Meccanica Stripe Casual Retro Cycling Jersey

Not so long ago I tested Meccanica's Marl short sleeve jersey which I liked, a lot. And since then, and the onset of Autumn, I've been having a go on their Stripe long-sleeve jersey, which I also like. A lot.

Meccanica kit is hand-made in England, and the Stripe is 100% made from your finest Merino wool. The striped design, they say, harks back to the simple strips of the Madison Square Garden track events, or possibly the hoops represent the 'Forcats de la Route' – convicts of the road, a phrase coined by Henri Pelissier at the 1924 Tour de France. You'd think they'd know, one way or the other. Anyway: it's stripy.

The construction of the main body of the jersey, and the arms, is seamless. There are three buttoned pockets at the back, a neck zip and springy merino cuffs and waistband. And that's your lot, pretty much.

It's fair to say I've lived in this over the past couple of months. It's such a very comfy top that it's the first thing I reach for of a morning. The merino does its clever thing of not getting smelly just about as well as any top I've ever tried; you can genuinely wear this top for weeks at a time with no problems. Once it does need washing it can go in the machine on a cool wash, and then it's good as new again.

On the bike it's a warm top underneath another, more windproof, layer. On its own you won't get that hot as the fairly loose weave lets a lot of air through. It works really well paired up with a softshell jacket; if you put a less permeable layer over the top it can start to get a bit damp. Even then, it dries out pretty quickly once it's out in the fresh air again. It's not designed for chaingang use but I've worn it on extended commutes and longer rides and been very happy with the performance. The pockets, being merino, aren't up to carrying anything heavy as they'll cause the back of the jersey to sag too much. A phone/banana/inner tube is fine though.

It's the kind of top that'd be invaluable on a tour, technical enough to cope with a day's riding (on a bike where you have other places to stow your stuff) and smart enough to wear down the pub of an evening, if it's that kind of tour. It's also dead handy for commuting and smart enough to wear about the office, assuming your employer doesn't run too tight a ship. Most of all it's a great top for just living in, and one that you don't need to change out of if you need to hop on the bike somewhere. I really like it.

Sizing is, erm, esoteric. The one I'm wearing in the pics is a medium and when it was shot I was over 100kg. Now I'm about 94kg and I reckon a small would probably fit me okay. If you're a traditional racing build, you're going to get swamped by this I'm afraid. If anything it's an even more generous top than the Marl short sleeve, and that was bordering on the ridiculous. An issue to sort out for the next run.

Assuming there is one that'll fit you, it's a lovely jersey to own. It's pretty much the most comfortable top I've ever tried. Whether it's worth the £130 that Meccanica are asking for it, well, that's up to you. It's handmade in England from top quality materials. You can pay (a lot) more than this for a synthetic top shipped in from where making them is (a lot) cheaper. As always, if you don't think it's worth it you don't have to buy it. It certainly is comfy though.

Verdict

About as comfy as a casual riding jersey gets, assuming they make one that'll fit you