La Passione Grace Tank Mandarin

The La Passione Grace Tank is a light, breathable layer for staying cool on summer rides. This not-so-traditional sleeveless top is a good value option for those into cycling who are also interested in other activities. There's also a great mix of bright and subtle styles to choose from.

If you enjoy yoga, gym-style classes and running as well as cycling, this is a very good value breathable layer that would work pretty well across these activities.

> Buy this online here

Alternatively, are you looking to up your tan game? This sleeveless option saves you from having to roll your sleeves up to try to even out your tan to the tops of your arms and shoulders – yes, there are riders out there doing just that. This is useful in theory, but if your shoulders are anything like mine – super pale – without short sleeves protecting your shoulders this area catches the sun all too easily on bike rides. Yup, I'm now lavishly applying after sun and wearing some short sleeve jerseys to protect myself while I recover.

The main body of the Tank – the front and lower back panels – is made from a stretchy 72% polyester, 28% elastane blend.

There are also three other panels made with a perforated fabric of the same blend. One panel runs across the upper back from between the shoulder blades over the tops of the shoulders, while the other two are tucked away underneath the arms.

The fabric is breathable in the right places and kept me a good temperature on hotter days. After working up a bit more of a sweat – on one of those long climbs without any handy tree coverage to block out the sun – going back down the descent the fabric dries fairly quickly.

> Cycling sun protection: 5 easy ways to look after your skin

Not having sleeves brings the weight of the tank top down to a rather reasonable 97g. The materials used aren't the thinnest or lightest, but it's pretty good given the price.

The cut at the front dips lower than most jerseys, and as a result, when you unzip there's less material flapping about, which is nice. However, the zip only extends 7.5cm down, so it's not possible to let a whole load of air in quickly to cool yourself down.

While the zipper does go down far enough for you to take off the tank top with your helmet still on, if you have pockets full of tools and nutrition it's a pain taking off a jersey in this way. A full-length zipper would be better for practicality as well as for ventilation.

Instead of the standard three rear pockets, the Tank has two 13cm wide ones. This is useful for carrying bulkier items, such as a wind jacket or gilet and arm warmer combo, though the latter wouldn't work that well here as there would be a gap between the Tank's shoulder straps and your arm warmers.

Ideally I would have liked an additional zipped pocket for carrying house keys, when using this top for running.

Silicone gripper extends the whole circumference of the tank top and holds it in place effectively, and reflective detailing has been included on the front and back panels.

The Tank is available in six colours, three bright (Mandarin, Lime and Sky Blue) and three darker, subtle shades (terracotta, burgundy and black).

We've not reviewed any tank tops before, but the La Passione offering seems well priced at £65. Santini's Scia Dune is a tenner more at £75.

The Velocio Foundation Women's Jersey (review coming soon) has short sleeves and is a very soft, nicely shaped and comfy option, but it's a more expensive £74.

You can get more affordable tops, though, such as dhb's Women's Short Sleeve Jersey (review coming soon), which is just £30.

> Read more road.cc reviews of women’s cycling kit here

Overall, the Grace Tank is a light top layer that'll keep you cool on summer rides. It's well priced and there's a great choice of colours, though I'd prefer a full-length zipper, to make it easier to take on and off when you've filled the rear pockets, and a zipped valuables pocket for keys would improve its versatility for other activities such as running.

Verdict

Good value, light, breathable sleeveless top, but could do with a full-length zipper