The Santini Colore Pure Men’s Long Sleeve Jersey is good looking, impressively warm and breathable, though the arms are a bit on the tight side and it lacks a valuables pocket.
The Colore Pure can be worn either as an outer layer on milder days or a mid-layer on the coldest rides. I used it as an outer down to around 8°C and as a mid-layer down to near freezing.
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Its cold weather credentials come from its fleece-lined sleeves and warm thermofleece torso, which keeps the heat in well while still being breathable and moving excess hot moist air away.
The material choice throughout the jersey is generally impressive, with different areas using noticeably different materials. The more shiny fabric on the sleeves, for example, offers a little more wind protection (although it is not windproof) while the torso feels almost as soft as cotton and offers more stretch.
Breathability and wicking are good for a winter jersey – I didn’t find myself overheating or becoming excessively sweaty while wearing it, even when it was being used as a mid-layer. As an external layer it also kept my temperature well regulated, and its ability to dry quickly meant I stayed warm and dry too.
Santini has included some useful features, including a stripe of reflective dots up the centre of the back, as well as two tabs on either side of the rear pockets, and a small reflective Santini logo on the front of the jersey. One thing I particularly like about the strip of reflective dots is that at night these shine out clearly, but during the day they’re subtle enough that you barely notice them unless you’re looking really hard.
I think it’s a good looking jersey, with the differing materials between the torso and the arms made into a nice feature, and the subtle branding combined with minimal panels gives it a clean cut and classic design.
The fit is generally good, too, especially with the amount of stretch in the torso, meaning it can mould around most body shapes and sizes. The only thing that’s a little annoying is that the sleeves are quite tight, so wearing arm warmers or a thicker baselayer underneath them is a bit of a squeeze. There is still a fair amount of stretch in the fabric, but definitely not as much as in the torso.
The good quality full-length zip has a nice big pull-tag that’s simple to find and use with full-finger gloves, handy for quickly releasing any excess heat built up during a climb or big effort.
On the back there are three good size pockets offering enough space for all your ride essentials. I went on several rides where I ended up stripping off gloves and outer layers and putting them in these pockets without wishing I had more storage space. It would be nice to have a zip pocket for valuables, though.
Silicone grippers around the bottom edge of the jersey keep everything in place regardless of whether there is weight in the pockets or not.
The jersey has a price tag of £99, although if you shop around you can find it for around 30 per cent less. It’s about what I would expect for a jersey of this quality, given the technical characteristics of the fabric combined with the fit and style. The Shutt VR Tourmalet Jersey that Stu tested recently is £120 at rrp and similarly doesn’t have a valuables pocket, although that is made with recycled materials.
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It’s £20 more than the Altura Endurance long sleeve jersey that Shaun reviewed recently, which offers some (if not a lot) rain protection, although the Colore would seem to be better insulated.
> Buyer’s Guide: 19 of the best winter cycling jerseys
Overall I was impressed by this jersey. It’s stylish, warm, and breathable. The sleeves could be a little wider to allow for thicker baselayers or arm warmers, and I’d like a zipped valuables pocket, but aside from that there is very little not to like.
Verdict
Good looking, warm, and comfortable jersey for cool and cold conditions
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Santini Colore Pure Men’s Long Sleeve Jersey
Size tested: Medium
Tell us what the product is for
This is a long sleeve jersey that can be used as an outer layer in cool conditions and a mid-layer when it’s really cold outside.
Santini says, ‘Long-sleeve thermal jersey. Breathable and warm, designed to keep you comfortable on mid-season rides’
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Santini lists:
THERMAL PROTECTION:
Breathable and warm thermofleece construction. Perfect for mid-season rides.
COMFORT FIT:
Designed to sit comfortably on the body without restriction. Double sleeve cuffs for extra warmth.
HIGH VISIBILITY:
Reflective details for high visibility in the dark.
GREAT STORAGE:
Triple rear pocket on the back to store everything you need.
Well made, with strong stitching and an excellent material choice.
It does exactly what’s needed for a cool and cold weather jersey, keeping you warm but still offering impressive breathability.
It feels well made; the stitching is tight; no reason to think this won’t last for years.
For regular use the fit is very good, though could do with slightly more room in the arms to allow for thicker baselayers or arm warmers underneath.
The medium I tested fitted as expected.
The soft fleece combined with silicone grippers keeping everything in place make this a very comfortable jersey.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
I washed it at 30 degrees four or fives times during the review without any issues.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very well, it kept me warm whilst remaining breathable, and the high visibility elements make a real positive difference.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The reflective elements are particularly impressive, especially bearing in mind how subtle they are during the day.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing major, but it would be nice to have a valuables pocket.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
The Shutt VR Tourmalet Jersey that Stu tested comes in at £120 and similarly doesn’t have a valuables pocket, although that is made with recycled materials. The Altura Endurance Men’s Long Sleeve Jersey is £20 cheaper, and has a DWR coating, but the Colore is better insulated.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
It’s very good at keeping you warm, visible, and comfortable, though a valuables pocket and slightly wider sleeves would make it even better.
About the tester
Age: 33 Height: 6 ft Weight:
I usually ride: CAAD13 My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo
I’ve been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed,
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