Cuore Gold Race Jersey review

Best known for their custom tailored individual garments and bespoke kit, Swiss brand Cuore have a standalone Gold Comp short sleeve jersey that has wowed us.

Construction

Over the years I’ve probably spent thousands of hours in Curore kit, as many of the teams and publications I’ve raced and worked for have chosen the Swiss brand to produce its kit.

But this was the first time I’ve ridden in the Gold level jersey, and while the basic designs are similar, the fabrics used throughout the Gold jersey are lighter and more dynamic.

By that, I mean where the materials are intended to stretch, there is more elasticity, while those that are not are distinctly more rigid.  

Even on its lower level jerseys, Cuore uses quite a few fabrics, but by my count, four different textiles are used throughout the Gold jersey. 

Starting on the front, a vented four-way stretch mesh style fabric spans across the entire chest, creating an almost dumpled finish. Up close, the middle of the dimples is a bit like a fly screen allowing for the free transfer of air and moisture. 

The sleeves and shoulders are made from a mix of lycra, and a different dimpled mesh fabrics. The sleeves come nearly all the way down to your elbow, though this can be customized for a few bucks if you go for the custom route.

Cuore says the layout of these fabrics is to provide comfort and freedom of motion, and the dimpled fabric is there to improve the jersey's aerodynamics. The sleeve's bottom edge is laser cut, and stays put without the need for a gripper, allowing for sharp tanlines. 

The textile that has been chosen for the back panel has a hexagonal pattern and is two-way stretch, with the spread oriented horizontally to allow the jersey to extend and move with you, but provide support and structure for the pockets. 

Speaking of pockets, there are three good-sized pockets and a zippered pocket providing ample room for keys, cards and cash on the outside of the middle pouch. 

Around the bottom hem of the jersey, the same lycra used on the bottom of the sleeves is doubled over and covered in silicone dots on the inside to form a gripper. To prevent it from just rolling over and creeping up, the fold has been thermobonded to create a more rigid hem. 

All the fabrics used here are UPF 50+ rated, so you don’t need to apply sunscreen under your jersey. 

Ride 

With the number of textured fabrics on display there, just looking at the Cuore Gold Comp jersey, you can tell it’s a technical garment. I can't speak to whether or not the dimpled fabrics on the shoulders and across the chest are anything more than marketing speak when it comes to slicing through the air with as little resistance as possible. However, the way the top fits would make me lean towards believing what Cuore has to say in this regard.

The Gold jersey is most definitely a race-cut garment in the way it's articulated. When you pull the jersey on and zip it up, you will feel the fabric tugging across your chest as you stand up, but when you reach for the bars, this disappears, and there is not a wrinkle to be found and it fits like a dream.

The textured fabrics also do well to manage heat and moisture. Even riding in temperatures well above 90F/32C, the Cuore jersey never becomes overly swampy or cling to the skin. 

Another neat bonus was that the jersey happily houses not only a 27.5in tube in any of the three main pockets, but also spare kit in the same pouches.

While such voluminous pockets stuffed to the gills can cause them to sag and bounce as you ride, luckily the pockets sit up against your body, and the two-way stretch fabric on the back panels provides the necessary support. 

Value

Considering this is the same jersey that you find on the shoulders of the Team CERATIZIT - WNT Pro Cycling UCI World Tour team, and Swiss Racing Academy UCI Contitnal pro team, priced a $155 / €140 / AU$155 the Cuore Gold Comp top is less expensive than what Giordana, Castelli, and Santini sponsored teams are wearing. This isn’t a totally apples to apples comparison, but the top of the range Curoe jersey still costs less and performs every bit as well as these other pro-level kits.