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Summer cycling jerseys rated Summer cycling jerseys rated
(about 2 months later)
Summer on Britain's shores can seem all Summer on Britain's shores can seem all too brief, but 2014 is shaping up to be one of the best for bike riding, what with a Tour de France to watch, a host of other Yorkshire-based festivities to catch up with in between watching the Grand Départ, and epic amounts of two-wheeled stuff going on around the country - sportives, local bike rides, smaller festivals - on top of the basic pleasure of going out on your bike in the sun.
too brief, but 2014 is shaping up to be one of the best for bike riding, July is the time for pulling on a short-sleeved jersey, working the Tour rider’s tan, and expressing your inner cyclist. There’s plenty out there to suit all tastes and needs - retro, ironic, understated or the Full pro Monty - but the key factors remain the same. If you’re going to get hot, choose a full-length zip, and above all check the fit: snug but not tight, with a minimum of flappy bits, particularly in the chest and sleeves. And make sure it’s something you love, because summer is when being on your bike can be a joy to the senses.
what with a Tour de France to watch, a host of other Yorkshire-based
festivities to catch up with in between watching the Grand Départ, and
epic amounts of two-wheeled stuff going on around the country -
sportives, local bike rides, smaller festivals - on top of the basic
pleasure of going out on your bike in the sun.
July
is the time for pulling on a short-sleeved jersey, working the Tour
rider’s tan, and expressing your inner cyclist. There’s plenty out there
to suit all tastes and needs - retro, ironic, understated or the Full pro Monty - but the key factors remain the same. If you’re going to get
hot, choose a full-length zip, and above all check the fit: snug but not
tight, with a minimum of flappy bits, particularly in the chest and
sleeves. And make sure it’s something you love, because summer is when
being on your bike can be a joy to the senses.
Santini/La Casera-BahamontesSantini/La Casera-Bahamontes
This This is one of a range of replica old-school team jerseys from this well-known Italian manufacture, more basic than some but with much to recommend it, starting with the price but mainly the elegant retroness - Bahamontes is one of the Tour’s greatest climbers, an eccentric character who ran his own team after retirement. It’s made of breathable micro-fibre, with the requisite extra zipped back pocket, and sits nicely on the shoulders; you could quibble at the lack of a full zip but there’s a very good reason - it would cut across the sponsor’s name.
is one of a range of replica old-school team jerseys from this
well-known Italian manufacture, more basic than some but with much to
recommend it, starting with the price but mainly the elegant retroness -
Bahamontes is one of the Tour’s greatest climbers, an eccentric
character who ran his own team after retirement. It’s made of breathable
micro-fibre, with the requisite extra zipped back pocket, and sits
nicely on the shoulders; you could quibble at the lack of a full zip but
there’s a very good reason - it would cut across the sponsor’s name.
For: Price, classic elegance.For: Price, classic elegance.
Against: Lack of full zip.Against: Lack of full zip.
www.prendas.co.ukwww.prendas.co.uk
Price £49.95Price £49.95
Rapha Team Sky Pro jerseyRapha Team Sky Pro jersey
Both Both Rapha and Team Sky have that Marmite quality - you either love or loathe them and their image, so the combination cannot fail to produce a wry smile. However, they both excel at what they do, so this is as good as you would expect: aerodynamic, snug fitting, fewer seams, nice little touches like the zipper protector, a bigger than usual zip fastener so it’s easy to locate as you ride, and big stretchy pockets - this is the one the pro team use, so the pockets are large enough to hold bottles of water. Supposedly its black material reduces heat absorption, and it certainly didn’t feel like it was making me warmer when the sun shone. Very shiny, in every sense.
Rapha and Team Sky have that Marmite quality - you either love or
loathe them and their image, so the combination cannot fail to produce a
wry smile. However, they both excel at what they do, so this is as good
as you would expect: aerodynamic, snug fitting, fewer seams, nice
little touches like the zipper protector, a bigger than usual zip
fastener so it’s easy to locate as you ride, and big stretchy pockets -
this is the one the pro team use, so the pockets are large enough to
hold bottles of water. Supposedly its black material reduces heat
absorption, and it certainly didn’t feel like it was making me warmer
when the sun shone. Very shiny, in every sense.
For: Rapha cachet and features galore.For: Rapha cachet and features galore.
Against: The Marmite factor; floppy feel to pockets.Against: The Marmite factor; floppy feel to pockets.
http://www.rapha.cchttp://www.rapha.cc
Price £105Price £105
Endura FS260-Pro Jetstream S/S JerseyEndura FS260-Pro Jetstream S/S Jersey
This This is an interesting beast - an aerodynamic racing jersey but at a competitive price. The main selling point is the varied materials - slick and aero in some places, slightly windproof on the front and arms to counter the chill you get when you sweat up a climb then whizz down the other side. It has no fewer than five pockets and different hems on front and back, the latter being stronger to stop the jersey riding up your rear. It only seemed fair to try this in a race situation so we rode it at a local track league where, when matched up with the aero FS260 shorts - more wacky panels here retailing at £89.99 - it didn’t feel slower than a skinsuit, while not being too hot - exactly what you are looking for. One note of caution, check the size carefully. We usually take an XL but an L proved nicely snug. Which was good for morale.
is an interesting beast - an aerodynamic racing jersey but at a
competitive price. The main selling point is the varied materials -
slick and aero in some places, slightly windproof on the front and arms
to counter the chill you get when you sweat up a climb then whizz down
the other side. It has no fewer than five pockets and different hems on
front and back, the latter being stronger to stop the jersey riding up
your rear. It only seemed fair to try this in a race situation so we
rode it at a local track league where, when matched up with the aero
FS260 shorts - more wacky panels here retailing at £89.99 - it didn’t
feel slower than a skinsuit, while not being too hot - exactly what you
are looking for. One note of caution, check the size carefully. We
usually take an XL but an L proved nicely snug. Which was good for
morale.
For: Features galore at a competitive price.For: Features galore at a competitive price.
Against: With five pockets you may forget where you’ve put that vital gel at a key moment.Against: With five pockets you may forget where you’ve put that vital gel at a key moment.
www.endurasport.comwww.endurasport.com
Price £62.99Price £62.99
Le Col Pro Short Sleeve jerseyLe Col Pro Short Sleeve jersey
This This elegant item from a range developed by Raleigh pro Yanto Barker feels like a cross between an aero and a traditional jersey, with the sides, collar and sleeves in shiny stretchy stuff, and the front and back in more usual wicking fabric. It’s the most understated jersey of the ones we tested, so if you want to fly under the radar while feeling good, this works nicely. The silicon gripper round the waist is nice and substantial, and the zipper cover on the collar (stops the zip fastener chafing when you sweat). As with the Endura, check the sizing carefully for an aerodynamic fit.
elegant item from a range developed by Raleigh pro Yanto Barker feels
like a cross between an aero and a traditional jersey, with the sides,
collar and sleeves in shiny stretchy stuff, and the front and back in
more usual wicking fabric. It’s the most understated jersey of the ones
we tested, so if you want to fly under the radar while feeling good,
this works nicely. The silicon gripper round the waist is nice and
substantial, and the zipper cover on the collar (stops the zip fastener
chafing when you sweat). As with the Endura, check the sizing carefully
for an aerodynamic fit.
For: Elegantly understated and good looking.For: Elegantly understated and good looking.
Against: Seems relatively pricey.Against: Seems relatively pricey.
www.lecol.netwww.lecol.net
Price £119.99Price £119.99
Fat Lad at the Back Balmy Short Sleeve jerseyFat Lad at the Back Balmy Short Sleeve jersey
As As the name (and its acronym) suggest, this range is marketed as the antithesis of Rapha - for the man who measures the quality of his cycling in pints consumed rather than pints sweated. It’s about humour not hipster, so the design is a charming graphic of a cyclist off the back of a group and the blurb about Riding the Line is replaced by a card reading This Will Not Make you go Faster. Behind the image is a serviceable jersey of wicking fabric with the usual features (reflective bits, zip pocket + the three across the back). If you don’t want to be embarrassed by turning up at the pub and looking like Bradley Wiggins, look no further than this. Cleverly, the fit is based on chest and waist measurement rather than the usual SML etc, but that in turn means attention should be paid to sizing.
the name (and its acronym) suggest, this range is marketed as the
antithesis of Rapha - for the man who measures the quality of his
cycling in pints consumed rather than pints sweated. It’s about humour
not hipster, so the design is a charming graphic of a cyclist off the
back of a group and the blurb about Riding the Line is replaced by a
card reading This Will Not Make you go Faster. Behind the image is a
serviceable jersey of wicking fabric with the usual features (reflective
bits, zip pocket + the three across the back). If you don’t want to be
embarrassed by turning up at the pub and looking like Bradley Wiggins,
look no further than this. Cleverly, the fit is based on chest and waist
measurement rather than the usual SML etc, but that in turn means
attention should be paid to sizing.
For: Fun not fast image, price, sizing for those who aren’t Wiggins-weight.For: Fun not fast image, price, sizing for those who aren’t Wiggins-weight.
Against: If you favour fast over fun, you might be advised to steer clear.Against: If you favour fast over fun, you might be advised to steer clear.
www.evanscycles.comwww.evanscycles.com
Price £49.99Price £49.99
Keep Left jersey by the GuardianKeep Left jersey by the Guardian
One One of three cycling jerseys being produced for the paper by Milltag, this has moisture wicking material, the helpful full zip for those warmer moments, the back pockets you would expect (three + zipped up one for the phone/wallet) and silicone gripper strip at the hem. I tried this one on a longish ride through the Dales with Sir Chris Hoy (yup, I’m name dropping) and the jersey functioned fine - nothing dropped, no zip issues, no unexpected temperature swings - but it didn’t mean I went faster than him. And that is the point about kit - it can make you look and feel good, but it’s no substitute for a pair of gold-medal winning legs.
of three cycling jerseys being produced for the paper by Milltag, this
has moisture wicking material, the helpful full zip for those warmer
moments, the back pockets you would expect (three + zipped up one for
the phone/wallet) and silicone gripper strip at the hem. I tried this
one on a longish ride through the Dales with Sir Chris Hoy (yup, I’m
name dropping) and the jersey functioned fine - nothing dropped, no zip
issues, no unexpected temperature swings - but it didn’t mean I went
faster than him. And that is the point about kit - it can make you look
and feel good, but it’s no substitute for a pair of gold-medal winning
legs.
For: Understated design with slightly knowing socialist subtext.For: Understated design with slightly knowing socialist subtext.
Against: Understated design with slightly knowing socialist subtext.Against: Understated design with slightly knowing socialist subtext.
Guardianoffers.co.ukGuardianoffers.co.uk
Price £59.99Price £59.99