The other day, I got excited and bought a cycling jersey. 

For most cyclists, this would be a fairly run-of-the-mill event that probably happens a couple of times per year, but for me, it is actually much more monumental. On the surface this doesn’t make sense, because I have far more jerseys than most. I have a drawer full of the jerseys I might use, then I have a box in the garage overflowing with the others. My friends know that if they’re after a jersey, all they have to do is ask.  

Rapha Mens pro team training jersey - chest.jpg
An older version of the jersey in question (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

The jersey I’ve bought is a short-sleeve Rapha Pro Team Training jersey, with a navy blue body and teal arms. I haven’t worn it yet, but it has already become my favourite jersey. Why? Because for the first time in about 12 years, I got to choose the jersey and the colour, rather than the colour the PR decided for the latest jersey I’ll be reviewing. 

I’m not blind to the fact that I am effectively complaining that my gold toilet isn’t sparkly enough, but having been writing for road.cc since about 2012, I have reviewed a minimum of two jerseys every year since, and it seems daft to pay for one just to choose a colour I liked more.

I am also aware that buying a short-sleeve jersey in the middle of February is not the kind of advice I would normally give to people, but honestly, I think this might become an annual ritual, because every time I look at it I get excited. 

It’s not because the jersey itself is going to blow my mind, or that the blue colour is going to magic up an extra 40 watts. It’s that I know that on one of my rides in the next few weeks, I’ll be able to wear it. On the ride I choose to break that jersey in it will be sunny, warm, and the best riding conditions I’ve seen since October. 

The anticipation is killing me. 

For many in the northern hemisphere, I reckon it’s Easter/late March to mid-April that brings a sense of rebirth and new beginnings, but for me it’s around this time. It’s when we start to see the first clear skies of the year, and I can begin to think about my first ride without mudguards. The other day I hit that annual milestone of riding in shorts with knee warmers rather than full tights, and I wore my helmet without a casquette – I finally got to welcome my shins to 2026. I was riding my gravel bike and there was roughly two inches between the bottom of my knee warmers and the top of my socks, so I got my first dirt tattoo of the year too.

That ride is the best thing that’s happened to me this week. It wasn’t even that warm or sunny, but compared to the sub-5 degree rides I’ve become so accustomed to, it was bliss. I know that from here on in, it’s only going to get better. 

A rainy day can be solved with just a light rain jacket, and I don’t need to worry about slipping on ice. A gilet will do, a mesh underlayer will become a better option. These aren’t suddenly pipe dreams. On Saturday mornings, each of these things becomes a distinct possibility. 

On this site I spend a lot of time complaining about cycling infrastructure or idiot drivers or the media scapegoating cyclists, but sometimes I think we all need to take a step back from that and appreciate the beauty of the sport we all love so much. It is something that we as cyclists tend to do more than is healthy, because that’s what happens when you so often feel that the world is against something that you dedicate so much time to. 

So, throwing caution to the wind… we’re living in exciting times, we are going to see more and more of the sun over the next few weeks, the long sleeves will become arm warmers, arm warmers will become short sleeves, short sleeves will get thinner, and before you know it, you’re riding in mid-summer and complaining about the heat. 

I can’t wait, and neither should you. Go on, get yourself that short-sleeve jersey in February. It will change your life!