Fat Lad At The Back Women’s Cove Jersey

This short-sleeved jersey offers a wide variety of designs and sizes to suit most tastes and body shapes. Made from lightweight polyester, it's designed to wick moisture effectively and dry quickly. It has a full-length YKK zip, silicone gripper all around the hem, three rear pockets and a water-resistant zipped pocket for valuables too.

There should be a design to suit most tastes, from the retro-flowery design I tried to less overtly girly options, and even some humorous ones too (powered by pie...) for those that way inclined. Contrast black side panels make for a flattering overall look.

Overall, the shape is good and curve-friendly, but the length (which is designed to prevent any gap between jersey and shorts, no matter the shape of rider) was a little over-long on my 5ft 5in frame. I'm not especially short in the torso, either.

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I tested the 38in chest, and it fitted well over bust, upper arms and at the hips, but I found the extra length actually made it more likely to ride up rather than less, even with the hem gripper.

The fabric wicks moisture quickly, keeping me a good temperature even on hotter days (yes, I did find some), and it dries fast too. The collar is snug without being overtight, as are the sleeves. It's strictly a summer-weight jersey unless you wear a base layer, though.

The rear pockets are a fairly standard size and capable of taking an iPhone 7 in a protective pouch quite happily – good news, as the water-resistant pocket is not large enough for a phone.

The zip feels a little flimsy and its seams aren't finished that well, with a few straggly edges here and there, and worst of all it's difficult to operate single-handed on the fly. The seams throughout are fairly basic, in fact, rather than flat and smooth.

Value

At £54.99 this isn't quite an entry-level jersey, but it's but not far off. It hits a similar price point to quite a few others, such as the Primal Pixel8 Women's Cycling Jersey at £55 and the Altura Icon Women's Short Sleeve Jersey at £54.99. The dhb Women's Blok Jersey is £45, but in reality, the majority of jerseys we test are significantly more expensive.

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The major value of Fat Lad at the Back is (as the name suggests) its sizing options for all shapes and builds. Altura and dhb stop at a size UK18 (about 43in chest), for instance, while Primal goes up to 45in chests – still quite some measure short of the 53in options from Fat Lad at the Back. Many high-end jerseys stop at about a UK16.

Overall

Whilst the finish isn't perfect and the length was a little too generous for me, I found the Cove Jersey a very capable summer top. The price is reasonable, performance is good and the broad, inclusive range of options is impressive.

Verdict

Attractive, comfortable and effective – if not the best-finished jersey ever