Louis Garneau's Mondo jersey offers up a spot-on fit for road racing with a trim, truly skintight fit. Slightly longer laser-cut arm openings with paper-thin edges, and airy fabrics provided noticeable coolness even through a hot Colorado summer. While there's nary a smidgeon of fabric left loose to flap around in the wind, the fit still isn't at all restrictive.
Most of the panels are quite stretchy and Louis Garneau has also sewn in extra-stretchy panels at the front and back of the shoulders. The hidden zipper sports fine-gauge teeth, too, so even the front seam of the jersey is pleasantly flexible. Ventilation and breathability were excellent as well, with the thin materials used throughout doing a good job of pulling moisture off the skin, while also letting cool air blow through. However, the material is so effective at keeping you cool that anything aside from truly summer-like conditions will likely require an additional base layer or light vest.
Some riders might also lament the three-quarter front zipper instead of a full-length one. On the upside, there's no zipper to bunch up around your waist and the fit definitely benefits as a result. Adding some piece of mind is the UPF/SPF 50 rating to protect your back against harmful rays. Though the Mondo jersey is clearly a high-performance piece, Louis Garneau hasn't overlooked practicality. There are reflective accents on the center of the back, across the top edge and outer sides of the rear pockets, and even another small reflective tab on the front of the jersey for unusually good nighttime visibility.
Three properly sized rear pockets stow generous amounts of gear – we had no problems stuffing a jacket, bars, gels, an iPhone, keys and money back there. The center compartment also includes a reinforced pass-through for headphone wires. Durability has proven to be very good as well with several months of regular use and machine washings yielding no signs of wear. Aesthetics are racy but not over the top and Louis Garneau offers the Mondo jersey in three color schemes. Such a high-quality cut and top-shelf fabrics don't come cheap, though.