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Louis Garneau Course Superleggera Jersey

9
£109.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Top performing jersey with great fit and comfort while stacking up well on the bang per buck scale.
Weight: 
111g
Contact: 
www.evanscycles.com

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While there is a certain drive at the moment for retro-styled cycling kit, the Course Superleggera jersey by Louis Garneau is all about technology and performance. It excels in both departments.

Part of Louis Garneau's Road Elite range which they brilliantly describe as being for 'any cyclist whose passion fringes lunacy' the Superleggera is designed to be superlight and super breathable. Pretty super then.

Fit & Construction

The bulk of the jersey is made from coldblack Mondo, an 86%/14% micro-polyester/spandex mix so called because the material comes with a finish which reflects heat rather than absorbing it. Not so much an issue with the white version we've got here for test but on the similar Course Race jersey it worked very successfully in strong sunlight.

Garneau kit is split into various fit styles from relaxed through form fitting. The closest fit is Next to Skin, and that's how the Superleggera is designed.

Louis Garneau uses a fabric called Mesh 1001 for the chest, arms and mid back to wick sweat away from the body. It is a base layer material so obviously works better next to your skin where perforations create a layer of air that retains body heat.

The remaining panels are Lazer Rev which is a compression style material designed to offer support to the muscles and keep the jersey shape.

As far as fit goes all three of the various materials are very smooth and soft to the touch. Thanks to the Next to Skin fit the jersey looks tiny on the hanger, like a kid's jersey. The material stretches to fit and then stays put thanks to the wide silicone band at the rear.

The Lazer Rev material at the arms uses the compressive properties to keep things in place as you move about. The shoulders are shaped so the jersey actually moves very little as you move from a standing to crouched position.

A full length zip enables more ventilation if needed but to be fair the way the mesh panels work it's going to very hot before that's necessary. You find the usual three pockets at the rear and they are certainly plenty deep enough with the two side ones being angled making it easier to get stuff into them while riding. There is also channelling for headphone wires up through the jersey.

Performance

How does the Superleggera perform and does it justify its £110 price tag? For the latter part of that question it's a resounding yes. Compared to the competition at this price point the mix of fit, performance and comfort are about as good as it gets.

From 20°C upwards the wicking properties are very impressive and the wicking mesh panels are positioned in just the right place. Your shoulders are always in the wind flow whether you're standing or seated and you can actually feel the heat coming off of your body as you're riding. The material also carries a SPF rating of 50 so you shouldn't get burnt through the mesh either.

Riding in chillier temperatures isn't really an issue either. Starting a long ride early morning when things are a bit fresh, say 10 degrees is still comfortable once you get your body temperature up after a few miles.

The Superleggera feels like a second skin and moves with you without bunching anywhere. The materials are very soft to the touch and feel great against the body.

There is an impressive range of eight sizes with chest sizes from 34 to 48 inches. The are two colour options of white/black or black/white both with red accents.

The quality is also top notch, it just looks and feels like a high end bit of kit and literally makes you feel good while you are wearing it. Although it's pretty robust Garneau does recommend you do your best to resist snagging it as like any knitted material abrasive surfaces will pull on the threads.

Overall the Superleggera is a top end jersey with a top end price backed up by top end performance with nothing in the way of sacrifice.

Verdict

Top performing jersey with great fit and comfort while stacking up well on the bang per buck scale.

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Louis Garneau Course Superleggera Jersey

Size tested: Medium, white

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?

The Superleggera is aimed at performance riders who want something light and very breathable for hot days. The jersey is certainly both of those and an all round top level bit of kit

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

coldblack coated lycra to reflect heat (black version)

Mesh 1001 fro base layer breathability from a jersey

laser cut grippers

full zip

SPF50 sun protection

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

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

absolutely top notch performance, comfort and fit and the outlay of cash isn't going to be wasted

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

the fit and breathability on warm days

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

nothing really

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: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 34  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Ribble Winter Trainer for commuting, Genesis Flyer  My best bike is: Sarto Rovigo

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

 

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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2 comments

Avatar
chris75018 | 10 years ago
0 likes

+1 for the above comment. Does appear to be more than a little transparent...

Avatar
bohrhead | 10 years ago
0 likes

Not sure you'd want to wear it in public though

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