Kid's Cycling Jerseys: How to Choose the Size, the Fit and a Fun Design

By the Online Cycling Gear team. Last updated: November 12, 2026. Checked against our live Kid's product pages, size chart and returns policy on 2 November 2026.

Size a kid's cycling jersey from the child's own body measurements. Measure chest, waist and hips with a soft tape, then match the numbers to the Kid's Cycling Jerseys chart on our size chart page. Online Cycling Gear lists these jerseys in sizes XXXS to XXXL, with a unisex fit for boys and girls.

In short

Our Kid's jerseys come in nine sizes, XXXS to XXXL, with a unisex fit for boys and girls.
Size from the child's chest, waist and hips, read against the Kid's chart.
Between two sizes? Choose the larger one.
The range is short sleeve jerseys, so plan shorts and cold-weather layers separately.

What size cycling jersey should you buy for a child?

Buy the size their measurements point to on the chart. Our Kid's product pages list nine letter sizes: XXXS, XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL and XXXL. Those pages give no age for any size, and two children of the same age can easily land in different rows, so a birthday tells you very little here.

The label inside a school T-shirt will not help much either. As our chart page puts it, "Sports apparel usually fits smaller than regular clothing." Each Kid's page lists the cut as "Kids Standard Fit, but please check sizing charts", and that check is the whole job. It takes about five minutes with a tape measure.

How do you measure a child for a cycling jersey?

Ask the child to stand straight in a thin T-shirt, with arms relaxed at their sides.
Run a soft tape around the fullest part of the chest, under the arms, and write the number down.
Measure around the natural waist.
Measure around the hips at the widest point.
Open the Kid's Cycling Jerseys chart and find the size those numbers fit.
If the stomach measurement is larger than the chest, use the stomach. If the child falls between two sizes, choose the larger one.

Keep the tape snug without squeezing, and let the child breathe normally while you read it. Children grow fast, so take new measurements before every order, even when the last jersey fit well. The larger of two sizes also leaves a little room for that growth.

How should a kid's cycling jersey fit?

Close to the body, with room to move. Ask the child to reach forward as if holding the handlebars: nothing should pull across the chest, and the hem should still cover the lower back. If the fabric flaps at the sides when they stand, the jersey is on the big side and may catch the wind, although a child who is about to grow will soon fill it.

Kid's jerseys differ from our adult range in a few ways, all listed on the product pages.

Feature	What our Kid's jerseys have	Why it suits a child
Zip	Quarter-zip	Helps avoid zipper accidents and goes on and off easily
Waist	No elastic gripper	Most children are not riding in race position
Pockets	Three stitched back pockets	Room for a snack or a small toy
Fabric	Quick-dry wicking polyester with mesh side panels	The same wicking polyester as our adult jerseys
Care	Machine wash at 68-86°F (20-30°C), no dry cleaning	Goes in with the family laundry

Leaving out the gripper has a side benefit. These jerseys work as a sport or casual shirt off the bike, and the product pages even suggest one for the morning you forgot about the book parade costume. For a closer look at fit on the bike, our cycling jersey fit guide goes through the checks one by one.

Which designs can boys and girls choose from?

All of them. Every Kid's jersey we checked has a unisex fit for boys and girls, so the choice comes down to what makes the child smile. Our guess is that a jersey they picked themselves gets worn more than one chosen for them, so hand over the screen and let them scroll through Kid's Cycling Gear.

Silly always gets a laugh on a family ride. The Kid's Happy Monsters Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey is covered in cheerful one-eyed creatures, and the Kid's Must Be Bananas Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey is exactly what it says. Unicorn fans can pick the Kid's Pondering Unicorn Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey or the Kid's Rainbows and Unicorns Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey, and the Kid's Tie Dye Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey gets everyone's attention at the school gate.

Smiling girl in a pink helmet and a rainbow tie-dye jersey over a long sleeve top, sitting on a pink bike with training wheels — The Kid's Tie Dye jersey on a bike with training wheels.

Small boy in a black helmet and a yellow jersey with a banana print, sitting on a red bike with training wheels — The Kid's Must Be Bananas jersey, ready for the first ride.

Young race fans have the Kid's Tour de France Leaders KOM Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey, with polka dots, yellow and green on one shirt. If they ask what those colors mean, our guide to cycling jersey colors has the answer ready for the ride home.

Can a child wear the same design as you?

Adult and child riding side by side away from the camera on a sunny road, both in rainbow tie-dye jerseys, the adult's hand on the child's shoulder — Tie-dye for two: the Men's Tie Dye Long Sleeve next to the Kid's Tie Dye jersey.

Smiling adult holding a young girl, both in matching royal blue cycling jerseys, against a white wall — Matching jerseys, two sizes.

Often, yes. If you see an adult jersey your child would love, our Kid's Cycling Gear page says you can request it in a kid's version through the customization option, listed as Customization: Make as Kid's. A parent and child riding in one design is about as cheerful as a Sunday ride gets.

Customized orders are final, so measure the child before you choose and read the chart with care. Clubs that want a youth version of their own kit can read our guide to custom cycling kits for clubs first.

What else does a child need to ride?

A helmet comes first. There is no federal helmet law in the US, but many states and towns have one, and most of those laws cover children, so check the list of state and local helmet laws for where you ride.

Below the waist, comfortable shorts or leggings are all most children need.

November brings cold mornings and short days, and our Kid's range is short sleeve only. Put a long sleeve top underneath the jersey and a warm layer over it on chilly days, then take off layers as the child warms up. With daylight saving over, an after-school ride ends in the dark sooner, so fit lights front and back if the route home might run late. Adults can find more on layers in our guide to what to wear cycling at every temperature.

Is a kid's cycling jersey a good Christmas gift?

Yes, as long as you measure first. You can pass the tape off as checking sizes for a school costume, and the surprise stays safe. Our guide to buying cycling clothes as a gift has more on sizing for someone else, and the cycling gift guide covers the grown-ups on your list.

Every item is made to order, so order well ahead of Christmas. Free shipping applies on orders over $125, which a family order can reach. If the size turns out wrong, non-customized items come with 60-day store-credit returns, and the item must be unworn with its tags on, as our returns policy explains. Let them try it on first and keep the tags attached until you know it fits.