Pearl Izumi Pro Escape Jersey

The Pearl Izumi Pro Escape Short Sleeve jersey is a high-performance garment that has lots of nice features, but the sleeve design seemed ill thought out and took the shine off for me.

There's no doubt that the design and construction of cycling wear has hit new heights in recent years and the quality of the fabrics, the panelling and the assembly of the Pro Escape are hard to fault. This is also true of the technical performance, which, although the summer has failed to venture far into Pearl Izumi's suggested temperature range of 60 to 100°F, made for comfortable, non-clammy days out.

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I counted at least 14 panels in the top, not including the pockets (of which more later). These are constructed from three fabrics: Pearl Izumi's P.R.O. Transfer In-R-Cool in the body, 100% polyester mesh inserts in the back and armpits for ventilation and P.R.O Transfer for the shoulders and sleeves. This is similar to the main fabric of the body but with a higher elastane content and it also incorporates Coldblack technology to prevent overheating in bright sunshine. This seems quite effective and you can even feel the coolness of the fabric in comparison to other parts panels, by pressing it to your lips, for example. However, the problem could also be helped by not making everything in black.

The full-length zip helps too, and adds versatility. I found it easy to use, with a decent-sized tab. It's backed by a substantial wind baffle, which seemed a curious choice on an out-and-out warm weather top, but I was glad of it as the Pennine winds have persisted all summer and have proven chilly at times.

The jersey is well assembled, with all seams tidily overstitched, though only one or two flatlocked. There was no lumpiness in any of the joins.

Pulling the Pro Escape on, you notice the smoothness of the construction and fabrics, and the body panels fit closely but comfortably around the torso. That expansive slab of black from the chest downward is not very forgiving of bulges, though, and this feels like a top for the lighter-framed rider. It's strange, then, that the sleeves are so loose fitting. This is made worse by the design of the cuff, which doesn't use the raw-edge technology currently favoured by many premium manufacturers. Instead it is formed by folding over a strip of fabric and sewing the edge back into the lower part of the sleeve panel. This is fine and comfortable but the slight lack of resulting stretch combined with a decision not to incorporate any silicone gripper gives a cuff that would stand still while my arm twisted inside it.

That affected the performance too, with the sleeves riding up my upper arms when I stretched forward on the bike. They aren't the longest sleeves to begin with, so there was a lot of exposed skin. Talking of which, while the jersey promises sun protection of factor 40, I had to apply the sun block well beyond my usual tan-line to ensure I didn't burn where the Pro Escape sleeves exposed milky flesh.

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The hem around the waist worked better, with an elasticated insert round the back and sides combined with silicone grippers to hold everything secure.

The pockets were good, too, just tight and stretchy enough to keep everything secure. The usual three are supplemented by two extra pockets over the side ones. These have a neatly angled opening and are just right for an energy bar or similar. There is no zipped pocket, but my house keys stayed firmly in place.

The look is rather geometrical and stern. My wife asked me if I was planning to boldly go where no cyclist has gone before. The Pro Escape also comes in a blue and red version which looks quite classy.

Overall, I thought the jersey was quite good, but given the price tag not really quite good enough. There are some garments you are pleased to see at the top of the drawer and others that tend to sink towards the bottom and only come out when everything else is in the wash, and I would put this somewhere in the middle of the pile.

Verdict

Good performance and quality but at the price it needs better sleeve fit to really measure up