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Cervo Rosso Strada Full Zip jersey

8
£99.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Certainly pricey, but a high-quality summer jersey in an attractive design
Weight: 
160g
Contact: 
www.cervorosso.com

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This stylish, Italian-made jersey is a top performer in warmer weather.

This is the first time we've reviewed anything from Cervo Rosso on Road.cc and it's a very good start. The jersey is made of two different types of fabric. The front panels and the arms are made from Lycra Sport that's very stretchy with an almost silky feel.

The back panel is a lightweight polyester. It's not a mesh but it's a fairly open weave. When you sweat, it shifts the moisture away very competently and dries out in next to no time. It's highly stretchable widthwise but there's very little vertical give so the pockets don't end up sagging down.

There is one other fabric, actually. At the ends of the sleeves you get elasticated arm grippers – stretchy bands that are similar to the grippers you get at the end of many pairs of shorts these days. Dots of silicone on the inside face of the grippers help hold the arms in place. That's not much of an issue on bare skin but it's useful when you're using arm warmers.

The cut is slim and the arms are close fitting and there's enough stretch here that this jersey will suit a range of different shapes and sizes. It's certainly a sporty silhouette, though.

I'm a big fan of a full-length front zip and this is a high-quality lockable one. Yes, we're currently in the middle of the worst summer in the history of the universe but it's handy to have the option of opening the front right up on a hot climb. You never know, the sun might shine one of these days and this jersey will be ready for it. 'Be prepared': that's what they taught me in the Cubs.

You get three lower-back pockets that are elasticated around the top to help keep everything in. As I said before, despite the stretchy fabrics the pockets don't sag too much; they stay pretty stable even when filled with all the bits and pieces you need to carry on a long ride.

Personally, I like the look of this jersey too. It's fairly busy, I guess, but it's not got a wannabe pro appearance. Classy, we're saying.

Our version has a Swiss flag design on the left arm gripper, Cervo Rosso being a Swiss brand. You can get models with other bands including a red, white and blue GB design although, in truth, that one looks more French or Dutch to us. There's another version where the left arm gripper is the same as the right, but where's the fun in that?

One final thing: anyone know what Cervo Rosso means? It's 'red deer' in Italian – hence the emblem. See, you come to Road.cc looking for a bit of buying advice and you leave with an education. Result!

Verdict

Certainly pricey, but a high-quality summer jersey in an attractive design

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Cervo Rosso Strada Full Zip jersey

Size tested: Large

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?

Here's what Cervo Rosso say: "The latest member of the National Pride family, the Swiss version follows the classic clean and elegant design of the long sleeve National Pride Jersey in Sportwool, the NEW National Pride short sleeve model takes this timeless jersey to a new level.

"This jersey is designed to optimally support you during high intensity and longer duration rides. Made from the MITI TECH POWER, the Short Sleeve National Pride incudes a Lycra SPORT front panel that gives the jersey an exceptional body fit cut and feel, whilst the rear portion of the jersey utilises a cross construction of polyester that provides exceptional vertical moisture transportation capacity. This simply means that the jersey remains dry and ensures low moisture retention.

"Additionally our choice of the rear Polyester fabric, provides exceptional lateral stretch enabling the jersey to be highly elastic whilst minimizing vertical stretch that leaves most jerseys sagging through the lower pocket region.

"The NEW short sleeve model has maintained all of the clean and classic styling elements this series of jerseys have become known for. This Lycra SPORT / Polyester National Pride Jersey takes the National Pride collection to an even higher level.

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

The rear polyester in particular is highly breathable. It stretches across its width so it's not restrictive, but it doesn't stretch much lengthwise so the pockets don't sag. I have a couple of jerseys that do sag when you sling a multi-tool and mini pump in the pocket and they're a pain in the arse – sometimes literally.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Great fabrics and build quality although probably not your first port of call if value is your top priority.

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

Great performance. I've reached for this a lot over the past few weeks.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Hmm, nothing springs to mind. 20 quid cheaper would be a whole lot nicer.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Good fabrics and the full length zip.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yup

Would you consider buying the product? Yeah, would certainly consider it

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 190cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding,

 

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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