Liv Flara Thermal Long Sleeve Jersey review

With the advent of highly technical fabrics, dressing for really hot or really cold days in the saddle is relatively straight forward. But what to wear when it's neither baking or bitter can be tricky, and can mean a ride either ends up a sweaty mess or cut short due to being too frozen to complete.

>>>Buy Now: Liv Flara Mid-Thermal long sleeve jersey for £79.99 direct from Tredz

Inbetweener

The Liv Flara Mid-Thermal long sleeve jersey plugs the in-betweener days perfectly. Liv say their proprietary ThermTextura material adds warmth by fleecing the underside of the fabric, harnessing natures best insulator in the form of air. This fabric not only holds body heat in, but, according to Liv, also protects you from the elements.

It does make it a contender for one of the best long sleeved cycling jerseys, with such promising features.  

The ThermTextura fabric of the Liv Flara Mid-Thermal long sleeve jersey also noticeably soft and stretchy, so when pulling on for the first time, the women's specific top fitted really well, without being tiger tight.

The stretch of the jersey also allowed me to either dress it up or down depending on ride conditions. Living in the north of the UK means variable weather conditions to say the least, so in the same week of riding I had the temperature flux of around 10degrees, from single digits to high teens. By simply adjusting my base layer to a winter one and teaming with the Liv Race Day Wind Vest I was still totally comfortable temperature wise wearing the Liv Flara Mid-Thermal long sleeve jersey.

Pocket Issues

However, while temperature regulation indeed comfortable, my back wasn't. I'd had to cram all my riding paraphernalia in to two pockets rather than a standardised three. I'd already condensed down to the minimal swag, but riding with less than two inner tubes is, in my humble opinion, tempting fait. Measuring 210mm, 160mm longer than an average rear pocket, meant it did all just about fit, with road tubes, although I'm not convinced a pair of 28mm plus tubes would along with all the other emergency fixing swag etc.

This meant I found myself with a rather stretched lower half of the jersey and struggling to reach anything at the bottom of the pocket due to it's depth. It also made me realise the importance of the zip secure pocket to stash my phone into, so it didn't take a tumble out when reaching round for mid-ride snacks. But, positioned at the front of the right-hand sided rear pocket, this also meant that, with the effect of a book in a rucksack, my smart phone prevented 'stuff' from being able to bulge out, consequently it bulged in to my back, meaning a regular rearrangement to make it more comfortable.

Value

At a penny less than £80, the Liv Flara Mid-Thermal long sleeve jersey is a great price. Its a great in-between seasons piece of apparel and I really liked the multiple and purposeful reflective detailing, as well as the fit, especially with the narrow glove friendly cuffs.

However, with just one colour option and the pocket situation, it's going to be compromised piece, which is up to the rider to decide if they are willing to make.