What do you want from a men’s sumer cycling jersey and shorts? My estimable colleague, Helen Pidd, reviewed the women’s offerings from these same six companies on Tuesday, and much the same applies for me: I want lightweight fabric, breathability, long-distance comfort, enough pockets, a fit that’s snug without being lung-squeezing.
As Helen explained, our secondary brief was, as far as possible, to be provided with some, well, fun. Patterns were good, matching shorts and jerseys all the better. Tasteful pastel tones are all very well, but arguably a bit ubiquitous for men’s bike clothes at the moment. The final result was a bit mixed on this front, but maybe I didn’t explain myself so well.
From a more personal point of view there’s a few things I like in summer bike gear. Enough pocket space in the jersey, for one, ideally with one zipped pocket, and a full zip at the front. As for shorts, I managed to somehow ride for years without trying bib shorts. They’re a revelation – immeasurably more comfortable than the waist-squeezing variety, even in the warmest weather.
And it’s worth noting that while this is officially summer gear, the addition of a base layer, and some arm and leg warmers, extends the working life of this kit through much of the year.
I tried all these items out a fair few times, on rides of everything from 100 miles to my 20-minute commute. What did I discover? The good news is there were no real stinkers. There is a considerable choice of very well-designed and carefully made bike clothes these days. Better still, you don’t always have to pay a fortune. The jerseys here ranged from £40 to £100, and it wasn’t always the most expensive that proved the best.
Like Helen I’ve listed the brands in the order I liked their clothes best – and as it turns out we came up with identical league tables. It’s worth stressing that this is very personal, and all the clothes were pretty good.
dhb
Men’s Blok Micro jersey - £39.99
Men’s Blok Fluro bib shorts – £34.99. Currently out of stock but dhb says more should be available soon.
Men’s Blok Macro arm warmers – £17.99
If it had been explained in advance that the offering from the well-regarded house brand of online behemoth Wiggle would comprise a white spotted jersey, bib shorts with contrasting dayglo-coloured cuffs, and some bright orange, white and black arm warmers, I might have thought twice about signing for the parcel. But, amazingly, it works (or so I think; you can judge for yourself from the photo above). A bit on the garish side, maybe, but curiously flattering.
Better still, what is the cheapest gear on test proved among the best. I’ve had some not too dissimilar dhb bib shorts for a couple of years and they’re astonishingly comfortable – just the right amount of chamois padding, and leg sections which are grippy without compromising the blood flow.
The jersey is similarly practical, with three deep pockets and a small zipped space. Going on Wiggle’s size guide I went for a small, and the overall effect was what is sometimes called a “race fit” – ie tight enough to have raised eyebrows in the glory days of Studio 54 – but that’s partly me falling between the sizes.
I wore the ensemble (and make no mistake, this is well into ensemble territory) on an overcast 102-mile sportive, where it proved hugely comfy and fuss free. I even encountered another rider in exactly the same outfit. “It’s like we wore the same little black dress to a party,” he remarked.
Twin Six
Speedy Arenberg jersey - $80
Men’s Standard bib shorts - $125
Speedy Arenberg socks – $14
A geographically confused but very pleasing offering from the Minneapolis-based firm. The colours are Belgian, while the name references the Arenberg forest, a famous cobbled section of the Paris-Roubaix race which is, marginally but definitely, on the French side of the border.
Either way the feel is very much hard man (or woman) of the classics. I must confess to having rarely ridden over any cobbles above 10mph, but it looks great. The jersey fabric is thin and cool, very comfortable, and suitably pocketed, despite the lack of a zipped storage space.
Unlike the tattooed hipster in the photo above, I didn’t wear the matching shorts – Twin Six instead sent me their modestly-named but very impressive Standard bib shorts in plain black. The multiple planels are cleverly shaped, and the minimalist bib sections should fare well on very hot days (I’ll let you know if we ever have one). I did, however, get instead a rather snazzy pair of matching socks. Perhaps you can only wear all three Arenberg items if you’re actually Belgian (or French).
A quick note: Twin Six’s UK dealer is listed as the Always Riding website, though they currently list none of the company’s gear. You can order from US websites, but beware the risk of customs charges.
Rapha
Men’s Lightweight jersey - £100
Men’s Classic bib shorts - £160
For all the seemingly dozens of times I’ve taken heat about Rapha in the comments under Bike Blog pieces, until this combo arrived I’d never even tried any of the company’s shorts or jerseys. And I wasn’t disappointed.
The jersey, in a deeply tasteful shade of green – sage, according to Rapha – is just fitted enough to remain flattering on most frames, and beautifully made from a goassmar-light fabric , with a high collar and solid zip. If I have to quibble there’s perhaps slightly less pocket room than I’d ideally like – there are three, but the zipped centre pocket shares some of the same space.
The shorts, meanwhile, are petty much the gold standard for the genre, feeling like the work of a Savile Row tailer, with the just-tight-enough leg grippers and clever, linked straps which avoid shoulder slippage. Ride all day in these and they’re supremely comfortable.
But yes, the price. It’s just over £250 for the combo, or about three-and-a-half dhb equivalents. Is it worth it? Some will say yes, others no. But there’s no real need to get snippy either way.
Café du Cycliste
Lucienne jersey - €130
Josephine bib shorts – €140
Much like Rapha, Café du Cycliste don’t really do garish patterns – or any patterns, at least for men – so I found myself kitted out in this vastly tasteful selection.
The jersey, a more subtle, paler blue than the photo above seems to show, would be my choice of the six on test for the hottest of days, the lightweight fabric made even more breathable using mesh panels. It fits beautifully and has some lovely touches, like the tiny elasticated loop inside the middle pocket, to secure your mini pump as you bounce over potholes.
The shorts, however, were less of a hit. They’re well-fitted and light, but the elasticated grippers are almost absurdly tacky and grippy, especially for those cyclists, like me, who maintain some hair foliage. Ouch.
Howies
Team jersey - £49
Cadence jersey - £69
Team bib shorts - £59
Much like Helen, I wanted to love the Welsh company’s wares, but only succeeded in partly doing so.
It’s worth mentioning first that these feel much more spring/autumn than full-blown summer, with a thicker feel to the fabric that’s comforting now but might get pretty clammy come August.
I loved the look and feel of both tops, with the solid zip and high collar, though again the two-and-a-bit pocket system felt a touch small for me. My main issue was with the Cadence jersey, which while seemingly the right size was too over-stretchy around the waist. When I packed the pockets for a rainy 70-mile sportive in April, the extra weight pulled the back of the jersey downwards, the contents bouncing about over bumps. It’s something of a deal-breaker for an otherwise excellent jersey.
I didn’t get on entirely with the shorts, either, which have a slightly woolly, matt feel, which caresses the skin but looks very slightly odd.
Morvélo
Pois Nth Series jersey - £90
Pois Nth Series bib shorts - £120
Despite their punningly continental name, Morvélo are British, and boast an increasingly prominent reputation. I could see why – both items of my spotty Pois combo were well made and beautifully fitted.
And yet ... While the arguably more garish dhb outfit somehow worked, this somehow didn’t. “Never wear it again in my presence,” was my girlfriend’s response as I showed it to her. It’s hard to pin down what doesn’t work, aesthetically. Multi-shaded polka dots are a tricky look to pull off, but I found it was the fabric’s shininess that was perhaps its downfall.
It’s a shame. The high-backed shorts were hugely comfy, even if that shiny fabric made them slip somewhat on the saddle. And the jersey had four pockets – five if you count the compact zipped recess – perfect for a day-full of spares and energy gels, and an overall feel of great quality.
