Lusso Merino Long Sleeve Jersey

The Merino Long Sleeve Jersey from Manchester-based Lusso has just the right amount of weight to the fabric to suit those chilly autumn days right through to the really cold winter ones when used as part of a layering system. It's warm, comfortable and excellently made.

• Pros: Top quality craftsmanship, highly breathable
• Cons: Only available in black, and could do with a few extra reflectives

In the autumn or spring, temperatures can change quite a bit throughout a ride especially if you head off early in the morning when the frost is clinging to the cars before the sun arrives to melt it away. It's these kind of conditions where the Lusso is absolutely spot on.

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Lusso has added merino to the mix – it makes up 35 per cent of the material's blend to be precise – and it's a wool that is well known for its insulating properties as well as offering great breathability.

Heading out the door with the thermometer nudging -1°C and a thin summer baselayer on underneath, I wouldn't say I was exactly toasty but I was much warmer than I really should have been considering just how thin this jersey is.

After a few minutes of riding, the fleece-backed fabric seemed to be trapping my bodyheat and I was very comfortable indeed. The material seems to do a good job of keeping the windchill out too.

As the sunshine started to warm things up to about 12°C, I certainly noticed the shift in temperature but never got overly sweaty unless really pushing the pace. In fact I was perfectly comfortable up until about 15°C before I found things a little hot. The heat is more pronounced on very sunny days because of the jacket being black.

At the other end of the scale, you could easily wear this jersey below freezing by adding a thicker winter baselayer or wearing it under a jacket, especially as it's of such little bulk. It all depends how well your body deals with the elements.

> Buyer's Guide: 12 of the best winter cycling jerseys

The latest designs we've seen coming in from Lusso are very much performance orientated, offering a close fit and cut very much to suit a rider leaning forward in the drops. That's not to say you need to be a racer to benefit. I've always found Lusso's sizing to be very realistic and quite flattering too, if you aren't the slimmest.

Starting at the top, you get a reasonably high neck to stop draughts and there is also a housing for the full zip to tuck into, keeping it away from your neck.

You get plenty of length in the sleeves which is good as there is nothing more irritating than finding a 1cm gap of exposed skin between your cuff and glove. The cuff itself is slightly elasticated to keep it in position.

The hem is held in place by an elasticated gripper with added silicone dots and it works very well. I never had it ride up and the tail is nicely dropped to give your lower back plenty of coverage.

At the rear you get three traditional pockets which are a nice size. You can easily fit a large phone in there and the material is pretty taut as well, so you don't get much sag when they are loaded up.

On the back of the right hand pocket there is also a zipped valuables one, ideal for keys, cash and a debit card for instance, and next to it on the right of the jersey you'll find a smaller fifth pocket, which is ideal for an energy bar or gel.

I know from reading previous comments on clothing reviews that a lot of you like to have a bit of colour, especially on kit designed for use through the winter, so the fact that the Merino Long Sleeve is only available in black might put some of you off. For me it's not a major concern because if it's overcast or dull I tend to be using lights on the bike anyway.

If you do ride in the dark, there are a few reflective details: a strip running vertically from the collar to the bottom of the shoulders, one on the chest, and another at the side on the fifth pocket.

The Lusso logos are also reflective. It's better than most of the token offerings we see on a lot of jerseys, but personally I wouldn't have minded a bit more on or below the rear pockets similar to Lusso's excellent Repel Corsa Jersey V2.

When it comes to pricing, against its rivals I'd say £100 is a pretty good deal. The merino-based PEdAL ED Essential jersey is £105, and the Podia Merino long-sleeved jersey is £117.

They're both very nice jerseys, but then so is the Lusso. The quality of the fabric is very good, it's warm and comfortable, plus the attention to detail and manufacturing is neat and tidy.

If you can cope with wearing black in the winter then you'll certainly get a lot of use out of the Lusso.

Verdict

A great addition to your cycling wardrobe thanks to excellent temperature control