[Photography by Georgina Hinton]
The Atlas is a premium-priced shirt that’s all about comfort and performance, and it doesn’t hurt that it looks great, too. Its articulated cut works well, and it wicks moisture quickly and effectively to the face of the fabric in warm weather. However, I found that it can leave annoying watermarks from my sweat once dry.
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7Mesh Men’s Atlas Short Sleeve Shirt – Technical details
The Atlas is a new lightweight shirt (jersey to you and me), designed to cover all types of riding, which means it should be just the ticket whether you’re railing berms at your local bike park or heading out on your gravel bike. 7Mesh describes the Atlas as delivering hyper-comfort and hyper-articulation.
The material is a blend of 57% recycled polyester with 43% elastomultiester fabric. Elastomultiester is supposed to deliver superior moisture-wicking and tons of stretch, something 7Mesh refers to as inbuilt mechanical stretch. Its material also gets UPF30+ sun protection, and is PFC and PFAS free, which means its construction is kinder to the environment.
It’s a slim-fitting top with a slight drop at the rear. Where many jerseys use raglan cut sleeves, employing one piece of material with a seam at the underarm, 7Mesh has decided to be a bit different, designing the Atlas with an articulated arm and shoulder panel. It looks like a raglan cut front on, but the arms are cut from two pieces. One big piece of material is used for the front of both arms, which extends across the upper back. Leaving a smaller piece that wraps up from the underarm that meets the long seam that runs across the whole back of the garment. It’s all about creating an articulated cut, and it certainly looks interesting.
There are no pockets or any other features. The chest logo is embossed out of the material and very low-key, but in keeping with the 7Mesh’s understated aesthetic. There are three colour options, Black, Almond, and Shadow, and sizing ranges from S-XXL
7Mesh Men’s Atlas Short Sleeve Shirt – Performance
Straight away, I could feel the difference the articulated cut across the shoulders made. It did feel a little tighter across the shoulders than a regular jersey/top/shirt – call it what you will. But overall, I liked the fit. The sleeves sit at a good length once stretched out and pedalling, with a bit of room around my biceps allowing the jersey to move without clinging – although I’d imagine riders with big guns will easily fill them. The length is good, and when wearing a hip-pack, there was still ample length for it to sit comfortably.
With all the hot weather that’s pummelled the UK recently, I’ve been trying to ride at the cooler times of the day to test it, but inevitably I’ve hit some high 20s wearing it. Around 18 degrees, its moisture-wicking capabilities are pretty impressive. It wicked sweat to the face of the fabric, quickly pulling it away from my body, and also dried out to a point whilst still moving, and I felt pleasantly cooled by the airflow entering at the sleeves.
Hitting the trails with the temperature in the upper 20s, the Atlas has still been a good jersey to wear. I soaked through pretty quickly with hard climbing in this heat, but the fabric still did a sterling job of wicking away sweat to the outer face of the fabric. It was an oddly comfortable sensation as I could feel the difference from the front face to the inside of the jersey’s fabric, yet it didn’t feel heavy when soaked through.
I’m finding it difficult to say how much difference the articulated cut makes when in motion, especially given the masses of stretch that the material provides. But it is super comfortable, and so far has proven very durable when attacked by stray brambles. My only issue with it is that it left a large and quite visible mark from my sweat once dry. It vanished after a wash and wasn’t quite so obvious after the next ride, but it’s not a great look if you don’t wash your jersey after every wash.
7Mesh Men’s Atlas Short Sleeve Shirt – Verdict
The 7Mesh Atlas isn’t cheap, so it depends on what you want from a jersey. Brands like Rapha and Mons Royale carry a similar level of gravitas and the pricetag to match. Our Liam rated the Rapha Men’s Trail Lightweight T-Shirt jersey (£65) highly, for its breathability and moisture wicking, but it did have a few fit niggles. At the same price point, the Mons Royale Tarm Merino Shift T-shirt is another good option, especially if you like Merino wool, and it performs very well in warm weather.
The 7Mesh Atlas Shirt is certainly a top performer when it comes to shifting moisture and keeping you cool. It’s unique approach to fit work, but I’d be hard pressed to say it’s ground-breaking. But if you like premium products that work, it’s a great jersey, and one I’ll be wearing, whatever shape my bars are.
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