This Is Cambridge À bloc jersey

This Is Cambridge started off small, just making a range of hand-made cycling caps and have built on that success to branch out into socks and now jerseys. Their À bloc jersey is a no-compromise performance cycling top that plays best when the temperature creeps above 20˚C.

The fit of the jersey is uncompromising to say the least, if you had a little extra pudding last night then everyone will know about it, TiC acknowledge this and say you may require a size-up from your usual jersey size. I'm a medium in pretty much any cycle jersey and the À bloc was definitely on the snug side, in a good way, let's call it slinky shall we. Its absolutely more tempo than tea-rooms in its intentions. It's also a jersey that's a little longer in the body than others, so no riding up at the front or bib-gap when off the bike and stuffed pockets sit comfortably low on the back.

Read more: Summer cycling jerseys

The À bloc is made from a very lightweight Italian fabric, stitched together with flatlock seams for comfort and with mesh panels down each side for summer breezability. The fabric, cut and feel of the À bloc jersey make it feel like a top more suited for hot days, high intensity training or racing, any riding where your body is going to be working at or in high temperatures really. If you're just going to be casually noodling about on your bike and visiting National Trust properties and pubs it could be considered to be a pretty brave choice of garment by many, especially some regulars in the pub. But don't let that stop you.

Buy This is Cambridge À bloc jersey

In keeping with the performance brief the À bloc jersey has a low cut race neck with no collar as such. It's such a deeply swooping neckline that the top of your undervest can peek out the top, if you wear an undervest. I wear an undervest all the time, even in the hottest weather, for that extra wicking layer. This peek-a-booing was a little aesthetically irksome. There's no anti-irritation zip-dock at the top of the zip as has become the norm in a jersey because it sits so low on the neck, almost atop the sternum, that there's no need for one.

Storage arrangements are the standard three pockets out the back, and the right hand one has a small waterproof pocket inside it for valuables; just perfect for keys and it'll fit a slim mobile phone, just. With only a covering flap at the top and not a zip it's neither 100% secure nor 100% waterproof, but it'll keep the sweat out.

The arms are very long in comparison to the majority of cycle jerseys, just about reaching the inside of the elbow, and while it is very on trend with the Pro look it will play havoc with your finely crafted tan lines. There are no grippers at the ends of the sleeves, it's just the tight fitting of the material that keeps them in place, and it even manages to do this on traditionally pipe-cleaner cyclist's arms. It's a very comfortable solution and avoids the elastic pinching of some other jerseys. It's also achingly aero. On very hot days you can sort of miss the couple of inches of cooling that a more traditional shorter sleeve offers, but the fine fabric does wick sweaty moisture away really well and doesn't get clammy.

The tight fit and four-way stretch fabric make it an incredibly comfortable jersey to wear with no creasing or rankling in the front when hunched over the bars, and no tightness over the shoulders. Because the jersey material isn't the stoutest of fabrics things can get a tiny bit swayey out back if you overload the pockets with tools, tubess and extra layers. The silicone gripper around the hem does a fair job of keeping things in check though, and the tops of the pockets are thickly elasticated to keep everything in. It's the sort of jersey you're going to wear on the finest days when you might not need to carry so much extra bike gubbins so it's a petty niggle.

The full length zip works smoothly for easy sudden climbing ventilation and has a wind baffle behind it in a natty contrast colour. If I was being picky it would be nice to see this as a hidden zip, but the white detailing works well within the design of the jersey.

This turquoise and acid yellow colour combo is definitely for the brave. You can get socks and a cap to match so you can rock the combo quite confidently, like you meant it. It should definitely win in any 'what do you mean you didn't see me' arguments but if this is a bit too retina burning then there are red, blue and black colour schemes available that offer different levels of loud.

Verdict

Colourful high performance jersey best worn at the fitter end of Summer after three weeks of salads