Muxu Ride Stripe Polo Shirt

We like this shirt a lot. It looks like a standard polo shirt but some well thought-out features make it an excellent option for riding around town.

For a start, although the soft Drirelease fabric feels completely natural, it’s actually 85% polyester – the other 15% being cotton – so it doesn’t get heavy if you work up a sweat sprinting away from the lights, and it dries quickly. Okay, it can’t compete with a race jersey on that front but this isn’t a shirt designed for getting in the big miles, it’s for wearing on days when you’ll be both on and off the bike. It doesn’t start stinking after a quick spin into the office either, thanks to the FreshGuard anti-bacterial fabric treatment. We’ve been wearing it all day after a short commute without the atmosphere getting at all whiffy.

The cut is slim and side panels improve the fit so there’s little flapping about when you get up to speed, and our shirt is holding its shape perfectly after several washes. In fact, it’s still as good as new. The back is slightly extended to keep you covered when you’re reaching forward to the bars, but not so much that it looks weird when you’re off the bike, while the almost-invisible zipped pocket in the lower back comes with a hole for running an earphone lead internally. It’s big enough to hold your wallet and keys too.

The shoulder seams are positioned just forward of the tops of your shoulders so there’s less pressure on them when you’re wearing a bag, while the neck label is printed onto the fabric so there’s no stitching back there to irritate you. Along with the cool-feeling material, this makes for a really comfy feel. Everything is double stitched and the embroidered logos front and rear are high quality too.

As for the price, well, a cotton Fred Perry polo shirt will set you back £50. We reckon £55 is reasonable for technical cyclewear.

Verdict

Comfortable, well-made shirt with some good design features, for use on and off the bike