Santini Tono Short Sleeve Jersey

If you have plans to soar up some Italian mountains this summer, the Santini Tono Short Sleeve Jersey is a perfect garment in which to do it. Not only should it keep you as near as it's possible to be to feeling comfortable in such conditions, you'll look like a climbing god, too.

At least, I thought I looked the mutt's when I pulled this jersey on and zipped it up over my chiselled torso (it's not me in the pics!). It being Italian, you know that a Large is going to be no bigger than a UK Medium and no way did I think this little scrap of high-tech J-cloth was going to cover me; but as I slipped into it, the fabric opened out this way and that to accommodate me with ease. Looking at the Santini sizing chart, I probably should be in an XL (and I would say that Santini's sizing is therefore spot-on) but there's so much stretch in this that I didn't feel restricted at all, even under the arms. The Tono comes in eight sizes, too, so you should be able to find one that's just right for you.

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What's more, the offset diagonal patterns and red-black crossfade patterning combine to break up your body outline and create the illusion of a waistline, even where there isn't one. Santini describes the cut as 'slim', which is not as tight as its 'sleek' (ie skintight) range; but given I was wearing a size smaller than ideal, 'sleek' is what I got, without detriment to fit or performance. Having lost half a stone this spring, the resulting look was a reward for my self-sacrifice.

That's enough posing in front of the mirror for now; to work. The recommended temperature range on the Santini website for the Tono is 18-35°C. How I laughed, then, to take this jersey out of its packet as, outside the window, the April sleet fell and a Baltic north wind set in that persisted for almost a month.

I asked the prod ed for a flight ticket to Rome to give this a proper test but I don't think she got the email. Nevertheless, I got out there and, with various combinations of arm warmers, baselayers and gilets, plus some high enough efforts on the bike, I was able to get up to a comfortable operating temperature. Those 4.5cm arm grippers work really well with arm warmers and the sleeves are long enough to prevent any gaps.

When I was feeling brave, I removed the gilet for some hill climbs and still felt good. Descending revealed just how well ventilated this top is – though the chill was not, as I expected, felt across the chest. It was around the shoulders where the cool air reached the skin, suggesting a high level of heat dispersal that should prove very effective when the sun shines. Having toiled over the Appenines in 35 degrees I know what an Italian summer ride feels like and you do not want to be over-dressed, believe me.

You may need to be careful about exposure to sun, though. Santini only rates this garment 2/5 for UV protection and the almost-transparent mesh and stretch that provides the excellent breathability may also leave you at risk of sunburn.

Be careful, too, about what you wear under it. I always like to wear a baselayer, except in the hottest weather, because I like something between me and my bibs; but what you wear will show through and I found sleeved vests made the tight-fitting arms ruck into the armpits. A sleeveless vest is probably ideal.

Santini still makes all its kit in Italy. The construction is excellent, as is the finishing and detail, down to the little SMS Santini hologram on the neck. The low cut of the neck means absolutely no restrictions in that area, even though the back of the zip pull is left exposed.

> Buyer's Guide: 15 of the best summer cycling jerseys

My one disappointment was in the fragility of the fabric. Something this light, stretchy and breathable is probably going to lack some robustness and so it proved, as after just a couple of wears I found a snag in the fabric that turned into a small hole very quickly. So, will this jersey still look good at the end of the season? Be careful with it, and keep it away from rough fabrics and thorns.

Otherwise, I'd be happy posing around in this all summer. They also come in yellow and a nice blue/white that should look very nice with my Italian steel road bike...

Verdict

Summer top that's amazingly lightweight, stretchy and breathable but correspondingly fragile