Velocio Women's Radiator Mesh Jersey review

Created with long, hot gravel races and blistering climbs in mind, the Radiator jersey from Velocio is a highly technical jersey designed for performance riding. A mixture of highly perforated fabrics are selected to help you keep your cool under pressure, but does it work as promised?

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Construction

Wicking sweat is key to the design of the Radiator jersey, which takes its name from one of the two fabrics used in the construction. The front panels are made from Velocio's Polartec Delta mesh. This is the same material as used by the brand for the Trail Radiator tees. It's a highly textured and perforated material with a Tencel knit, designed to radiate heat away from the skin.

The back, shoulders and sleeves are made from the same tight weave recycled fabric as the Signature jersey, which is lightweight and provides UPF30 sun protection where you need it most.

Unlike traditional jerseys, this top features a light crew neck, with a soft black zipper garage preventing the zip pull from causing any irritation against the skin. At the hem, a very thin black elastic backed with a silicone strip keeps the jersey in place.

Three roomy rear pockets on the rear provide plenty of storage space, backed with a stronger fabric panel to avoid any sagging when laden. You'll find reflective tabs on the right hip and down the back of the arms, to give a little more visibility in low light to an already loud colourway.

Speaking of loud, the branding on this model of jersey is uncharacteristically bold for Velocio, perhaps as it is often the choice of their sponsored athletes including Ted King, Rebecca Rusch and Ellen Noble. There's a large sublimated word logo down the back and smaller on the left chest and left arm, with the logo on the right arm too.

The Ride

With precious few summer days left at the end of the 'season' and Alpine climbs out of reach for now, I donned the Radiator Mesh Jersey together with Velocio's Signature bib shorts for a hot ride up one of Bristol's local hills; Dundry. Just pulling on this jersey makes you feel like a pro, with the trendy minimalist crew neck and close fitting design.

As the sun beamed down and the gradients started to ramp up on the lane out of the city, I was glad of how lightweight this jersey felt, leaving me to concentrate on my effort rather than feeling sticky or uncomfortable. After the first rep of the hill we sat having a coffee for a long time, and I didn't get a touch of that cold, sweaty feeling.

The rear pockets are still a generously size and well-reinforced to carry extra layers, snacks and tools, although without a zipped pocket unlike Velocio's Signature jersey. I really like the bright yellow colourway, which is fun as well as really visible, and the jersey also comes in some other bright colours including coral, red, celeste and a deep blue.

The one downside of the lightweight jersey (weighing in at a measly 97g) is that the back straps of the shorts are visible through the fabric. This doesn't affect the quality of the ride of course, but perhaps doesn't look as neat as it could. There again, performance is clearly the priority here and this is a feature of many lightweight mesh jerseys.

Value

At £110, this jersey is significantly less pricey than Velocio's Signature jersey, although perhaps more specific in its use. Built for the hottest days, long races and sweltering climbs, how much use you get out of this item will really depend on where you ride and your local climate. As a holiday purchase for a trip to the Alps or Pyrenees etc, this could be a really handy bit of kit.

The construction is quite obviously high quality, from the soft zipper garages to the careful selection of fabrics including recycled polyester. If you enjoy climbing or endurance riding in warmer weather, this could represent great value for a high quality jersey.