Nopinz Pro-1 Roubaix Jersey Woman’s

The Nopinz Pro-1 Roubaix Jersey-Woman's offers ideal warmth for autumn and spring riding, with a generous amount of reflective detailing. It's a close-fitting jersey, but you'll almost certainly need to size up – and even after doing that you may find the sleeves still come up short.

Conditions this winter have seen some incredibly mild spells, ideal for testing the Roubaix jersey, which has been designed to provide protection on colder spring and autumn rides.

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The jersey sits in Nopinz's Pro-1 line, which is centred around making high-performance aero kit accessible to all. It's supposed to be a slim fit, but in my experience you'll need to be careful with the size you opt for with this jersey.

According to Nopinz's size chart, with my chest measurement of 88cm and weight of 60kg, I should sit comfortably at the bottom end of a size small. However, even the medium is tighter than I prefer in places, including across the chest and at the forearms, plus the sleeves are very much on the short side.

Notably, this long sleeve option differs from the sizing of the summer options in the Pro-1 collection; I tested the short sleeve jersey in the summer and found the size small provided a fantastically close fit that wasn't overly tight.

If you're following the current sizing chart, I'd definitely recommend going up one size, potentially two.

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The jersey is made with Italian Roubaix-lined fabric which is delightfully soft to the touch. However, while the fabric itself is comfy, the positioning of the seams just above the elbow is not, causing irritation when worn without a baselayer.

The sleeves are on the short side, too – though the sleeve cuffs themselves are great: low profile and a good secure width.

A wide, silicone-coated elasticated band runs around the base of the jersey, securing it in place while riding.

There are three pockets at the rear, with the middle one being the widest at 12cm. This makes it a good option for stuffing a waterproof shell, while the sloped openings of the two outer edge pockets give you easy access to the contents while on the move, and so are good places for storing nutrition. The jersey doesn't come with a zipped pocket for securing valuables, though.

Nopinz has been wonderfully generous with the extent of the reflective detailing used: a reflective strip extends the whole width of the rear pockets for some visibility when riding in low light conditions.

For more visibility you could also go for a bright Coral option rather than the Navy I have on test – and the jersey is also available in purple.

Value

Premium long sleeve jerseys can hit the £150 mark, such as Velocio's Women's Signature Long Sleeve, so the Roubaix's rrp of £99.99 isn't bad for a close-fitting long sleeve jersey.

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

That said, there are options that have really impressed for around the same price, or less: Tactic Sport's Hard Day Long Sleeve Jersey is £98 and has a more consistent, comfortable fit throughout, and the stretchy, well-cut cuff design really helps when pairing with short-cuffed gloves.

I've also been testing Velocio's Foundation Long Sleeve Jersey (full review imminent) which is slightly cheaper still at £94. It has a well-shaped, relaxed fit that's comfortable on the bike, and is made fully from recycled materials.

Conclusion

Overall, the Pro-1 Roubaix uses a wonderfully soft and comfortable fabric, but there are better-fitting aero or relaxed options for the money.

Verdict

Soft and warm option for autumn/spring riding with good amount of reflective detailing, but watch the sizing