Svelte Long Sleeve Navy Heritage Jersey

With the weather like it is at the moment, where we're seeing three seasons in one day, you can't go far wrong with a garment like the Heritage Long Sleeve Jersey from London-based Svelte. Warm when you want it, cool when you don't, it's a versatile top that you're going to get a lot of use out of. Exactly what you want from a jersey that costs north of 100 quid.

Don't be fooled by the simplistic design and classic looks, the Heritage is bang up to date in terms of features and materials – it's not a jersey just designed to look great at the urban coffee shop, it's a serious piece of race wear.

> Buy this online here

Back in June 2015 road.cc ran a piece (see here) about a fledgling cycle clothing company called Svelte, which was looking for £10,000 worth of investment via Kickstarter to create this, its flagship jersey, the Heritage (okay, the first product was the short sleeve version, but you get the idea).

Merino wool makes up 36% of the blend alongside polyester and a small amount of elastane for stretch. Merino is highly regarded for its ability to regulate body heat and also having anti-bacterial properties which kill odour, both of which the Heritage benefits from.

My first test ride wearing the Svelte could have been a complete disaster in terms of wardrobe choice, but it certainly highlighted the versatility of the Heritage. I left the house in 12°C sunshine in bib shorts, mesh baselayer and the Svelte over the top. I was out for a three-hour training ride so the effort was pretty high, but the Heritage's breathability did the job of removing excessive body heat without issue. Even on some of the steeper climbs with the increased effort, it never felt overwhelmed and I remained dry.

Twenty miles from home, the rain started and the temperature plummeted. In the space of five miles it went from about 8°C to around 0.5°C, while the rain continued to get heavier.

I was thoroughly soaked, but although I was really starting to suffer with the cold, the Heritage trapped and kept hold of the small amount of body heat I had left, and I could make it home (where, admittedly, I spent the next 30 minutes on the kitchen floor in agony as the feeling came back to my fingers and toes).

An extreme test, I know, and not something the Heritage is really designed to cover, but it highlights the range of temperatures it can deal with. On drier days with the same thin baselayer beneath, I could comfortably ride at temperatures of around 8°C.

The athletic cut, as Svelte calls it, means the Heritage sits close to the body without any fabric flapping about in the wind. Great for aerodynamics, plus being fitted means you don't get any gaps for draughts to rattle through.

The tail is dropped for a racing tuck, plus the long sleeves keep your wrists covered at full stretch. The cuffs are also cut longer on the top than the bottom to suit the angle of your arms when holding the handlebar.

Storage is plentiful with three deep pockets at the rear, the two side ones being angled for easier access when on the bike – little details, see.

You also get a zipped pocket on the side of the three main ones, plus an extra buttoned one for keys and the like. They can sag a little bit if you really overload them, but they are so deep nothing will bounce out of them.

The neck is a sensible height too – tall enough to keep you covered without digging into your throat. You get a zip garage as well to stop any irritation.

While I'm on the zip... this is probably my only criticism here. The test model didn't feel as if it ran very smoothly, not quite as plush feeling a motion as I would expect on a £110 jersey. I really am being picky here though.

> What to wear now spring has arrived

So, that price. Is it justifiable? Comparing it against its most obvious long-sleeved merino competitors from the likes of Rapha, Vulpine and Shutt VR, I'd say the Heritage holds its own very well. UK manufacture is rarely cheap, but it's something Svelte is very proud of, along with the fact that all materials are sourced from within Europe.

The overall quality definitely feels great, so you are getting what you pay for in that respect. It feels like it's going to last – a jersey that you're going to get plenty of wear out of over the coming years. Which certainly helps.

Verdict

A classy looking UK-manufactured jersey with the performance to match