Pactimo Men’s Summit Aero Range SS Jersey - Recon

Pactimo's Summit Aero Range Jersey has been designed for 'every adventure in a next-to-skin aerodynamic fit'. It's well ventilated, dries very quickly and is a joy to wear. I didn't find the five-pocket design for the 'ultimate in storage' to be such a hit, though I do like that Pactimo has gone through some effort to find a fabric that works and is made from 100% recycled materials. At £105, we're in premium price territory, but only just.

In terms of fabric and construction, the Summit Aero Range Jersey is pretty much the same as the Summit Aero Jersey Shaun reviewed a few weeks ago, with just a couple of changes to make the Summit Aero Range better for gravel rides, ultra-distance and the like.

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The 100% recycled fabric is a polyester/spandex mix that Pactimo calls Borghini and says is lightweight, wicking and durable.

On the sides and under the armpits, Pactimo has used mesh panels with a hexagonal mesh shape, designed for ventilation and weight reduction; as they are extra stretchy, they help with fit too.

I'm usually a medium for most non-Italian brands; that is what we have on test, and it fits me perfectly. Looking at Pactimo's sizing chart, it's almost like someone measured my chest, waist and hips for medium, because they are bang on my numbers.

Pactimo describes the fit of the Summit Aero Range Jersey as 'Aero', which it defines as 'designed to provide an aerodynamic form fit'. For context, 'aero' sits between 'traditional' and 'second skin', the latter described as 'designed to provide an ultra form fit'.

That translates to a figure-hugging but not a suck-in-and-hold-your-breath oh-my-god-that's-tight cut. The fabric is stretchy enough to accommodate any shape fluctuation that might occur.

Pactimo says there is a difference in cut between this jersey and the Summit Aero that Shaun reviewed, in that it changed the position of the shoulder seams to reduce any potential discomfort from the straps of hydration packs and the like.

The Summit Aero Range is also available in blue and vibrant orange, both making you stand out a bit more than the understated and stylish black that we have on test.

Features

The low-profile collar further supports the aero in this jersey's name, as do the raw-edge sleeves. They work well, and they look good, too.

There's a 15mm band of diagonal silicone gripper stripes on the inside of the sleeves, and also a more traditional silicone gripper band inside the hem below the pockets.

The full-length YKK zip has a nice rubberised pull and works well.

The other difference between this jersey and the Summit Aero is the pocket design. While the Summit Aero sports the usual three pockets plus a zipped one, the Range doesn't have a zipped pocket, but does have an extra two pockets. This is achieved by doubling up the the right and left hand side pockets.

The three standard pockets are nice and big, and are bellowed at the bottom, so they hold plenty of stuff. The two extra pockets that sit on top are supposed to give you extra storage, but in my experience, as they expand with the pockets below, this doesn't quite work. It also makes it harder to get stuff out of the pockets, because you're fumbling trying to find the right opening.

I'd have preferred the zipped pocket over the two doubled pockets, but you might be less clumsy than me and enjoy the extra organisational potential the additional pockets provide.

On the bike

This jersey works really well in hotter weather; those mesh panels on the side really help with ventilation. It also works really well in mixed weather conditions; it dries so quickly that it works well as a baselayer under a waterproof on a wet ride.

The recycled fabric feels soft next to the skin, and the cut works well on the bike. It's tight enough for there not to be any fabric flutter, yet stretchy enough not to feel restrictive or compressive at all.

All of which makes it a good companion on multi-day adventure type rides where you don't know what the weather's going to bring.

Value

Although £105 is definitely premium price territory, the Summit Aero Range is by no means the most expensive jersey we've tested. That prize probably goes to 7mesh's excellent Skyline Jersey, which costs £200.

There are plenty of others in between – Rapha's Men's Classic Jersey II, for example, is a fiver more at £110, but uses a merino blend.

You can also get good jerseys for less: Bioracer's Spitfire looks like it has similar features on paper, and costs £74.99.

> Buyer’s Guide: 30 of the best summer cycling jerseys

The Summit Aero Range does deliver a premium performance, so you are getting value for money, and although fhe five pockets didn't work for me, they might for you.

Conclusion

This is a really nice jersey that ventilates well, dries quickly and is lovely to wear. The five pocket design doesn't really work for me, so I'd probably go for the Summit Aero with the usual three pockets plus one zipped one, as they are otherwise basically the same. If you want to be able to organise your stuff better, though, this one might work for you.

Verdict

Great aero adventure jersey, but the pockets won't please everyone