Velocio Women’s Signature Long Sleeve

Velocio's Women's Signature Long Sleeve Jersey is brilliant for dry, mild rides. It does a great job of knocking the edge off the chills without any excess bulk, and with its very thin and close-fitting construction it's easy to add layers on top to increase the range of temperatures it's suitable for.

The Signature Long Sleeve is designed to work as an alternative to a short sleeve jersey and arm warmer combo, and worn as a mid-layer on colder days, beneath Velocio's Signature Softshell Jacket, for example.

> Buy this online here

It's made in Italy from a 'Mid-weight Denier Gradient Italian milled' fabric (61% polyamide, 25% polyester, 14% elastane) designed to provide light warmth. It's very stretchy and the fabric hugs your skin for a snug race fit.

The slim sleeves are brilliant; they're the perfect width and length for my arms, and they're long enough to slip seamlessly under gloves so you don't get that annoying bare skin gap.

On the other hand, the torso is slightly shorter than I prefer, and as a result the silicone band struggles a little to keep the slightly dropped tail in place – the jersey wants to ride up to my waist.

The fabric wicks away sweat well; it is breathable, offering good performance in warmer temperatures and those packed with efforts. The jersey provides UPF50+ sun protection so you can continue to wear it on those late spring, early summer days when it's a little cooler but the UV is still high.

However, the jersey is a little less effective when the temperature drops, as it's not in any way windproof or able to deal with changeable conditions by itself. That said, as the fit hugs your body and the fabrics used are very thin, it's easy to layer up with a gilet, wind jacket or waterproof on top and still move freely during efforts. While it serves a very narrow purpose when worn on its own, the good fit helps it work effectively in combination with other layers.

> Buyer’s Guide: 10 of the best cycling gilets

At the rear you've got three pockets. They're not enormous – 16cm deep, at most – but an elasticated band at the top does ensure everything inside stays in place, and the two outer pockets helpfully have slightly sloping sides so it's easier to swing your arm round to fetch out nutrition or suchlike.

There's a zipped one for valuables, too, which is a reasonable size – you can fit keys or a wallet in there, but typically large smartphones don't fit comfortably.

Only a fairly small reflective logo and one 0.5cm-wide, 6cm-long reflective strip are included on the outer edge of the right pocket; it's not really enough to have an impact, in my opinion.

You do have the choice between four colours in a plain finish, though: Deep Sea, Fire Red, Anthracite and Army (which I had on test).

Value

Priced at £150, this is quite expensive. Emma was really impressed by the levels of breathability offered by Castelli's close-fitting, fleecy Diagonal Women's Jersey FZ, which has gone up since she tested it but is still £25 less than the Velocio.

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

There's also a women's version of the Rapha Pro Team Training Long Sleeve Jersey which Nick reviewed, and it offers a similar performance for £95.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a very comfortable and well made mid-layer, and with such a thin construction it's very easy to pair with a windproof and waterproof for getting through early morning rides that start off cold and those days when the conditions are very changeable. The sleeves are just the right width and length for a seamless transition to gloves.

It's a high price for a jersey you'd want to often pair with protective layers on top, but this sort of layering system is a very good investment.

Verdict

Good close-fitting jersey with great breathability and slim, long sleeves that pair well with gloves