7Mesh Women’s Ashlu Jersey

The 7Mesh Women's Ashlu Jersey is a very comfortable merino top, with great storage and a fairly relaxed fit but a high price tag.

• Pros: Merino fabric properties, five pockets including two zipped, relaxed fit
• Cons: No zip garage, some sag if you really load up the pockets, longer than some jackets...

I tested a size large, which some of my measurements suited, but could easily (I think) have gone for a medium. It's quite long in the body, which I like; some jerseys are described as having a dropped tail but really don't, and leave you a little exposed. That's not the case here.

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I did find that it was longer than some jackets – the Gore Shakedry High Viz only just covered it in some heavy showers (though it did quite a good job really, considering how much was stuffed into the jersey's five pockets).

Yep, five pockets – three open ones in a typical arrangement across the back, and two zipped ones either side, sitting on top of the outer two open pockets.

They have a 'semi-static design to reduce sag', apparently, but there's still enough stretch to let you stuff loads of kit/food/spares into them. Last ride, I ended up carrying that Gore jacket, two halves of banana, four or five energy gels, a couple of energy bars, a thin gilet, toe covers, arm warmers, and a cycling wallet with phone and cards.

What you cram in the pockets can pull the already-long jersey down a bit, though.

> Emergency essentials: the 10 things you should take with you every ride

Despite mine being slightly on the large side, the jersey isn't loose, but it does have a more relaxed than racy fit. It's not designed as a sleek, aero racing top, it's 'made for roads, roaming and pretty much everything in-between' says 7Mesh. I like it. It's close but not skintight. It's perfect for pootling down the Wylye valley, stopping for coffee and cake, commuting not too many miles, wearable for three days on the trot...

Merino is well known for its anti-bacterial, anti-pong qualities; here it's combined with nylon in an 89/11 per cent mix. Pure merino can go fuzzy on the surface, but there's none of that here. The merino that 7Mesh has used is mulesing-free. The fabric also has UPF 50+ sun protection built in.

It can feel a little warm on really hot days (I preferred the £35 Van Rysel jersey if it was blisteringly hot), but on long days when it's cool in the morning, warms up midday, feels cool in the afternoon shadows, cold when the clouds start leaking... it's perfect.

When the light does go, the jersey has a couple of reflective patches at the rear to help keep you visible, attached to the black pocket section. It all helps, especially as it's not the most stand-out colour – which, incidentally, 7Mesh has called Death Plum. Nice.

The strip of black nylon/elastane across the shoulders and the rear of both sleeves (one single piece, from sleeve end to sleeve end) is stretchier than the merino, presumably helping with fit if you've opted for a smaller size.

Although 7Mesh is a Canadian company, the Ashlu jersey is made in China. The quality is very good – some flatlock seams, some overstitched, all holding together well after plenty of wearing and washing – but I'd like a zip garage because the top of the zip can irritate your neck, whether it's done up or not. Even the £35 Van Rysel jersey has a zip garage.

There's also some slight curling of one sleeve end, where the fabric just doesn't sit properly (not the one below – there's a close-up in the gallery of photos up top). The sleeve design is unusual – they're not separate from the front of the jersey, it's all the same piece of fabric, with no seams going over the shoulders. The sleeve 'sections' are then angled, and the ends are cut on the bias. Maybe if it was a tighter fit around my arms it wouldn't happen, and it's only one sleeve so maybe just an anomaly with this particular top. Still, if I was spending £110 on a jersey I'd like it to be close to perfection.

That price puts it up with the likes of Rapha's Classic II, which has exactly the same rrp. The Rapha does come in three colour options, though, and has that all-important (to me) zip garage...

> Read more road.cc reviews of women's cycling jerseys here

Overall, I'd say the Ashlu is a really nice jersey for long day rides or multi-day touring. It's great for commuting – if a bit of an expensive choice – and the relaxed fit/look makes it ideal for more casual rides to a cafe/pub/picnic.

Verdict

High quality, classy merino mix top, great for long days in the saddle