At a glance Merino wool blend, short sleeve jersey with a full-length zip and a tight fit that’s comfortable against the skin and ideal for summer riding
Tested by
Jon Adams, tester for The Bike List
Performance
Made from a blend of 75% New Zealand Merino wool and 25%
polyester, the Smartwool Flagstaff is a snug-fitting, short sleeved
jersey with a full-length zip. It sports a tight, race-style cut,
but you don't have to squeeze in like a second skin item, and when
it's on, there's no sense of being constricted or compressed. It's
really comfortable against the skin, especially after a wash or
two, and the thing UK men will immediately notice is it has a
left-hand zip fitted, with the puller on the right instead of the
left. This is no big deal, but you might find it a little 
awkward if you've unzipped it completely to
cool off and are trying to do it up again while riding no-handed on
the bike.
Round the back there's an elasticated hem with a silicon gripper to stop it riding up, and above this there are three pockets, the middle of which has a zipped security compartment and a hole for your iPod's earphone lead. This is a nice touch, but the pockets themselves are a bit on the small side. They're easy to access as a result, but don't have a lot of depth so may not hold as much kit as you'd like. If you're not a big pocket user, and tend to have your keys, phone, wallet, and maybe an MP3 player stowed away, then you'll be fine. If, on the other hand you carry all this along with a windproof, leg warmers, mini pump and toolkit, then you may struggle a bit.
The jersey is well-vented at the base of the neck, and has mesh
inserts under the arms to keep you cool. The weave isn't as tight
as some Merino wool items, and this allows the wind to gently move
through and stop you overheating on hot climbs. The Flagstaff is
ideal as a summer jersey, and its use could easily be extended into
late spring and early autumn with the addition of some arm warmers.
Being Merino, it a
lso doubles as a good base layer under a windproof
in cooler conditions, so you have a pretty versatile top that could
be used all year round with a little accessorising.
Like other Merino tops, it doesn't take on odours easily, so keeps you sociable much longer than a synthetic top, and is quick-drying enough to be ready in the morning after a wash the night before. Other notable features include a peppering of good retro-reflective flashes for extra visibility at night, and these are well positioned for car headlights to pick out.
All in all, this is a good jersey that does a good job. It's designed for the warmer months, but is versatile enough to go into the autumn and beyond, thanks to Merino's proven ability as a good, high-wicking base layer. It's unashamedly a roadie's jersey, with its tight fit, but check the pocket capacity before you splash out, as serious pocket users may not have enough room for all their kit.
Buy from UK stockist: 01753 497190
Smartwool says:
Our cycling jerseys have been redesigned with our new SmartWool Technical Knit Merino fabric, which improves the jersey's fit. Details include a full-zip front and mesh fabric under the arms and along the back for extra ventilation. Slim-fit, with three standard drop-in back pockets. Made in Vietnam of New Zealand Zque™ Merino wool.
- 75% Merino wool
- 25% Polyester
- Colours, Fire (Red), Electric Blue, Carbon (Grey)
- Sizes S-XL
Find out more www.smartwool.com
