Cannondale Performance 1 Jersey

With its close and aerodynamic fit, Cannondale's Performance 1 Jersey is designed for speed merchants, but it isn't all form over function as what you get for your 80 quid is a fully functioning traditional style jersey with added poppers to create a cycling onesie.

The US bike company has always been a fan of making things work together. Si or System Integration, as they call it, has been seen on everything from frame and crankset combinations through to headsets and the rest. Now they've gone and applied it to their clothing.

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The Performance 1 Jersey comes with two simple poppers on the hem at the rear. These snap onto the opposing poppers on the bib shorts, letting you wear your jersey fully unzipped without it blowing about all over the place. Okay, admittedly in the UK this probably won't come in handy on a daily basis, but the odd midsummer ride or sportive I've done in sweltering conditions have seen a jersey with full pockets bouncing and flapping about once the climb becomes a descent.

The key thing for me, though, is wearing the bibs and jersey together in something like a club 10 or quick club run where you want a bit of an aero advantage. Lie yourself out on the tri bars or in the drops and the Cannondale kit pulls itself snug as near as damn it to a skinsuit (that's not me in the pictures).

The cut is close, especially around the chest and arms, and the typical cyclist's body has been taken into account too. By that I mean the medium tested here is tight on my 38in chest and weedy biceps but you get plenty of length on the torso, especially the dropped tail. 

The Performance 1 weighs 152g, nothing special compared to the competition, but it feels lighter when it's on. The Lycra uses 13% elastane, which gives it plenty of movement while staying close to your body, with the mesh panels that run from under the arms to the hem providing plenty of breathability. It's a great jersey for when the temperature is nudging the low 20s and above.

Round the back you get three traditional pockets which are deep enough for all your ride essentials and well positioned for getting stuff in and out easily. There's a zipped one, too, which Cannondale call a media pocket, though it doesn't have a headphone cable port like most. It is lined to stop sweat getting from body to phone, though.

Overall the Performance 1 is a great racer's jersey that has a nice cut and a decent weight but above all else is very comfortable to wear close to the skin. There are zip houses top and bottom of the full-length zip, too, to stop anything digging into your skin when you're in a crouched position. The £79.99 price tag isn't extreme either; you're getting a quality product here that's been designed to be worn in a race position with no excess material to bunch or flap about.

Verdict

Well designed pro-level kit for a sensible price. A really tight fit for those performance rides and minimal gains