Although not a dedicated cycling jersey – you won’t find lumber pockets here for stashing those gels and bars – the new Columbia Total Zero T-Shirt had Cyclo intrigued enough to want to put it to the test. With more than 70 year’s of experience in production of sportswear and outdoor apparel, Columbia’s latest range features ‘Omni-Freeze ZERO’ technology, a system of almost invisible blue rings in the fabric, which react with sweat to actually lower the temperature of the material and, consequently, the wearer.
The Women’s Total Zero Short Sleeve V-Neck Top which Cyclo put to the ride is available in black, white, light blue and lilac (the latter two more poetically called ‘Riptide and Velvet Morning); it’s quietly stylish with relatively little branding aside from a discreet Columbia logo on one sleeve. The fit is snug, a necessity for ensuring that the sweat-activated tech actually comes into contact with sweat, and despite not featuring any rubberised banding to the hem (we didn’t really expect any – again: this is not a dedicated cycling top) it stayed perfectly put during test and didn’t ride up at the back.
And the cooling technology? On a relatively warm ride of three hours (circa 22degrees and bright) there was certainly a distinct feeling of cooling – not the artificial sense created by some garments that use menthol impregnation, but actual temperature control. Add to this the fact that it wicked sweat incredibly well away from the skin, which naturally adds to the cooling effect via wind and evaporation, and has UPF 50 sun protection and this T begins to look like a credible top for the bike.
Okay, so we missed having a jersey pocket and some of the swish branding from a ‘real’ cycling top, but as an option for a summer ride – particularly a more relaxed, non-competitive ride – the Columbia Total Zero makes perfect sense to us.
The Columbia Total Zero retails at £35 and is available in sizes XS-XL, along with more from the Columbia range, at blacks.co.uk
For more information on Columbia see columbiasportswear.co.uk
