Twin Six The Queen of the Mountain jersey

Every now and again a really stunning jersey comes along. I was genuinely quite beside myself when I saw this latest addition to the range of QOM polka dot kit that Twin Six have done so well with over the last few years. There have been short sleeved jerseys, shorts and even socks, all displaying those inspirational/tongue-in-cheek signature spots.

This is a cold weather jersey, designed for deep winter layering or wearing alone on chillier spring and autumn days. The fabric is a waffle style brushed synthetic, to give extra moisture wicking properties, there are three deep pouch pockets at the rear, displayed in a nice touch, in a contrasting bright red colour. The good quality YKK zip is full length.

On the bike, this was, ahem, spot on for chillier rides, with a gilet on over the top, or just on its own, depending on the conditions. The fabric really does wick moisture incredibly well, keeping skin nice and dry, so it's ideal on its own, rather than with a layer over the top to potentially interfere with the moisture transport.

The fit and cut are neat and contoured without being tight, and there's good length in the body and sleeves, while the tail is nicely shaped to keep the jersey in place even without gripper tape. The zip moves freely but a slightly bigger zip pull be nice to make it easier to adjust while wearing full-fingered gloves. The pockets are good and deep, but I'd always prefer to see a small zipped security pocket somewhere, for a door key or the like, and this doesn't have one.

It's an incredibly comfortable jersey to wear, soft next to the skin, but also effective at moving moisture away to prevent chilling. Visually, it'll definitely get you noticed, and maybe might just inspire a bit more effort when climbing that next hill? Sadly, I didn't experience a marked improvement in climbing skills when wearing this jersey - no new QOMs were acquired.

Verdict

Visually arresting and technically competent cold weather jersey