Etxeondo Trier Jersey

The Etxeondo Trier is a high-quality summer jersey with some neat features.

It's made in Spain from Meryl Microfibre fabric – fine nylon and elastane. This is lightweight stuff and very stretchy so you get a body hugging fit without it feeling at all tight. I like that; I have a real aversion to clothing that flaps around unnecessarily. If you're a bit self-conscious about any extra pounds it might not be such a good idea because there's nowhere to hide here.

The neck doesn't extend quite as high as usual – there's no separate collar here – but that's fine. This is a summer jersey so you're unlikely to get a cold neck anyway, and the close fit means no draughts get in.

The YKK zip extends over halfway down the front, reaching below the sternum on me, so you can get plenty of cool air on your chest on hot climbs. The fabric that the plastic teeth attach on to is logo-ed up which, I think, looks pretty good although you can make your own mind up about that. It's certainly distinctive. The hem is elasticated and, despite having no silicone gripper inside, it hasn't ridden up in use.

The pockets around the back are unusual. You kind of get three pockets although the stitching that separates them only extends halfway up and then the opening at the top is divided in two. I don't see the benefit but they held my spare tube, multitool and pump just fine, so I don't mind much either way.

You get a security pocket back there too, closed with a YKK zip, to keep your mobile or cash safe. The only issue is that if you put anything too weighty in the pockets, the stretchy material... well, it stretches down and sits lower than you might want, so you need to travel light.

When you work up a sweat, the Trier absorbs it very quickly and moves it away from your body well to keep you feeling comfortable. When you sweat really hard and there's not much airflow, like on a long, steep climb, the Meryl Microfibre fabric can get heavier with moisture than some really airy fabrics, but I've just been out on a ride in 25°C and it felt great throughout.

Those white sections of the jersey are separate panels rather than print, That means there are a lot of seams but you don't feel them in use. Sometimes dye from other panels leaks into white areas over time but after plenty of trips through the washing machine, that hasn't happened here. It's also available in blue, green, orange and red.

Verdict

High-quality summer jersey with distinctive looks – although the price tag will make you gulp.