Giro Chrono Pro short sleeve jersey

The Giro Chrono Pro is a lightweight summer jersey made from innovative fabrics that performs well in hot weather. With this new colourway the price has come down by £10 since we last reviewed it in 2018, but it's still pretty expensive for an aero-style jersey that doesn't have the cut of a true aero jersey and doesn't come with any aero data.

Judging by its name, I expected the Giro Chrono Pro to be a technical wind tunnel-tested jersey along the lines of the Castelli Aero Race 6.0, for which Castelli used CFD analysis of wake flow in the riding position to improve aerodynamics. However, Giro doesn't claim any aerodynamic performance benefits for for the Chrono Pro, instead describing it as: "race-ready, Italian-made style and performance for your fastest day on the bike."

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True aero jerseys such as the Rapha Pro Team Aero are often only comfortable once you're crouched in an aerodynamic tuck. Although Giro doesn't specifically say this is an aero jersey, I was still expecting a performance-orientated anatomical fit. Instead, I found the collar became untidy around the back of the neck once in the saddle and reaching forward to the bar, while the tight arm cuffs tended to bag the extra material around the chest.

Having said that, I accept the Giro jersey may have been designed for somebody with more impressive pecs than mine (that's not me in the photos, by the way) and, as Ash noted when he tested the jersey in 2018, the sizing is on the generous side.

Four different fabrics are used, all of them very lightweight, each one with different properties. The very thin honeycomb-patterned fabric used for the sleeves/shoulders and side panels at the bottom has a papery feel and even rustles with movement (though is not noisy in the wind), while the other three are softer and stretchier.

I found it performed exceptionally well in hot weather – the perforated front and mesh underarms supply great breathability while, as with the original Chrono jersey, the back panel is slightly thicker and more durable.

All fabrics except the front are rated UPF 50+. Giro's website says the Chrono Pro jersey as being 'Made in Italy with Italian materials' but that's an error; it's actually made in China.

The three pockets are a good size – 20cm deep and capable of swallowing plus-sized phone cases such as the VeloPac RidePac Lite. The middle pocket has an added zipped compartment which, as before, doesn't have a waterproof lining, but if you're using a case such as the excellent VeloPac you won't need one.

The pockets are supported well by the waist gripper with its Giro-logo silicone print, and there are reflective tabs.

The grey colour scheme that Ash tested in 2018 is still available at the time of writing, now discounted to £65 along with the other older colours, while the two newest – Black Transition (this one) and True Spruce Transition – go for the full RRP of £119.99.

> Buyer’s Guide: 25 of the best summer cycling jerseys

The Giro is a bit expensive for a summer jersey, even compared with aero designs – particularly as you don't get to find out any aero data. The Castelli jersey, as mentioned above, goes for £115, while Le Col's Pro jersey is on a par at £120. It is cheaper than Rapha's Pro Team Aero, which has an RRP of £145, but both available colour schemes are currently discounted to under £100.

Conclusion

The Giro Chrono Pro jersey is aerodynamically named and styled but it doesn't have the cut of a true aero jersey – or the data – and even though it performs well for general cycling it's on the pricey side for an all-rounder.

Verdict

Good all-rounder that performs well and has the look of an aero jersey – and the price