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review
Jerseys - short sleeve
B'Twin SS Jersey 300 B'Twin SS Jersey 300 B'Twin SS Jersey 300 B'Twin SS Jersey 300 B'Twin SS Jersey 300
BTwin SS Jersey 300

B'Twin SS Jersey 300

8
by Stu Kerton
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Jul 6, 2014

5
£4.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Cheap as chips cycling jersey that actually performs and looks good too
Weight: 
141g
Contact: 
www.decathlon.co.uk
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There isn't much cycling kit you can get for a tenner: a pair of socks maybe, or a of couple water bottles. Or, you can buy a fully functioning B'Twin 300 cycling jersey. You'll have change too. In fact you'll have change from a fiver.

It may be basic but the 300 isn't just a rehashed t-shirt. You get breathable material with various panels, two rear pockets and a front zip plus Decathlon's two-year warranty against defects. You kind of wonder what the catch is. As far as I can see there isn't one.

Aimed at the recreational cyclist the cut is loose though it is tailored in at the waist to give it some shape. The material is lightweight and is called Equarea which is designed to be worn next to the skin to absorb perspiration from the skin before wicking it away into the atmosphere. It does a pretty good job of it too, keeping on top of shifting your sweat unless the effort is really extreme.

The underarm and side panels are a lighter than the rest to remove as much heat as possible from the warmer areas of the body.

The pockets are well positioned sitting either side of the centre panel and they are easy to place or remove things from. The material isn't that taught though so anything heavy will cause them to sag. The tail is dropped for when you are in the saddle providing plenty of lower back coverage.

You also get a chest-length zip which does up to mid neck with a small collar. Undone it provides enough venting on hot days and is good quality with no sign of snagging at all.

On the whole the B'Twin 300 jersey is pretty amazing for £4.99 (I thought it was amazing at £7.99 its price when we got it in to test, but they've lopped another £3 off since) especially when backed up with two-year warranty. It performs well especially in terms of breathability and the fact it doesn't look out of place when off the bike will be a big draw for recreational cyclists. It's well-made too. All the stitching is neat, tidy and robust so I can't see that warranty being called up on.

It's available in blue, white, red & black with a size range of XS – 3XL.

 

Verdict

Cheap as chips cycling jersey that actually performs and looks good too

road.cc test report

Make and model: BTwin SS Jersey 300

Size tested: Medium, Blue - Black, White, Red also sent in

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

The 300 range is aimed at recreational cyclists and is styled accordingly. The loose fit has some shape to it and its packed with technical aspects for such a cheap jersey.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Equarea material offers next to skin breathability

Two rear pockets

Zip

Dropped tail

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It's breathble and well made with some functional pockets.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The material works well.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Saggy pockets.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 35  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Whatever needs testing or Genesis Flyer, fixed of course!  My best bike is: Kinesis T2 with full Centaur Red

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

 

B'Twin SS Jersey 300
B'Twin 2014
B'Twin
Stu Kerton

Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.

With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.

He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.

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5 comments

Avatar
JudgeDreddful | 10 years ago
0 likes

I bought a couple of these which arrived this morning. They certainly look and feel much better than a £4.99 shirt has any right to.
However, I'm (very) new to this cycling lark and whilst I know they are meant to be snug, the sizes I got are a lot smaller than the sizing guide led to believe they would be. Unless I am just fatter than I think I am...?

Knowing they would be snug - and not really liking snug fitting clothes - I went for a L and an XL where I would consider myself an L in normal shirts or T shirts. They are not unwearably small and tight, just very snug. The XL is ok, the L will have to sit in the drawer until I've lost enough weight to not look like I am auditioning for the Village People...

Avatar
Some Fella | 10 years ago
0 likes

Although the price does look seductive one does have to ask oneself how Decathlon can offer this garment at such a low price and one also has to ask oneself if the people making this product are getting paid enough and/or working in conditions we ourselves would be happy to work in.
There is often a very good reason retailers can offer clothing at very cheap prices and it usually because they are either very low quality or they are made in sweatshops (or they are loss leaders)
I personally feel a lot more comfortable knowing the provenance of the stuff i buy and would rather pay that little bit extra if i know nice people have made it (Howies and Vulpine spring to mind)
Just sayin like.

ps - i say all that and yet, as a hypocrite, ive got a bTwin base layer (its not very good and only use it when my others are smelly)

Avatar
btwin replied to Some Fella | 10 years ago
0 likes

Hi Some Fella,
If you would like to read our ethical charter which we use to manager our suppliers and our own production facilities, I have enclosed a link from the OXYLANE site for you to read: http://sustainability.oxylane.com/en/page/nos-fournisseurs/human-respons...
How do we get such low prices? The main reason is because we work very hard to rationalise our logistics process (from production to store) and we gain in economies of scale due to the large volumes we produce for our 750 stores throughout the globe. The current exchange rate (Euro -> Sterling) is also allowing us here in the UK to buy in at more competitive rate. Whenever possible we will pass this saving directly onto our customers. This is the case with the b'Twin 300 Short Sleeve cycling jerseys and we are now able to offer this item for £4.99.

Avatar
Some Fella replied to btwin | 10 years ago
1 like
btwin wrote:

Hi Some Fella,
If you would like to read our ethical charter which we use to manager our suppliers and our own production facilities, I have enclosed a link from the OXYLANE site for you to read: http://sustainability.oxylane.com/en/page/nos-fournisseurs/human-respons...
How do we get such low prices? The main reason is because we work very hard to rationalise our logistics process (from production to store) and we gain in economies of scale due to the large volumes we produce for our 750 stores throughout the globe. The current exchange rate (Euro -> Sterling) is also allowing us here in the UK to buy in at more competitive rate. Whenever possible we will pass this saving directly onto our customers. This is the case with the b'Twin 300 Short Sleeve cycling jerseys and we are now able to offer this item for £4.99.

As we say in the cycling world - chapeau
Its very good of you to reply to my concerns and feel a lot more comfortable after reading that link.
I wasnt particularly singling out Decathlon but its more of a general concern across the retail sector, especially in clothing, about ethical practises and why we can now buy things for seemingly impossibly low prices
I perhaps should have been better informed and did make a bit of a presumption.
Anyway - once again - very good of you to reply and i may just buy one of those jerseys now.
I do have some principles but i also love a bargain!

Avatar
awjr | 10 years ago
0 likes

They've sold out of the red 2

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