Madison Turbo Indoor training jersey review

This jersey pairs with the Turbo shorts as part of Madison's indoor training kit, designed to boost comfort and therefore performance when your pain cave gets steamy.

Construction  

This jersey is specifically designed for indoor use, with its mesh fabric just about as lightweight as it could be. The fabric is treated with anti-bacterial coating and, unlike most cycling clothing can be washed at 60º to prevent the build up of nasty whiffs.

A full length zip helps if you get too warm, and while there is a hem gripper, it is absent from the sleeves. We tested the Acid Bolts colour scheme, which is redolent of the old Canyon-SRAM team kit, but plain black and a very striking Acid Fade are also available.

The jury is out when it comes to pockets on a jersey designed for turbo training. Some brands do add them, meaning you could easily use the piece of kit on outdoor rides in hot weather, whilst others do not - pointing out that this reduces the specificity as they're not necessary for indoor cycling. Madison has taken the latter approach - so there's no pockets here.

The Ride   

This jersey really is no more than a base layer with sleeves and a zip, the mesh is so fine you could easily read your copy of Cycling Weekly through it. The material is very breathable. Though there are heavier panels along the sides this makes no apparent difference to the wicking qualities, which are excellent for such a lightweight garment. It never once felt saturated.

While the Turbo jersey fitted well in the body, staying in place with help from hem grippers, I found the standard height collar was restrictive, making me uncomfortable and forcing me to undo the zip. With no extra-stretchy arm cuffs I also found the sleeves rode up when bending the arms to simulate a low aero position on the bike.

When I first looked at the jersey I thought the lack of pockets was a good idea, but when it came to carrying my phone, a couple of bottles and the other paraphernalia needed for a turbo session out to the turbo in the garage I missed them. Also, though removing pockets does make this garment more specific, adding them would make it wearable in more circumstances (eg, those infrequent UK heatwaves).

Value   

Coming in at £54.99, this jersey is cheaper than the competition (such as the Le Col x Wahoo model at £120). It comes at a good price if you feel you need a specialist jersey for your indoor sessions. The standout benefit is the ability to wash this, and the accompanying shorts at 60º which will certainly help with hygiene after hours of sweating.