Veterans Day Ride: What to Wear, Plus Patriotic and Honor the Fallen Cycling Jerseys
For a Veterans Day ride on November 11, dress for a cold start: a long sleeve jersey or arm warmers up top, and bib tights if the morning is chilly. Our American Stars and Stripes and Honor the Fallen designs suit the day.
In short
- Veterans Day is November 11 and honors everyone who served in the US Armed Forces.
- Memorial Day is the May holiday for those who died in military service.
- Plan on layers for a November ride: long sleeves or arm warmers, and bib tights when it is cold.
- We are not connected with any military branch or charity, and we do not collect donations.
What is Veterans Day, and how is it different from Memorial Day?
Veterans Day is the US federal holiday on November 11 that honors people who served in the US Armed Forces, living and dead. In 2026 it falls on a Wednesday. Memorial Day, in May, is the one set aside for those who died while in military service. Mixing the two up is common, and a veteran on your ride may well notice.
The date goes back to the end of major fighting in World War I, which took effect at the 11th hour of November 11, 1918, under the armistice with Germany. A 1938 act made Armistice Day a legal holiday, and Congress replaced "Armistice" with "Veterans" in 1954. The holiday spent 1971 to 1977 on a Monday in October, then returned to its original date in 1978.
What should you wear for a Veterans Day ride?
Dress for the weather on the road, because November in most of the US means cold starts and short days. Daylight saving ended on November 1, so a ride after work finishes in the dark sooner than it did a month ago. Bring lights, front and back, if there is any chance of that.
A long sleeve jersey is the simplest top layer. The Men's Honor the Fallen Long Sleeve Cycling Jersey comes in the same wicking fabric as our short sleeve jerseys by default, and you can add thermal fleece through the customization options for colder mornings. If the day should warm up, wear a short sleeve jersey with the Unisex Honor the Fallen Quick Dry Cycling Arm-Warmers instead, and take them off when you no longer need them.
Below the waist, the Men's Honor the Fallen Gel Padded Cycling Bib-Tights have a 9D contoured silicone gel chamois and ankle zippers. They come without fleece by default, with fleece as an option. For the layers that suit each band of °F, see our guide on what to wear cycling by temperature, and our comparison of long sleeve jerseys and arm warmers.
Which cycling jerseys suit Veterans Day?
A flag design is the obvious place to start. Our Men's American Stars and Stripes USA Flag Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey has a matching Women's American Stars and Stripes USA Flag Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey and a Men's American Stars and Stripes USA Flag Long Sleeve Cycling Jersey for colder days. A plainer choice is the Men's USA American National Flag Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey. You will find more in our patriotic cycling gear and USA cycling jerseys collections.
Camouflage is another option, with no flag at all. The Men's Camouflage Winter Forest Long Sleeve Cycling Jersey is available with or without a thermal fleece lining, and it has a short sleeve version too.
Looking for a design with a particular service in mind? Our military themed cycling gear collection gathers those designs in one place. They are our own designs, and we are not connected with any branch of the US military. A rider in one of them may be a veteran, or may be riding for a parent or a friend who served, so it is better to ask than to assume.
Is an Honor the Fallen jersey right for Veterans Day?
It can be, with one thing in mind. The Men's Honor The Fallen Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey shows a soldier in white line drawing next to a worn American flag, and its name points to those who died in service. That makes it closest in spirit to Memorial Day. Veterans Day covers everyone who served, so our read is that it fits best on a ride that also remembers someone by name, or for a rider who has lost a friend.
The design runs through a full set. Women can choose the Women's Honor the Fallen Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey. Men's options include the Men's Honor the Fallen Sleeveless Tech Cycling Jersey, the Men's Honor the Fallen Gel Padded Cycling Bib, the Men's Honor the Fallen 2 Piece Cycling Kit and the Men's Honor the Fallen 4 Piece Cycling Kit. A Unisex Honor the Fallen Quick Dry Cycling Cap goes under the helmet. The whole range sits in the Honor the Fallen collection.
How do you plan a Veterans Day group ride?
- Choose the day. November 11 is a Wednesday this year, so the weekend before may suit more people.
- Ask any veterans in your club what they would like. Some enjoy a ride in their honor, and others would rather keep the day quiet.
- Pick a short route with a stop at a local memorial or veterans' park, and check first whether a ceremony is planned there.
- Agree on the pace of the slowest rider, so the group arrives together.
- At the stop, get off the bikes and keep the noise down. Leave the group photo for later.
- If people want to give money, let each rider choose a veterans' organization and give to it directly.
Keep the route easy, since the stop matters more than the distance. Ride home together too, and leave the hard efforts for another day.
How do you choose a size, and when should you order?
Size from your own body measurements: chest, waist and hips, read against our sizing charts. The jerseys we checked for this article, along with the bib tights and arm warmers, are listed from XXS to 7XL. Our kit has a club fit cut and runs small, so size up if you are between sizes.
Every item is made to order, and we do not promise a delivery date, so please do not count on a new jersey for November 11. Wear what you already own on the day. A long sleeve jersey ordered now still has a whole winter of rides ahead of it. Free shipping applies on orders over $125, and non-customized items come with 60-day store-credit returns, as our returns policy explains. Customized orders are final.
Honor the Fallen kit for November
Men's Honor the Fallen 2 Piece Cycling Kit
$99.99$119.99
Men's Honor the Fallen Gel Padded Cycling Bib-Tights
$69.99$81.99
Unisex Honor the Fallen Quick Dry Cycling Cap
$28.99$32.99
Frequently asked questions
When is Veterans Day in 2026?
Wednesday, November 11. The date stays the same every year, whichever day of the week it lands on.
Is Veterans Day the same as Memorial Day?
No. Veterans Day honors everyone who served in the US Armed Forces, living and dead. Memorial Day, in May, honors those who died while in military service.
Does Online Cycling Gear donate to veterans' charities?
No. Buying a jersey from us does not fund a charity, and we do not collect donations. If you want to give, go directly to the veterans' organization you choose.
Are your military themed jerseys official?
No. They are our own designs, and we are not connected with any branch of the US military.
Do you have patriotic cycling jerseys for women?
Yes, including the Women's American Stars and Stripes USA Flag Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey and the Women's Honor the Fallen Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey.
