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Gore Bike Wear Oxygen FZ Lady Jersey

9
£74.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Not cheap, but worth the money for a genuinely comfortable high-performance summer jersey
Weight: 
172g
Contact: 
www.gorebikewear.co.uk

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 proper full-on summer jersey this one, designed for those days when the sun is melting both you and the tarmac and speed is the name of the game. The Oxygen FZ Lady is designed with high performance road riders in mind, to deliver comfort and a stable temperature during rides of any distance.

Available in a variety of bright (and more subdued) colours, including the hot pink I tried, this is a stylish jersey with a very sporty look. It's not something you'd probably pop down the shops wearing, so much as attack a race or good length of sportive in. Features include a full-length front zip for great choice of ventilation, although you'd obviously need to be wearing a decent crop top underneath to prevent the wrong sort of attention with the zip lower than about a third down!

The central rear section is secured with a gripper tape, while the rest of the hem is left without. There are three elasticated pouch pockets at the back, and a small zipped pocket for valuables, as well as reflective accents along the sides of the pockets and at the shoulders. Mesh panels work with the main fabric to provide zones of extra ventilation where it's needed most- down the centre of the upper back and at the sides.

The cut is contoured and sleek, without being horrendously unforgiving in a shrink-wrapping kind of way, so will suit those looking for a race fit, but perhaps lacking the physique for most race-fit styles. But (like most things) it'll still suit those blessed with a sporting musculature.

Torso length is pretty average, so should suit all but the very tallest woman. The EU38/Medium I tried was spot on for a UK12- slightly unusual for Gore whose fit is sometimes on the small side.

In wear, the jersey was incredibly comfortable, with a 'barely there' quality to the soft supple stretch microfiber fabric. The fabric wicked moisture really effectively and quickly, even in the hottest conditions, while the mesh panels speed up the cooling process further still.

The rear gripper tape did the job of securing the tail admirably, with no problems, even down on the drops. The pockets were a decent size for the necessities, although it might have been nice to have had the zipped security pocket on one of the side pockets rather than the central largest pocket which of the three was the best suited to a bottle.

The soft fabric does snag easily, so keeping it away from Velcro is a must, and the top is machine washable only at 30, as with many technical fabrics, meaning it could eventually accumulate odours.

£74.99 is a lot for a jersey, but the features and level of comfort and performance offered by this top are up there with other jerseys of a similar price, so it doesn't suffer by comparison. It is also available for much less than the RRP at some retailers.

A men's version of the Oxygen FZ Jersey is available.

Verdict

Not cheap, but worth the money for a genuinely comfortable high-performance summer jersey.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Gore Bike Wear Oxygen FZ Lady Jersey

Size tested: EU38/Medium

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?

Aimed at demanding female road cyclists.

Spot on for races, training rides and sportives- or just fast paced recreational rides.

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

Body

86% Polyamide/14% elastane

Mesh

94% polyester/6% elastane

Full zip

Central rear hem gripper

3 stretch pockets (2 mesh)

1 small zipped pocket

Reflective accents

Mesh panels at centre of back and sides.

Athletic but not over-snug fit.

Available in sizes EU34-44 (XS-XXL)

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Very well made and nicely finished.

Rate the product for performance:
 
10/10

Performed excellently in summer riding conditions.

Rate the product for durability:
 
5/10

Fabric does snag easily.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10

Not as light as some summer jerseys but with extremely effective moisture wicking abilities.

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

Superbly comfortable in a "don't notice you're wearing it" sort of way.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Pricy but worth it for a performance summer jersey. But limited only to summer use.

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

Very well indeed.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Style, fit, mesh ventilation, comfort, fabric softness.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Easily snagged fabric, zipped pocket could have been better placed on one of side pockets rather than central.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes. Very much.

Would you consider buying the product? Definitely.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Probably.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

Sporty styling, good performance and excellent ride comfort. Not a bad price for it either.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 1.65m  Weight: 67kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, general fitness riding, mtb,

 

Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling. 

Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other. 

She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting. 

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