Gore Ardent Jersey Women’s

Sleek and aerodynamic, the Gore Ardent Jersey Women's is designed for hot weather and hard riding, and for those purposes it works well, but it's not without its niggles.

I enjoyed riding in it throughout the summer heatwave – it kept me below boiling point on the climbs and wicked enough sweat away so I wasn't freezing on the descents – but while the fit is nice and snug, and the material feels quite luxurious, it's prone to bobbling, and I also found that it ruffled at the stomach a little when in a racier riding position. The zip isn't the best quality either.

Gore says the Ardent women's jersey is 'perfect for when you are riding hard in warm and hot weather' and I have to agree. At first glance I thought the material might be a bit too silky and thick to be able to perform in the heat, but I was wrong. It's different to the more mesh style you often see on lightweight summer jerseys, but it wicks sweat well.

Riding in temperatures of 27°C and higher, I was perfectly comfortable (and I live in a part of the country where 12°C constitutes a 'good summer') and rarely felt the need to even unzip slightly on longer climbs for more airflow.

Sizing and fit

Initially, we were apprehensive about me testing this XXS jersey as the measurements online suggested it might be a tight squeeze. It's designed to be quite snug, so I was expecting a bit of resistance to zipping it up or getting my arms through, but to my surprise it fitted with ease.

That suggests the sizing is a bit off. XXS, in theory, should be a bit small for me, so if you're below a size 6-8 it might be baggy or less aero than intended.

Also, the sleeves are quite long, and they are shortest on the smallest size, so if you have short arms you might find the sleeves dig into your elbow creases.

The jersey does have a dropped lower hem, which I found helpful when riding in a more racy position, and it doesn't move around that much thanks to the banded gripper – I only had to pull the hem down as I moved position on the bike a few times during a ride – but as I said earlier, the jersey did ruffle a bit at the front when riding on the drops.

Another issue I had was with the zip. A few times when I did have to pull the jersey hem down, the zip split at the bottom all the way up to the top. Luckily I usually wear a baselayer, but it's an inconvenience having to stop to try to get the zip back together. It happened a few times, but interestingly only when the rear pockets were empty.

The pockets are unusual, too. Rather than the usual three there are just two, plus a third smaller zipped one for valuables. They're reasonably spacious – for reference, each one big enough to take a Google Pixel 6 Pro with a case and a Velopac cycling wallet – but I prefer three: one for my phone, one for my wallet and pump, and one for snacks.

Durability

Unfortunately, though the material has a silky luxurious feel, it's prone to bobbling. I used the jersey with a rucksack a few times and the strap has rubbed the material to the point where it's bobbled a little, on the front and back.

Perhaps this is inevitable when using a rucksack, but for £89.99 I'd expect a little more durability.

Value and conclusion

It's not the cheapest short sleeve jersey out there, though it is seriously good in warm temperatures, and as the summer comes to an end it's still in regular rotation with my kit, albeit with a slightly thicker baselayer underneath.

But Lara thought the dhb Aeron Women's Short Sleeve Jersey 2.0 was very good in warm weather too, and that's just £60, and Caroline loved the Van Rysel RCR Women's Short-Sleeved Cycling Jersey, with all its pockets (so many pockets), and that's just £39.99. (Though again, the sleeves are a little long.)

> Read more road.cc reviews of women’s cycling kit here

The Gore is cheaper than some premiium options – Lara loved the Specialized Women's Prime Short Sleeve Jersey (read her review here), which is £10 more – but the Lusso Women's Aero Jersey, which Anna tested last year, is better value at £75.

Overall, it performs really well in the heat as it's designed to, but the pocket layout won't appeal to all, and the durability and zip issues are a bit disappointing, especially for the price. You'll need to check the sizing, too.

Verdict

It's a high performing bit of kit in the heat, but with durability and sizing issues