Milltag Men's Northern Jersey

The Milltag Men's Northern jersey turned up in time for summer testing, but with its short sleeves it should be ideal outer-wear for Geordie's unsupported bike ride to the South Pole – though he'll be pleased to hear it fits well with arm warmers, should temperatures dip.

'Where are you from? Where are you going? Where have you been? Borders don't define us, we are all in this together, but our heart belongs to the point of the compass. Be proud, ride for your team.' So says Milltag on its website about the Northern Jersey. It says the same about its Southern, Western and Eastern jerseys too, which are just the same should you be unfortunate enough not to actually be northern (and prepared to admit it publicly).

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One shouldn't take Milltag's website descriptions too seriously, though. After all, this is the company that sponsors Team Top Bonk (Flemish Fish Flans of Flanders) and seems to be associated with The Coefficient of Drag, an occasional cycling magazine with a distinct banana theme. So if you should happen to be, say, Western and decide to ride in a Northern jersey, well – I can't see Milltag getting all hot under the collar about it.

Talking of collars, this one, when zipped right up, features a very nice little medallion (the 'tag' bit of Milltag I'll wager) which makes it nice 'n' easy to do up or undo, even with gloves on.

Front, back, pockets and collar are all made from the same 'Coolplus' fabric, which is micro-perforated for good ventilation without allowing in a draught. The side panels, while appearing the same at first glance, are actually slightly lighter weight and made from something called Carbonmesh, which Milltag says is antibacterial and 'active wicking'.

At 166g this is not at the lightest end of summer tops, which meant that the chill and persistent northern wind that has dogged my summer riding was kept tolerably at bay for the most part. If you've been sweating and labouring under a hot sun through June, there may be cooler tops out there for you – possibly even some that aren't black.

However, for real UK summers, the weight combines with the versatility of the full-length zip to create a jersey that can cope with most conditions, especially as the raw cut sleeve cuffs work well to keep draughts out of the tops of your arm warmers (yes, even in July I've had to resort to this). The sleeves themselves are made from a stretch fabric that is lighter than the fabric of the body and they fit quite closely, as does the garment as a whole. This close fit might be in part down to the fact that I was testing a medium, when Milltag's own size guide recommends a large for me, and this may account for why I found it a little short at the waist, so I suggest heeding its sage sizing advice.

At the back, there are the standard three elasticated pockets and a small zip pocket at the right hand side for keys and coins. While the middle pocket was only just deep enough to swallow my waterproof phone wallet, it held everything securely through some long days out and I had plenty of space for a black pudding butty and a ferret.

The jersey is made in Europe, and the finish is tidy and the stitching strong. Most of the seams are not flatlocked and I noticed that the internal join between the top of the sleeve and the shoulder had fluffed up a bit, either in wash or wear (possibly in contact with a bib short shoulder strap). I'd prefer to see flatlock-stitched seams when possible, especially in jerseys which fit closely, to eliminate any risk of chafing, though in fairness I didn't experience any here.

> Buyer's Guide: 15 of the best summer cycling jerseys

Value-wise, £75 is upper-mid-range pricing and, while I have ridden in cheaper garments that offer similar levels of performance, the Milltag Northern does incorporate some good features, such as the stretch sleeves and raw cuffs, that help justify the price, as does the cool styling and the 'club' exclusivity. Make sure you wave to anyone else you see wearing one.

Verdict

Not just for Notherners, the Millband jersey is a stylish summer top that's not over-cooling in typical UK summer conditions