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Meccanica Marl Casual Retro Cycling Jersey

8
£120.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Part jumper, part jersey, all comfort; great for riding or not riding from Autumn to Spring
Weight: 
306g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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A hundred and twenty quid for a jersey? There, I said it for you. It's a very lovely jersey that your hundred and twenty quid buys you, the Meccanica Marl Casual Retro Cycling Jersey is the sort of jersey that you ride to work in and then do everything else in too. It's got enough bike features to make it practical to ride in, not so many that it looks stupid elsewhere, and it's among the comfiest garments I've ever had the pleasure of wearing. Sizing is miles out, but I'll forgive it that, and so should you, if they make one that'll fit you, though that's by no means a given.

Meccanica make their jerseys from Italian Merino and they stitch them together in the UK. This Marl Casual Retro is, erm, casual and retro. Not just a clever name, then. The simple two-colour design is pleasing. There are three buttoned pockets to the rear, and a quarter zip at the neck, which is ribbed like the sleeves and hem. That's about it, really. It's not doing anything particularly clever.

It's lovely to wear. Really, really lovely. The fabric is among the most comfortable I've tried. It has just the right amount of stretch to be a reasonably close fit, without being so elastic that your back pockets end up rubbing on your rear tyre. This is a merino top, so it does stretch more than synthetics when you load up the pockets. But it's not too bad. I tend to ride in this jersey on bikes that either have a saddle bag or a pannier (it's more that kind of top) so it's not a big deal.

A lot is made of Merino's natural antibacterial properties. Merino tends to be better than synthetics, and some Merino tops are better than others. Again, this is one of the best I've tried. You can live in it for days at a time. I deliberately wore it on the bike, sitting around bonfires, cooking, around town, whatever I could to get it to start reeking but it remained pretty neutral even after a week of wearing. A cold hand wash is recommended, and after that and a hang on the line it's good to go again.

The material is fairly durable. It's not the fine, close weave of a jersey such as Vulpine's excellent Alpine, it's more like a fine jumper. It weathers like a jumper: the fabric is starting to fluff a bit and there's the odd bobble. It still looks good though.

The weight of the fabric makes this Meccanica too hot for the full heat of summer. I know Merino is breathable, but you'd cook in it on a fast ride in the sun. It's much better for cooler days, evenings, or as a base layer under a shell when it gets a bit colder. You should be able to find a use for it in most UK conditions.

A word on sizing, then. Meccanica make great play of the jersey being available up to 4XL for bigger riders. That's great. However, I'm 1.90m and 101kg, and I'm currently wearing a medium, which isn't tight. Chances are if you weigh less than 80kg the small size is going to end up being a bit flappy. That rules it out for quite a lot of people, which is a shame. The sizing definitely needs addressing.

And should you pay the £120 asking price for one? Up to you, really. There are lots of good Merino jerseys for less. This one has become a firm favourite of mine, and it's made in the UK. It's two tanks of fuel, or a cheap espresso machine, or a year of Spotify. It's your money.

Verdict

Part jumper, part jersey, all comfort; great for riding or not riding from Autumn to Spring

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Meccanica Marl Casual Retro Cycling Jersey

Size tested: Medium - Grey, Red

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Classic British made retro cycling jersey made from 100% extra fine Italian merino wool in an ageless design. Sizes up to 4XL mean people of all sizes can enjoy this beautiful instant classic. As worn by Sir Chris Hoy.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

100% highest quality Merino Wool

Designed and made in England

Quarter zip with Centurion detail

Three back pockets with buttons

Seamless construction - no rubbing

Machine washable

Short sleeves

Merino is naturally anti bacterial

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
10/10

Everything in its right place, stitching all tight, washes well.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Too hot for heavy bike work but brilliant for living in.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

Fairly heavy merino cloth can take a bit of abuse but it will fur and bobble over time.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10

Weight is good for Autumn/evening riding and good under other layers when it's colder.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
10/10

They don't get much more comfy than this.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Great jersey, expensive to buy. You pays your money...

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It's a firm favourite now.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Comfort, performance, odour-shrugging.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Sizing is all to cock.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 42  Height: 190cm  Weight: 102kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Kinesis Tripster ATR

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

 

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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4 comments

Avatar
nwcyclist | 9 years ago
0 likes

Meccanica want to celebrate the great review with road.cc readers by offering the first 20 customers this short sleeved Merino and long sleeve Merino tops HALF PRICE! Just enter RoadCC1 into the promo box on the www.meccanicacycles.com website. Look out for other great offers!

Avatar
Nixster | 9 years ago
0 likes

Either it doesn't keep a person very warm or Dave really likes this jersey...  4

Avatar
truffy | 9 years ago
0 likes

Very nice. At a none-too-svelte 105kg that could do for me. I like it. But do I like it 120 drinking tokens much?

Avatar
notfastenough | 9 years ago
0 likes

Looks lovely, but at 70kg, a small is never going to look 'fitted'.

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