Monton Revo Rock Orange Thermal Jersey

The Monton Revo Rock Orange Thermal Jersey offers an excellent balance of warmth, comfort and breathability thanks to some great fabric choices, and with its slim cut it's definitely a jersey for those who like to ride hard throughout the winter months. It's also extremely expensive.

• Pros: Soft fabric, impressive warmth and breathability
• Cons: Very expensive

Like many clothing brands, Monton started out in 2002 manufacturing cycling kit for others before launching its own range in 2009. And it all looks pretty good too.

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The Revo is made primarily from Stelvio fabric from the highly regarded Italian technical material manufacturer Miti SpA. Considering it's not overly thick, the Revo jersey was surprisingly warm, with rides of around 2-5°C requiring little more than a short-sleeved mesh summer baselayer beneath. It also works well blocking against cold winds as well.

Breathability is impressive too, with the layering as above feeling comfortable up to about 12°C before things start to get a bit clammy. You only really notice when you stop and start to cool down, though.

The rear panel and lower side panels are made from Stelvio with added carbon fibre, which is often touted as providing better wicking properties, so this could have something do with the great breathability.

All-round, the fabric is very soft and feels great against the skin, cosy, which is always a good way to start your ride when leaving a warm house and venturing out into the cold air.

The Revo has what Monton calls a Pro Fit, which is closely tailored to the body without being super-tight or for skinny riders only. It touches everywhere it needs to for aerodynamic benefit, with no flapping material, and with a dropped tail and arched front it's cut perfectly for time in the saddle.

Sizing comes up pretty much spot on to the chart on Monton's website, and it's available in XS through to 2XL.

You get a tall neck to stop unwanted draughts, plus there is plenty of length in the sleeves, with close cuffs to keep the wind out here too.

As you can see from the pics, the Revo has a full-length zip which Monton has taped behind to act as a baffle against the wind when the zip is done up.

Pocket-wise, you get the usual layout with three running horizontally across the rear and one zipped, waterproof one for valuables on the right hand main pocket.

The pockets are roomy, with taut fabric stopping heavy items from bouncing around. They are plenty deep enough to keep things from falling out.

> Buyer's Guide: 10 of the best winter cycling jerseys

Pricing is about the only real thing to stand in the way of the Revo scoring top marks across the board, because at £170 it is super-expensive (though still cheaper than Shimano's £200 S-Phyre Windresistant Jersey). In its defence, it is very well made, and has a great cut and impressive performance. At nearly £100 cheaper, though, you can get the excellent Kalf Club Thermal Jersey, which I was testing at around the same time. The Monton is probably a touch warmer, but not enough to justify the much higher price.

Even the Gore Power Windstopper Jersey manages to undercut the Revo's rrp, and that's a brand that normally sits towards the top end in terms of pricing. 

At the time of writing, the Revo jersey is discounted to £120, and if you aren't a fan of this Rock Orange colour there are six more to choose from in a range of styles.

Verdict

Very warm and breathable jersey with a great cut, but you pay for it