
  
• A picky bugbear of mine is zipped pockets over the centre pocket. This means if you stuff a gilet in the main centre pocket your keys bulge out and look horrible.
  
• Styling is a bit lurid in the flesh.
  
  
  

Castelli Puro (large)

Pros

• Once I’d exchanged my medium for a large the fit was perfect. Snug on the body and arms. This is the only jersey I have ever owned that fully covers my wrists and meets my autumn gloves.
  
• Unfussy styling.
  
• Side zip pocket, much more convenient than centre.
  
  

Cons

• Slightly pricier option.
  
• The reason the arms fit so well is they are made of a stretchier fabric than the body. Therefore they don’t keep out the wind quite as well.
  
• Cut is very high on the front of the body. This is not a problem for me as I wear bibs. Tail is fine though.
  
  

I’ll be buying another Puro when funds allow.

Pearl Izumi stuff is good for lanks like me. Very long.

EDIT should add I'm not massively tall (six foot) but have a long upper body so only really lanky in the top half. I wonder if I hadn't started smoking when I was 15 my legs may have caught up...

i too used to be a lank, however adding an extra 25kg of lard means i'm now a prime xxl walrus

(edit, post dvt now a svelte 90kg - xl)

gore stuff fits me ok, as did bdw's 'swallow' limited run jersey

I'm in the same boat, though slightly bigger at 6'3.5", 85kg and reasonably muscled (I do a lot of bouldering but no gym bunny). Long arms, natch.

Favourites have been Pearl Izumi 180 softshell in L, Chapeau Repel in L (probably the best fit of all, slim and long sleeved) and - most recently - Rapha Winter Jersey in L. I had high hopes for the Rapha and while it's almost perfect in fit and function, the arms could be a tad longer, but only slightly. Conversely, the Rapha rain jacket I got at the same time has really long arms.

Next Jersey im going to try is the Ashmei softshell jacket, which is out in Feb.

I'm 6'3" and 80kg and the best fitting l/s jersey I have is a cheapy Tenn thermal one off eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tenn-Thermal-Cycling-Long-Sleeve-Jersey-Jacket-Light-Fleece-/261006881806)

I rarely use it because it's a very warm top and only really suitable for days like yesterday, when I ironically didn't bother and went baselayer/short sleeve/gilet.

Do any fellow lankys have recommendations for packable rain cape/jackets with decent sleeve/tail lengths? I'm thinking of trying a Castelli Sottile or Squadra as I find the Gabba SS to be nice and long (haven't tried the LS for length) and the Puro jersey mentioned in the first post sounds of a similar fit.

My experience with the Squadra is that the medium seemed very short in the arms, while the large is (just) long enough but a bit of a tent.

I'm 6'1 ish