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I love crisp winter weather, but cycling in it is only fun if I can layer up and keep warm.
Enter Santini’s Pure Women’s Jersey (£89; also available in a men’s version), which I tested for Cycling Plus magazine a few months ago.
I’m a huge Merino-clothing fan (on or off the bike), partly because of its chill-busting feel against the skin. However, garments made from the pure, straight-up wool can be very pricey and don’t wear or stretch as well as many synthetic fibres can. Those with sensitive skin can find it a little scratchy, too.
The nicely stretchy Pure jersey uses a sensible combo of Merino wool blend in the sleeves, cuffs and collar, and Italian thermal fabric for the main body.
When the package containing the Pure Jersey dropped through my letterbox, it gave me a warm feeling inside to see the ‘designed for women’ sticker on the bag and label, signalling that the company is thinking about its female riders and making me feel more confident that the top should fit my petite frame well.
On that note, the impressively large range of sizes, in both the men’s and women’s versions, should help most people to find a good fit.
Hastily donning the top, which has a full-length zip, I found it beautifully close-fitting, without being restrictive, thanks to the material’s integrated stretch. As I put it on over my thermal vest (a Merino version is on my Christmas list), there was none of that initially cold-against-the-skin feel that some synthetic materials can have, and I appreciated the close fit on my arms.
Since then, after taking it on many jaunts, I’ve found its warmth-to-weight ratio is impressive – I can easily get even a close-fitting waterproof jacket over the slender Pure.
The thermal fabric has a subtle fleck to it, which gives the top an interesting two-tone look, while the body-hugging fit and nicely high neck help keep out those pesky ride-ruining chills.
You get three open back pockets (no zipped ones) and a strip of reflective material at the bottom of the back – the boasts of it being a ‘highly reflective’ top are exaggerated a little, I’d say. The sophisticated colour options are all dark, too, so it’s not hugely visible at night, but I suppose I’d often wear a higher-vis windproof/waterproof layer over the top at this time of year.
This top was my favourite out of the six I tested and, price-wise, it sat in the middle, which suggests it’s decent value for money, too.
On those wintry days when you might waver about going for a spin, decent kit, including a trusty layer such as this, is a must for encouraging you to head out – and that’s why Santini’s Pure is my current favourite winter jersey.
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