Sugoi Lumberjack Longsleeve Jersey

Sugoi's Lumberjack jersey will certainly make you stand out, and really acts as a conversation starter. Beyond that, it does what you need it to do but lacks some of the things we’ve come to expect from £70 cycling jerseys today.

To my mind it's a pretty ugly jersey, but it's obviously been designed to be noticed. It started several conversations on the club run and even when I was just riding solo, particularly the beer bottle sticking out of the back pocket (see below), and those faux buttons running down the length of the zipper. Whether you like being the centre of attention or not, if the jersey's prime use is to start conversations then it does it very effectively.

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Leaving aside the fun elements, the jersey is made from a FinoTherm material, which is meant to provide warmth and help accelerate wicking. It wicks sweat away effectively, but feels more like summer jersey material (there is a short-sleeve version too, for £59.99, made of FinoTech). Using it on cold winter days, there's little windproofing and despite its fleece backing the FinoTherm 'insulation' felt pretty minimal, which meant I needed to have a windproof, thermal layer above or below in order to ride in anything under 10 degrees. If you do get too warm, though, it has a full-length zip to help with ventilation.

The fit is somewhere between racing and relaxed, not being overly tight in any particular area, and it feels equally comfortable whether you're sat up or hunched over the drops.

It has three pockets on the rear of the jersey, big enough to fit everything in for a decent ride. The material used is stretchy enough that it can incorporate loads of kit, so useful for this time of year for windproofs, gilets, arm warmers and so on. It doesn't have a zippable valuables pocket, though. And it's also important that the pockets are full, as I found the jersey would ride up if not – there's no silicone gripper on the hem.

> Check out our guide to the best winter jerseys here

The jersey comes with an RRP of £69.99, which is steep for one that lacks some of the key elements I would want from a winter jersey, such as better insulation and an element of windproofing, along with silicone gripper and a valuables pocket that I would expect of any £70 jersey.

Yes it's a fun design, and if you are looking for jersey that's a bit different and makes you stand out then it certainly does that job, but for my money I would want some more thought put into the other elements that make a good long-sleeve jersey.

Verdict

A fun jersey, but for the money it really needs to include some more technical elements