TESTED: RIBBLE NUOVO MEN'S SHORT-SLEEVED CYCLING JERSEY

RIBBLE NUOVO MEN'S SHORT-SLEEVE JERSEY

127g £ 55

The Ribble Nuovo Men’s Short-sleeved Jersey is a snug-fitting, summer weight model, perfect for when the mercury’s rocketing upwards, or when you’re spinning away on the indoor trainer like a demented hamster. However, some minor tweaks would elevate my overall rating from very good, to excellent.

Materials/Construction

Ribble describe the Nuovo Men's Short-sleeved Jersey as a lightweight and breathable Italian fabric. Essentially we’re talking a tactile 86% polyester 14% elastane mix. Mesh panelling along the sides is designed for improved ventilation and supposedly, faster moisture transfer - whether rider generated, or a sharp, unexpected shower. Ours was a timeless red/white with black detailing but there’s an equally attractive charcoal option, should you prefer.

Though thin, it feels robust and unrestrictive. Laser-cut sleeves and silicone hem continue this theme. Flat seams caress the skin with no trace of chafing, or tell-tale banding after a day’s riding and stitching is uniform throughout.

While primarily intended as a road jersey, the fabric has stood up to my usual overgrown forest and bridle path antics, with no hint of bobbling, let alone more serious damage. This bodes well for cyclo cross and similar off-season duties.

Features

Full-length zippers are pretty much the norm nowadays, allowing optimal fine-tuning of airflow and/or opportunity to show off your cycling themed medallion.

This one’s a YKK, which inspires confidence, although a larger tag, would’ve made it easier to command mid ride-especially at speed, or when the weather’s suddenly turned bandit.

Round the back, we have the traditional three pocket terrace, a fourth, zippered “valuables” built into the middle is perfect for notes/change, or at the other extreme, sticky energy bar wrappers.

All are relatively shallow, although surprisingly secure. I’ve squirrelled 5 inch smart phone, travel compact camera, gaolers bunch of keys and tightly bound inner tube.

Filled to capacity, they gathered and bounced about, which, given their collective value felt slightly unnerving. I also shied away from porting larger, 750ml trade bottles.

Nonetheless, nothing bailed - even when I’ve been thundering along fire roads at 23mph. A splash of subtle retro-reflective detailing on the middle pocket is welcome, although the tops also proved secure enough for smaller blinkies.

Cut/Sizing

For many years, large has been my jersey default, although increasingly, most brands mediums seem to be roomy enough around the shoulders and sufficiently long in the back and sleeves. The Nuovo was no exception.

Cut is perfect for road riding, teetering on “racing snakes” but a little more sympathetic to those regions we’re all secretly self-conscious about. I’d be tempted to go a size up, say if you were looking to pair it with messenger longs, or wanted a little more room.

I’ve had no problems with thinner, short sleeve merino and “string vest” type base layers. Raglan cut and compliant materials mean unhindered mobility, whether you’re alternating between tops, hoods or tucked low on the tri-bars. The thin silicone strips are extremely reliable, preventing any incremental creep, even paired to some notoriously shiny bib shorts.

Moisture Management

The thinner weave and perforated mesh panelling along the sides and sleeves make for a more comfortable experience on very hot days. They also seemed to retain some welcome warmth on late summer evenings, when temperatures can dip stealthily.

Given twenty minutes at a reasonable pace, there was some pronounced dampness around my chest and lower back but like most polyesters, the fibres quickly engage. Even at a muggy 25 degrees, with the zipper at half mast, this never crept past a persistent, warm glow.

Things were a bit soggier on the turbo trainer, despite being located in a relatively cool garage, so remember to whip the thermostat down if you’re racking up the miles indoors during the darker months.

Talking of which, deliberately resisting the urge to don micro-jackets during showers and more persistent rainfall saw similar results-essentially dry within 20 minutes with a moderate breeze. This song remains the same, line dried following a machine wash.

Conclusion

Deeper pockets and bigger zipper tag would be welcomed and some other store brands are offering models with factor 50 sun protection at comparable prices. Nonetheless, when all’s said and done, the Nuovo is a very capable and attractive lightweight jersey for road and indoor training.

Verdict: 3.75/5 Decent Summer weight jersey but deeper pockets and bigger zipper tag would be welcomed.

Michael Stenning

www.ribblecycles.co.uk

PUBLISHED AUGUST 2017

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