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review
£109.99
VERDICT:
Guaranteed to keep you cool, but the fit could have been a bit better for the price
Weight:
175g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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With its thin, mesh-like fabric, Northwave's top-tier Extreme Tech Plus jersey is squarely aimed at racers, specifically on hot days. By some miracle, we've actually started to have some hot days, so theres an excuse to get out in the sun if I've ever heard one.
At first glance, the Extreme somewhat resembles a colander, with tiny holes dotted all over the fabric and, fancy cut outs in the arm and waist grippers. There was no doubt that this jersey was made to keep me cool.
Pulling on our size medium sample, the Extreme Tech Plus jersey feels very light and airy to say the least. This feeling translates on to the bike very well; it's one of the most breathable jerseys I've ridden in. Northwave's 360FLOW fabric (a.k.a. lots of holes in very thin material) certainly does its job, without making the jersey totally see through, a look I am not a fan of at all.
Being more specific about the fit, I had a niggle with the sleeves. The arm grippers are all very well and good at allowing my sweat to evaporate, but they lack grippy silicone on the insides and despite being reasonably tight, they would ride up towards my armpits. Thankfully the back of the waist did have a better level of grip and stayed put. Other than the sleeve issue the rest of the jersey fit me reasonably well. Not perfectly but I wasn't particularly annoyed by anything else.
Price wise, 110 quid is a lot to spend on a jersey. Unlike another identically priced jersey I tested recently, I found that I couldn't justify the cost quite so easily. The Extreme is no doubt a good jersey and does keep you cool, but I think the fit could be refined and improved.
Verdict
A jersey that is guaranteed to keep you cool, but the fit could have been a bit better for the price
road.cc test report
Make and model: Northwave Extreme Tech Plus SS Jersey
Size tested: Medium
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
The jersey is rated on Northwaves 1-5 performance scale at a 5, definitely one for racing and or riding long and hard in.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
MAIN FABRIC: 360Flow® + Sanitized® treatment
ZIP: YKK full opening
POCKETS: 3+1 built in water-repellent material
ARMS ELASTIC: Reflective Airgrip 4,5cm
WAIST ELASTIC: Airgrip 4,5 cm on front + Ultragrip 4,5 cm on back
REFLEX INSERTS: 360° visibility
TECH: Biomap construction
Rate the product for quality of construction:
7/10
The sleeve and waist gripper holes look pretty nifty, but the sleeves could have done with a bit more grip on the insides to really stay put.
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
The fabrics certainly kept me cool on hot days.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
No issues.
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
8/10
It's got a lot of small holes in it. Pretty light.
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
7/10
The fit wasn't quite what I hoped for for 110 quid's worth of jersey.
Rate the product for value:
6/10
It wouldn't be top of my list of jerseys around the 100 quid mark.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Breathability wise - very well.
Fit wise - average.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
How it kept me cool. The design is pretty good looking too.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
It wasn't quite as figure hugging as I would have liked.
Did you enjoy using the product? Mostly yes.
Would you consider buying the product? No.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? If they were a bit wider than me.
About the tester
Age: 21 Height: 182cm Weight: 73kg
I usually ride: On-One Carbon Whippet Single Speed MTB/Kinesis Pro6 My best bike is: Scott CR1 Pro
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
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