Stolen Goat Men's LS Thermal Jersey

The combination of British Racing Green and racing numbers is an odd design for a long sleeve thermal cycling jersey, but as Stolen Goat say "Fans of motorsport rejoice, you are allowed to like cars and cycling". Graphics aside it's yet another top quality garment from the quirkily-named company.

Initial riding at the tail end of winter made me query the 'thermal' part of the jersey. It just wasn't as warm as I was expecting especially with temperatures around freezing.

After reading Stolen Goat's description it's clear that ultimate body temperature isn't the goal it's all about maintaining a constant regardless of what you or the weather is doing. With this information to hand I rode again and again in temperatures ranging from 0°C - 10°C (often over the same two hour ride) and the blurb is right, I always felt the same temperature.

From easy spinning to efforts on the hills the breathability of the fabric meant that I was always comfortable with no build-up of perspiration.

Stolen Goat say they achieve this "by using a fabric that has an insulating effect that protects you from temperature fluctuations keeping you warm but not hot". The inside uses a Roubaix lining which is soft against the skin and is great for trapping body heat.

Ventilation in areas such as under the arms and upper back helps keep the air moving and the material also has high wicking properties. It remains dry unless you are absolutely belting it and even if it gets overwhelmed it'll soon right itself.

The cut is close, a 'fitted fit' apparently and unless you want to show every sinew of your toned cyclist body I'd go up a size. The medium tested came up true taking into account my 38in chest as the length was good as was the arm length even when tucked down in the drops.

You get a full YKK zip which is easy to use, no snagging on any pieces of material as you pull it up or down.

For storage you get the full quota of three pockets which are big and sturdy enough to take all your kit for a day's riding.

The overall quality goes a long way to reflect the £65 asking price. It's really well made and pulling it on roughly doesn't produce the sound of any stretching threads. Longevity isn't going to be an issue here. As far as the colours and graphics go they're certainly bold and striking and just in case you're wondering the '12' is in relation to the year Stolen Goat was started.

On the whole the British Racing Green Long Sleeved Cycling Jersey is a sensibly priced quality garment that has performance to match. For really cold days, sub-zero, you can layer it up but between zero and around 13 degrees it'll be comfortable and constant.

Verdict

Great quality thermal jersey with a larger, more versatile temperature range than most