Castelli Prologo VI Short Sleeve Jersey

Castelli's Prologo Jersey has now moved on to its sixth edition and it continues its theme of being a top that sits somewhere between a race jersey and one that's slightly more relaxed. It offers decent performance and quality, as do others at lower prices.

• Pros: Breathable fabric, fit not restricted to ultra-lean racers
• Cons: Up against some tough competition at this price

When George tested the previous version of the Prologo he was impressed, especially with the breathability which at the time Castelli rated 4/5 in its own scoring system. This version uses the new Punto fabric which Castelli only gives a 3/5. Maybe its top end fabrics are becoming even more impressive, stretching the benchmark or it's being a bit more ruthless with the scoring. Either way, the latest Prologo offers plenty of ventilation thanks to its mesh-like construction, great when the temperature ramps up into the mid-20s.

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The fit is surprisingly loose for Castelli but in a good way. The cut is still pretty close and if you stick to the sizing guide you aren't going to find lots of loose fabric flapping about in the wind, but if your racing days are behind you and you are going for comfort over speed these days, you won't need to feel conscious when rocking up on the club run.

I quite like the bold styling, though to my mind it's a shame that the red banner doesn't travel all the way around the jersey, not for a visibility reason, purely to give it a more complete look.

If black isn't for you there are plenty of other options if you take a look at Castelli's website.

The Prologo comes with a decent length dropped tail so when you fancy hunkering down in the drops your lower back remains covered, and it's held in place by a silicone gripper.

You get three pockets in a traditional setup across the rear and they do a pretty decent job, although I did find the material a little lacking in tightness when the pockets were loaded.

When riding I carry a Sticky Pod with various essentials to get me home when things go wrong so that I can make the school run. It's not massively heavy, but other jerseys cope with the load with a little less bounce and sag than the Prologo.

Money-wise, the Prologo VI's £85 price tag is a little overpriced when you look at other very good jerseys out there. Lusso's Dash will only set you back 65 quid, and Sweet Protection's Crossfire jersey, a similar traditional design, is just £69.99.

> Buyer's Guide: 17 of the best summer cycling jerseys

Castelli's Prologo VI is a good jersey, but while it has only crept up a fiver in the last couple of years there are a lot of tops delivering the same for less.

Verdict

Great looks and breathability and the relaxed fit will appeal to many, but there are other brands doing it cheaper