Santini Queen of the Mountains jersey review

Claiming your crown on a Strava section out on local roads, or digging deep to climb several hundred feet, means putting some hard work in on the bike, and clothing should reflect this effort and dedication. The Santini Queen of the Mountains jersey has been designed to do just that, and has been designed specifically for attacking the climbs.

>>> The best summer cycling clothing for 2017

Construction

The Santini Queen of the Mountains Jersey uses two polyester fabrics in its construction, a body hugging and stretchy 'Arctic' on the front and sleeves, which Santini say enhances the aerodynamic properties of the jersey, and a 'Half-Moon' micro mesh at the back and sides for breathability.

Video: Altitude explained

At the base of the Santini Queen of the Mountains jersey a five centimetre wide siliconed elasticated band all but wraps round the waist, where the main body of the jersey making up the remaining seven centimeters of fabric either side of central zip.

The arms of the Santini Queen of the Mountains jersey have minimal construction, keeping seams to a minimum and doing away with elastic and silicone.

Unusually for a road jersey the Santini Queen of the Mountains Jersey has five rear pockets, all of which are sensibly sized, measuring at least nine centimetres pre-stretch width.

The Ride

Slipping the Santini Queen of the Mountains jersey on and it's clear that it's a 'race cut' design, with its skin tight fit especially noticeable across the arms, shoulders, and waist, without being over compressing.

At just 116grams it feels featherweight when on and, depending on base layers, can become incredibly breathable on even the hottest of days in the saddle. Talking of base layers, it's something that you may need to pay extra attention too as the white front panel leaves little to the imagination, which may make some riders feel a little self conscious.

With five pockets all across the back, it does mean that the two outer ones wrap round at the sides meaning they are really easy to access while on the move, which does make them ideal for snacks. However, this does feel slightly contradictory to the race cut fit and lightweight nature of the Santini Queen of the Mountains jersey. Altough if you are on a long ride, factoring in snacks or using a pair of arm warmers for the decent down the mountain and the design makes more sense.

Value

As with all Santini clothing, it's gold star in terms construction and clearly a lot of thought has gone in to the fit and function of the jersey, and at nearly £85.00 it sits at the higher end of the market, but for riders looking for a partner in helping them climb the cols then they won't be disappointed.