Café du Cycliste Tichka jersey review

Café du Cycliste’s Moroccan-inspired jersey is all ready for some sun this summer

Cycling Weekly Verdict

The Café du Cycliste Tichka jersey has a Moroccan-inspired look and a comfortable, airy fit that’s generous without being baggy. Quality details include pocket top reinforcement tp help prevent sag and wide reflective bands on the sleeves.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Quality lightweight fabrics

  • +

    Interesting geometric patterns

  • +

    Nice detailing

  • +

    Fairly relaxed fit

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Some bunching and windflap at speed

  • -

    Expensive

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Café du Cycliste is based in Nice and its clothing range takes its cues from the colours of the Mediterranean. In the case of the Tichka jersey and several others among its recent pieces, that’s crossed from France to the southern shore, with the Tichka jersey taking its name from the 2,260m Tizi n Tichka pass in the Atlas mountains behind Marrakech. There’s a badge on the middle rear pocket to remind you of the pass and its altitude.

That’s not all that the Tichka jersey takes from Morocco though: the colours and patterns reference the Maghreb too. The mix of geometrics on the front, rear and pockets give the Tichka jersey a rather exotic look that I like a lot. There is a range of three different colourways, with different geometrics on each.

Café du Cycliste has used a nice mix of lightweight fabrics too, for good breathability that lets you keep your cool in hot conditions. The front and rear panels are made of a mesh that’s lightweight without being sheer. The side panels are of an even lighter mesh, so that there’s plenty of stretch.

Tichka jersey

The rear of the Tichka jersey has pockets in contrasting fabric while the arms have white reflective strips

Extra-light fabrics can lead to a bit of pocket sag, but Café du Cycliste has avoided this. There’s a wide elastic strip sewn in across the back that supports the tops of the pockets, to help keep them firmly in place without being uncomfortable.

>>> Best summer cycling jerseys

The cut is pretty generous, so there’s plenty of room in the Tichka jersey even without the added stretch, while the high collar can be zipped up to keep out the draughts on cooler days.

>>> Buy now: Tichka jersey from Café du Cycliste for £131 (opens in new tab)

Café du Cycliste sews small reflective tabs into the side hems of the pockets. Plus, it includes two large white reflective strips on each sleeve for additional visibility in lower light conditions. It says that the sleeves are a bit longer than normal too, for additional sun protection. It rates the jersey at UPF 30, so you shouldn’t have any problem with sunburn this summer.

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Paul Norman

Paul started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2015, covering cycling tech, new bikes and product testing. Since then, he’s reviewed hundreds of bikes and thousands of other pieces of cycling equipment for the magazine and the Cycling Weekly website.

He’s been cycling for a lot longer than that though and his travels by bike have taken him all around Europe and to California. He’s been riding gravel since before gravel bikes existed too, riding a cyclocross bike through the Chilterns and along the South Downs.