Tag: jersey

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Apparel Reviews

Peloton Jersey

Peloton Jersey

Peloton JerseyWe love it when people take matters into their own hands and that’s exactly what the founders of Peloton did when they couldn’t find anything on the market that fitted their desired cycling jersey criteria of ‘practical and classically stylish.’

 

Creating their own range – currently with four colour-way designs for men and one for women – using 100% BioActive Polyester Coolmax fabric, which works hard at wicking away the sweat of the ride, the results are highly pleasing.

 

The fit is slim and snug but the fabric moves freely and doesn’t restrict movement in the least, and the flat-lock seams add to the overall comfort. The high collar is an unusual design feature, more at home on a casual tee but actually, it could be argued, adding to protection from the sun and certainly helping with the general aesthetics that set this range apart from the pack.

 

The zip runs full length, so plenty of bare-chested (for the men?) opportunities if the weather really demands but if we were being picky a ‘zipper garage’ at the top would really improve comfort, especially as these jerseys zip all the way to the top of the tall collar and there’s a tendency to feel it dig in here. Cuffs and waist are elasticated, with the latter featuring rubberised hem to stop the jersey from sliding up.

 

The standout feature for us – beyond the rather natty design/colours – is the pocket configuration at the back. There are two really generous volume mesh pockets for gels, bars and the like, plus a further two large zipped pockets sitting over the back of those for keys, phones and other valuables. It’s a lot of storage and we were pleased to find that, even when packed to the max, the Peloton jersey remained exceptionally comfortable.

 

Despite the zip quality not being quite there yet, Peloton have done a really credible job of bringing to market a product that combines style with substance.

 

The Peloton jerseys retail at £64.99 just about the mark we would expect for the more bespoke look and feel of apparel of this quality. Further details and online purchase at pelotoncycleclothing.co.uk

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Apparel Reviews

Spiro Full Zip Performance Top

Spiro Full Zip Performance Top

Spiro Full Zip Performance TopCycling, we’re sure we don’t need to tell you, is not necessarily the cheapest of pursuits; bike aside, it’s not difficult to find money all-but physically leaking from your pocket once you start to kit up. But can the budget end of the market fulfil anything other than the most basic of requirements? With this question in mind Cyclo took a look at the new Spiro Full Zip Performance Top, a promising looking jersey with a price tag that made for a full-on double-take…

 

Made from 100% polyester the Spiro Full Zip Performance Top wicks reasonable well in warmer weather but lacking any elastane/Spandex in the mix lacks the closer fit and dynamic movement of more expensive jerseys and as the fabric doesn’t incorporate any antibacterial properties it becomes prone to a degree of stink if left to its own devises.

 

However, the fit – despite the absence of elastic stretch – is surprisingly good; available in S to XXL for men (chest size 37-49inch) and XS to XL for women (UK 8-16) the jersey isn’t especially long in the back, but sits well and pretty much stays put thanks to an effective rubberised ridge system at the hem. Despite being reassuringly lightweight, the biggest issue with comfort is the seam quality – you don’t need to look inside to judge the bulkiness of stitching, spend a couple of hours on the bike and you’ll feel it. We found, even without a substantial sweat factor, and particularly under the arms, that the seam size and quality resulted in mild irritation – bordering on chafing – in the kind of time frame we would barely consider a leg-stretcher. It’s probably unreasonable to expect flatlock seams at an entry-level price, but this remained the one area where we felt a case of ‘you get what you pay for’ came into play.

 

Two open lumber pocket – not the biggest we’ve seen, but ample for a gel or two – are complimented by a mid-back zipped pocket for keys/cash and a commendable amount of reflective detailing, particularly in the back, an area sadly lacking in many jerseys we’ve ridden in. Another welcome addition is UV protection, which never goes amiss. In terms of looks the Spiro Full Zip Performance Top delivers either a black/white or much higher viability green/black combo and complimentary jackets and legwear are available if you fancy building yourself a team kit vibe.

 

Yes, pros and cons – but the price? Drumroll… £15 for the men’s, £13.50 for the women’s. That alone almost (almost) nullifies the seam criticism. At this price you could build yourself a near complete kit (shorts £16.50, base layer £5.90) for the cost of most jerseys alone. The Spiro Full Zip Performance Top certainly isn’t the most technical or robust jersey available – nor did we expect it to be – but it far outperforms its exceptionally modest price tag

 

Further information at spiroactivewear.com and online purchase at shop.resultclothing.com

 

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Apparel Reviews

Odlo SwissPower Jersey

Odlo SwissPower Jersey

ODLO Scott SwissPower Jersey reviewFounded in the mid-1940s by the brilliantly monikered Odd Roar Lofterød, whose motto was ‘always make sure you’re one step ahead’, Odlo know a thing or two about producing technical apparel. With a solid reputation for innovative design and production the Odlo SwissPower jersey landed on Cyclo’s desk with a bundle of high expectations.

 

A stand-up collar jersey with full-length zip for that bare chest ventilated look, the top, though obviously suitable for road riding, bares the busy design of the Scott-SwissPower mountian bike and cyclocross team. For more than a decade, the Swisspower development team has worked with Switzerland’s up-and-coming mountain bike riders and, under the guidance of Thomas Frischknecht and Andi Seeli, yhey have won seven world championship titles, 10 European titles and a host of other MTB accolades. Naturally owning the jersey won’t, in itself, make you ride like a champion, but stylish looks and robust construction make for an excellent start.

 

Technically brilliant it wicks sweat well and sits incredibly comfortably with rubberised taped seams at the rear waist to ensure it doesn’t ride up when you ride out. Three pretty generous back pockets for a wealth of power bars and gels could be improved only slightly by the addition perhaps of a zipped valuables pocket, the lack of which is probably testament to the fact that it was designed for a team unlikely to need such niceties.

 

If you’re in the market for a great quality warmer weather jersey that’s relatively gentle on the wallet (online prices from around the £50 mark) and you like the fully-logoed look, then the ODLO SwissPower is hard to beat. Perhaps take a leaf out of Lofterød’s book and make sure you’re ‘…one step ahead’.