Team Sky gives it riders a lot of choice over kit, for example riders can pick the length of their shorts or the style of their mitts. I’m not sure these tiny details offer many marginal gains but we all have our preferences and it’s nice to be able to choose. For example maybe you like a type of glove so you go buy it, but remember the pro is lumped with the gear given to him.
But many teams get a service unavailable to us, they get it clothing made to measure. If you’ve ever watched a pro in full flight and noticed just how well the jersey fits, it doesn’t flap in the wind, well sometimes it’s just because they pick a tight fit. In the case of Team Sky, Garmin-Transitions and Cervélo it’s also because they use slightly elastic material to hug the body.
But some teams have manufacturers taking “secret” measurements, usually twice a year. Why secret? Well no manufacturer wants to admit replica wear clothing on sale isn’t actually the same as team-issue clothing, nor that the kit needs adjustment to fit just right. Riders get issued with their bespoke clothing early in the year and then in case they change shape during the year, a second set of measurements is taken in time for the summer. Now you know.