Gorewear Torrent LS Jersey

The Gorewear Torrent Long Sleeve Jersey is comfortable and versatile, working well in a variety of conditions, though its temperature range is a bit limited. Also, the sleeves come up a little long, and it's pricey compared with some.

If you prefer short sleeves this time of year, check out our guide to the best summer cycling jerseys.

We tested the short sleeve version of this jersey in March last year, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on the long sleeve version. What is interesting about this one is that it is essentially a regular spring/summer jersey, just with longer sleeves. The material is similar to what you find on a typical short sleeve jersey, maximising wicking and breathability rather than keeping you warm.

This lack of insulation is useful here as it gives it a bit more flexibility in how to use it. On cooler days you could wear it under a jacket, under a gilet in milder spring or autumn rides, or use it to protect from the sun on hotter rides.

One of the elements that Steve mentioned in his review from last year was that the jersey would become see-through with sweat, but that he expected this was because he was wearing it under several layers. I didn't wear this under any other layers during the review period and can attest to Steve's predictions that this is less of an issue on warmer rides. That's not to say that it doesn't show sweat, because of course it does, but it dries quickly so the whole 'going see-through' stuff doesn't really have any impact. I found that, especially when wearing it over the top of a mesh underlayer, it wicked particularly well.

In terms of temperature range, I used this in the low 20s and that was comfortable, but above around 25°C I would opt for something with short sleeves and use some UV sleeves if I wanted to cover my arms. I wore it down to around 15°C and it was fine, but I wouldn't want to go much lower than this without a gilet over the top. That gives it around a 10-degree usage range, which is a little limiting, but I did find it was ideal for the late spring or cooler summer days.

The material used, 92% polyester and 8% elastane, is soft and has an impressive amount of stretch in it. This means that the performance cut of the jersey doesn't feel restrictive as it simply wraps around your lumps and bumps, but without leaving you as self-conscious as a full aero jersey might.

The one element of the fit that was a little off for me was the sleeves; they feel a little too long. Not that they bunch particularly badly, but there is definitely some excess material here.

It's a striking looking jersey, mostly because of the red colour that I tested, which is great (it also comes in two other options, black and blue), but also because there is very minimal branding on it, so it has a clean and fresh look.

The jersey has a full-length zip, which is useful for unzipping if you get a bit hot, and on the zip itself there is a reflective logo running down it, which is useful for visibility.

On the back Gore has included three gusset pockets that are big enough for everything I needed, and they include a reflective Gorewear logo on the middle pocket. There is also a zip pocket for valuables on the right-hand pocket which was big enough to swallow my iPhone 14.

At the bottom of the hem a silicone gripper worked very effectively, keeping the jersey from riding up whether I had loaded pockets or not.

Value

At £119.99, it's a little on the pricey side. The regular short-sleeved version of this jersey costs £89.99, so you are paying an extra £30 for those longer sleeves...

We don't tend to test many long-sleeved summer jerseys, but Stu took a look at Van Rysel's Men's Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Summer Jersey Racer Ultralight last year. It's considerably cheaper at £44.99, but definitely doesn't look as good in my eyes, and the fit is much more race orientated.

Rapha's long sleeve Core jersey is also advertised as an 'everyday jersey' with long sleeves and is cheaper at £90, but is a little more suited to cooler conditions.

Conclusion

Overall, I like this jersey. I think it looks great, performs well, and has all the details that you expect from a modern jersey. The price is high, though, and the sleeves are a little on the long side, plus it has a limited temperature range, but during those times it does its job well.

Verdict

Comfortable and good looking choice for spring, autumn and cooler summer rides