Gorewear Spinshift Breathe Jersey Men’s

The Gorewear Spinshift Breathe Jersey is a comfortable and highly breathable, summer-specific top that's great for hot summer rides. But while it's not see-through, do watch out for tan lines through the mesh.

> Buy now: Gorewear Spinshift Breathe Jersey Men’s for £76.99 from Gorewear

Materials

The Spinshift Breathe jersey is designed to keep you cool on warm summer days. Gorewear doesn't give an ideal temperature range – just saying it's 'ideal for warm temperatures and high-intensity efforts – but I tested it in temperatures ranging from 18°C to around 30°C, and it felt very breathable.

The materials are well designed; the front of the jersey isn't see-through, which protects your modesty in the cafe, and there are mesh sections in the upper back and shoulder areas which help keep you cool. However, you do need to be careful as I ended up with an X-shaped bib-strap tan on my back after cycling on a sunny summer's day. If you're not wearing a base layer, I think it would be worth covering your whole body with sunscreen if you're doing a big day out in this jersey.

The material was very breathable. On a recent trip to Spain, while working hard up a 13km climb, it was a bit damp when I reached the summit. However, by the time I descended into town, it had dried out and I wasn't having lunch in a sweaty jersey.

Fit

The jersey is described as 'Form Fit,' which is Gorewear's closest fit. It is a very close fit, and initially trying it at home, I thought it'd be too small. However, once I was in the cycling position, I found it a good fit. The sleeves are on the long side but not a down-to-your-elbow aero fit, which minimises the risk of a dodgy tan line.

The fit around the upper chest was a touch more relaxed, which helped air flow into the jersey to keep you cool.

The jersey is a medium length; I'm 178cm and there's no risk of stomach exposure while off the bike. It is kept in place with a traditional gripper, which works well, and I never found myself adjusting the jersey.

Size

The Spinshift Breathe comes in five men's sizes from Small to XXL, and in five women's sizes from 4-6 to 20-22). I tested my usual size, medium.

The sizing is a little harsh compared to some other brands. I'm 178cm tall and 73kg and was towards the higher end of medium. I'd say that your usual size would most likely be okay, but I'd recommend double-checking the size guide if you're normally between sizes.

At the back, there are the usual three pockets. They are medium-sized, big enough for most riding, however, riding in the Spanish mountains with a jacket, plenty of nutrition, and other essentials, it was a bit of a squeeze.

There's also a zipped valuables pocket which is a good size. I could just about fit my Google Pixel phone in it, though I tended to just use it for my card and keys.

There is no top zip garage, but the neckline sits low enough not to need one – though not too low, which has been the case on some jerseys I've tested. The zip did seem to struggle with the 'Gorewear' logo on the zip slider.

The quality of the jersey is great, the stitching perfect, and it still looks good after wearing it and washing it a lot during testing. It responded well to hand washing on a bike-packing trip and dried out quickly.

I tested the 'scrub blue/ultramarine blue' jersey which I thought looked good, and there are three other two-tone colours available.

Value

At £109.99, it's mid-range for a summer jersey. It costs a little more than the Santini Mirage jersey at £90, which received a good review and looks stylish, though as with other Santini kit, just be careful of the sizing, and a little less than the Castelli Endurance Pro 2 Jersey which we liked a lot and is £115.

If your budget doesn't stretch that far, the Van Rysel Summer Jersey is now priced at just £49.99, and in spite of that modest outlay Stu was very impressed.

For even more choices check out our best cycling jerseys buyer's guide.

Conclusion

Gorewear has delivered a high-quality jersey that's designed for summer – and it lives up to that hot-weather billing. The panelling balances keeping you cool while not leaving you feeling as exposed as you would be in a full-mesh jersey – though you still might need to slather on the sunblock.

Verdict

Very good breathable summer jersey with a close fit that's ideal for hot summer days