Velotastic 24-Seven London Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey

Velotastic, purveyors of everything retro, pay homage to the '80s American racing team 7-Eleven with their own 24-Seven London jersey. It's part of their own range which they sell alongside a huge collection of vintage jerseys and memorabilia.

So why 24-Seven, London? Well as Velotastic themselves explain: "We grew up watching the Tour. It really became more real for us when we started racing back in the late eighties.

"One of the coolest teams around then was a bunch of Americans who raced for the 7-Eleven team. This jersey is a homage to them and also celebrates our capital city. We chose 24-seven and London because it's a city that never sleeps.

"None of us will probably experience riding up the Gavia in the snow like Andy Hampsten did in '88, but this jersey at least tips a nod to those golden years."

Once you get the Velotastic out of the wrapper it feels just like a pro level jersey should. Very lightweight, soft fabric and the colours are really bold. Much more intense than they'll ever be on a computer screen.

The fabric is Italian Interlock which Velotastic say combines breathability and elasticity, and they're right. In temperatures around the upper teens you remain pretty cool and any sweat is quickly wicked away. It'll definitely be a jersey for those warmer 22+°C days and thanks to the softness of the fabric you can wear it comfortably against the skin without a baselayer.

The cut is slim without being just for the racing weenies, it's what a lot of companies call 'form' fit, somewhere in between 'race' and 'sportive' fit. I've got a 38in chest and 32in waist and the medium size fit me spot on. It comes in five sizes of both male and female specific cuts which isn't something you see everyday.

You get a full YKK zip, ideal for ventilation on warm days and three pockets at the rear that you can load up without much sag. The hem is elasticated as well so the 24-Seven stays in position once on the bike.

So far it's looking pretty hard-wearing with no bobbling or pulling even though the majority of testing has seen it being worn under a rucksack. If you are riding around this time of year the white panels do get dirty but so far the washing machine has done a good job and getting the stains out. It's obviously early days but I can't see any longevity issues rearing their head.

Overall I think the Velotastic jersey is great, a really good quality feel to it with the design and colours being tastefully done. The £49.99 price is what I'd happily pay for a small batch, EU made jersey of this quality and with an extensive size guide on Velotastic's webpage you should have no problems getting exactly the size you want. There are four other jerseys in the range to if the red/green/white isn't your cup of tea.

Verdict

Top end jersey that mixes modern fabrics and craftsmanship with retro styling in a classy way.