At a glance Windproof short-sleeve jersey that’s good for 3-season use
Tested by
Jon Adams
Performance
A jersey has to be pretty special if you're going to fork out £75 on it, but though this seems close to a luxury item, it's actually so great that I ended up buying two. That sounds a bit flash, but I rapidly discovered that for my 30-mile round trip to work, it's all I needed for three seasons of the year, so I simply alternate between them. The full-length front zip locks at any position and vents nicely in the summer, and a pair of arm warmers (not included!) go on to keep any chills at bay on spring and autumn mornings. Other than that, unless it's close to freezing, the top half of me is done! Even in full winter, you could wear this with arm warmers under another windproof, but a long sleeve fleece is better as a winter base layer, so the Ozon jerseys go in the drawer for a rest when it's around 0ºC.
The Windstopper membrane is present in the black fabric areas, so covers the entire front of the jersey, the forward-facing part of the sleeves and the kidney area. The back and underarm sections are in a contrasting colour (red, blue, yellow or white) and this is made of a non-windproof, high-wicking material that takes the moisture away from your body and breathes fast to keep you cool. I suppose if it was blowing a proper hoolie from behind, you might get chilly from the rear, but if I experienced a tailwind that severe, I'd be too busy celebrating to complain about it!
Round the back and sides there are four generous pockets for stashing whatever you like to stash, and the right hand side pocket features an inner compartment for an MP3 player. This all works quite nicely provided your music player has a positive push-button operation or remote switch and not a touch screen.
Gore Bike Wear's Ozon kit is one notch down from the company's professional Xenon gear, and this high-end spec is reflected in the price. It is worth it, though - the stitching is showing no signs of wear after repeated use and 40 degree cycles, and the snug, slim fit gives the benefits of gentle muscle compression. Maybe not as useful for the upper body when you're riding a bike, but it makes you look slightly trimmer if nothing else!
To cap it all, there's a reassuring feeling that comes from wearing the brand that brought us household names like Gore-tex and Windstopper in the first place, and the understated colour choices make it ideal for those who don't want team replica kits spattered with sponsors who aren't paying them. An excellent jersey that fits well, looks good, and really performs.
Buy from www.chainreactioncycles.com
Gore Bike Wear says:
The windproof front, kidney and shoulder area of this jersey is combined with a comfortable jersey fabric. This makes it a great choice for cool and dry weather conditions.
- Flat-lock seams
- Front zip with semi-lock slider
- Zip-underflap
- 2-compartment patch pockets on back
- 2 side pockets on back
- Small key pocket in back
- Long back
- Partially elastic gripper on hem
- Reflective piping on front and back
- Reflective logo in front
- Tight Fit
- Sizes: S - XXL
Find out more www.gorebikewear.co.uk
