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review
Jerseys - short sleeve
Primal Tungsten Women's Evo Cycling Jersey Primal Tungsten Women's Evo Cycling Jersey Primal Tungsten Women's Evo Cycling Jersey Primal Tungsten Women's Evo Cycling Jersey Primal Tungsten Women's Evo Cycling Jersey Primal Tungsten Women's Evo Cycling Jersey Primal Tungsten Women's Evo Cycling Jersey
Primal Tungsten Womens Evo Cycling Jersey

Primal Tungsten Women's Evo Cycling Jersey

8
by Lara Dunn
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Apr 22, 2015

0
£60.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Super light jersey, well-designed and spot on for hot weather comfort
Weight: 
166g
Contact: 
shop.primaleurope.com
How we test

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.

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Primal have long been known for producing good kit that looks a bit cooler than usual, and the company's range of jerseys for spring/summer 2015 does not disappoint. The Tungsten Evo automatically has the Marmite factor, as it includes pink in the bold and striking design, but it's a hot pink, contrasting with black and grey, that should sit relatively easily with most women.

This is a jersey aimed squarely at the warmer months of the year, made as it is from a lightweight polyester fabric, knitted into a grid pattern to give maximum breathability and also with mesh panels down the sides and under the arms. It also features a SPF of 35+ so it's definitively a summer orientated top.

The full zip is always nice in a summer jersey, and three fairly generous, if not especially deep, pockets at the rear take care of most bits and pieces for a summer ride. There's a hem gripper tape to keep things in place too.

The cut of this jersey is intended to be race fit, and it's sleek but not over tight for the sizing, although those with bigger upper arms might find the sleeves a neat fit as I did. It's an incredibly well ventilated jersey, super cool for those longed for hot UK summer days and perfect for overseas training camps and the like.

The fabric wicked moisture well in use and kept me from feeling too unpleasantly sweaty, and it also dried quickly too. The hem stayed put even when riding on the drops and stayed comfortable, but I'd have preferred there to be some sort of small zipped pocket for a key and money in an ideal world.

It's nudging the upper end of what I'm happy to pay for a lightweight short sleeved summer jersey with minimal features, but it IS made from excellent fabric and performs well.

Verdict

Super light jersey, well-designed and spot on for hot weather comfort

road.cc test report

Make and model: Primal Tungsten Women's Evo Cycling Jersey

Size tested: Black - Large

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?

Aimed at demanding riders looking for a performance jersey for hot weather conditions.

Light, breathable and wicks fast and effectively. Does just what it claims to.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Made from Q3 Elite 100% polyester fabric

Rear hem gripper

Full length YKK zip

3 rear pockets

Primal say:

Q3 Elite is a plaited double-knit fabric with 4-way mechanical stretch and a square grid texture which helps channel moisture away from the body while keeping the fabric ultra-light. The double-knit construction provides an excellent moisture management system, pulling moisture away from the back of the fabric and pushing it off the face to keep you dry and comfortable.

Technical Specs: 100% Polyester | 154 gsm | SPF 35+

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Very well made from excellent fabrics and components.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Wicked moisture quickly and effectively and also dried fast.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Provided it doesn't get snagged on velcro this should last well.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
10/10

Super light.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
9/10

Very comfortable both in fit and in terms of the performance of the fabric.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

A bit of an investment but definitely worth it for a performance summer jersey for hard riding comfort.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Style, fabric, breathability, comfort.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Lack of zipped pocket.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Definitely.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

A visually striking and high performance summer jersey- great for hot weather riding

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 42  Height: 1.65m  Weight: 73kg

I usually ride: Boardman Hybrid Fi  My best bike is: Specialized Ruby Elite

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

 

Primal Tungsten Women's Evo Cycling Jersey
Primal 2015
Primal
Lara Dunn

Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling. 

Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other. 

She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting. 

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