Alé Graphics Green PRR Road Jersey

The Alé Graphics Green PRR Road Jersey is a high performing piece of kit ideally suited to warm days when you're riding hard. The fit is very good and it's very well made, and if you want to do your bit for the environment then you'll like the high percentage of recycled fibres in its construction.

Don't start adjusting the colour settings on your screen, the Graphics Green jersey isn't so-named because of its colour, it's all down to its eco credentials. This isn't one of those blue dress/gold dress things. For all the different panels it uses a mixture of polyester-recycled fibres (as much as 95% on the main sections) blended with elastane.

Sometimes, using recycled materials can give a different feel to the finished product, but the Graphics Green PRR jersey feels beautifully soft against the skin and still has plenty of give in the fabric for comfort on the bike.

The front and top of the arms/shoulders are the thickest of the very thin fabrics used, and still let the breeze through to a certain degree without letting a chill in on long, fast descents, while the mesh panels under the arms and across your back allow the heat to escape when you're riding hard or slogging your way up a tough climb. On the whole, the Alé is good at controlling your body temperature right through from the mid-teens Celsius into the upper-20s.

The fit is very close, and I'd say you do need to take sizing into a bit more consideration than you might normally. Alé's clothing tends to come in a little smaller than many UK brands, but its size guide does reflect this so it's best to use that as your first port of call. Basically, if you are a medium in something like dhb and Lusso, you'll be wanting a large in the Graphics Green PRR. Alé also recommends going up a size if you are at the upper end between sizes.

To complete the aero style fit, the sleeves are laser cut, with the cuffs holding in place thanks to the stretchiness of the fabric rather than any form of elastic or silicone gripper. This increases comfort and gives a smooth transition from skin to jersey.

As you'd expect from a race jersey, the rear is dropped to offer protection when in the drops, while the front is much shorter to stop bunching of the fabric.

A neat addition is the garage at the base of the zip to stop it rubbing against your shorts and causing wear and tear, something a lot of brands often neglect.

Pocket-wise, it's a familiar line-up of three running horizontally along the lower back. They are roomy and pretty sturdy so you can carry plenty of essentials. One absentee is a valuables pocket, something that I missed as I like to have my debit card and keys zipped away securely.

To make up for it, though, there's an extra pocket on the side for gels or rubbish.

The overall quality is very decent, with all of the seams neat and tidy throughout.

This goes some way to justifying the £125 price tag. That's the same as Pearl Izumi's Pro Mesh jersey which offers a similar sort of race fit and breathability as the Alé. Adam did have a few issues with the pockets starting to stretch during testing, though.

> Fast fashion – how eco is your cycling clothing?

Castelli's Aero Race 6.0 jersey offers a great fit and good breathability too, but it's cheaper at £110. Using recycled materials can lead to an increase in costings, though, and, as I've said, the performance, comfort and top-notch quality of the Graphics Green PRR certainly help justify the price.

Verdict

Lightweight and breathable race jersey with added green credentials