Madison Sportive Thermal Roubaix jersey

Madison's Sportive Thermal Roubaix jersey is a classic winter training top that does an excellent job of banishing late autumn chill.

The cut is more precise than some, which is something to be aware of if you're buying online. Madison describes it as 'pre-curved', although size-wise it comes up slightly generous – generally speaking I'm a large in most jerseys, being broader across the shoulders than my height and build suggest, but medium was ideal for me.

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The manufacturer's blurb talks of high performance fabrics designed to keep us comfortable 'when active'. Essentially, this boils down to a nicely executed polyester shell and micro-fleece lining.

Worn with a short-sleeved merino or better quality polyamide baselayer through increasingly chill October afternoons, the thin pile lining is extremely tactile and more than adequate for single figures. Somewhat predictably, more basic polyester baselayers under the Sportive jersey left me feeling clammy over comparable distances, though never uncomfortably so.

A strong autumn sun left me feeling much warmer than thermometer readings would have suggested, but after a short delay the fibres of the jersey kept reasonable pace with my own efforts on late evening, middle distance rides. In any case, climate control is easily tweaked by the front zipper. Speaking of which, given that it's a winter garment a stodgier zipper tag would have made access easier in full-finger gloves.

Haring along windswept 1-in-4s at 40mph, things felt temperate and the jersey neck is just high enough to prevent wind whistling inside without having to resort to buffs and similar garments. The cuffs sit just the right side of snug, but check that your chosen gloves offer sufficient overlap – I found that some allowed a small gap when cruising on the hoods, permitting cold, blustery weather inside. Thankfully, the sensible neck and tail, complete with silicone gripper, prevented further intrusion.

Persistent drizzle is about as water repelling as things get, so you'll need to stuff a micro-jacket into one of the rear pockets if the forecast looks changeable.

>> Check out our guide to the best winter cycling jerseys here

The rear pockets follow the traditional three terrace design, and although they aren't as cavernous as some they will manage the usual essentials – tube, multi tool, CO2 cartridges, energy bars and so on. There's also a nifty zippered valuables stash for change/keys that'll just about swallow a small wallet.

Ours was the seasonally appropriate fluoro yellow with sensibly positioned retro-reflective logos, zipper and diagonal stripes across the middle pocket. There are black and red versions, should you fancy something more subtle.

Verdict

Nicely designed and generally comfortable jersey for cool weather training