MAAP Evade Pro Base Jersey

The Evade Pro Base Jersey is MAAP's take on the lightweight top for hot, sunny summers. Its race fit is cut close, but thanks to great comfort from the various fabrics it's an absolute joy to wear, even when you're working hard. It isn't cheap though.

While we don't experience massively high temperatures for much of the year in the UK, when that rare heatwave makes an appearance, you'll be glad you've got a jersey like the Evade Pro base in your wardrobe.

The main body fabric is a blend of 89% polyamide and 11% elastane with a weight of 130/m2, which means it's thin, light and very breathable.

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I had a few rides where the temperature was touching 30°C here in the south-west, and even then, the MAAP stayed pretty dry thanks to the air flowing through the material, taking body heat with it.

When climbing or really hammering it does get wet quite quickly from sweat, but once descending – or cruising along the flat – it soon dries out.

The material is very soft, so it feels great against the skin... which it needs to, considering how close-fitting this top is. It's very much a pro level sort of a cut, but with plenty of stretch movement isn't restricted. It also offers a sun protection factor (SPF) of 50+.

MAAP uses a different material for the arms; it's a kind of honeycomb mesh that feels refreshing as the breeze flows over it. For me the arms are a little on the long side (I prefer them to stop around mid-bicep), but that's a personal choice.

At the rear MAAP have included three spacious pockets, although there's no zipped valuables version which I think is a bit of a must these days. While we are on about things missing, I'd also like to see a zip garage at the neck to stop the chance of irritation.

Back to the pockets though, as I said they are roomy with easy access on the fly. The material is relatively taut so there is little in the way of sag, and MAAP has thoughtfully placed more of that mesh material between the pockets and your body to aid breathability.

When you aren't wearing it the MAAP looks very small indeed, but the sizing is pretty similar to other brands. The medium fitted me fine, and not just around the torso, but in length too.

> 30 of the best summer cycling jerseys — tops to beat the heat from just £10

Value

At €155 (about £132 at time of writing) the Evade isn't exactly cheap, but in its defence it is very well made. There are a couple of stray thread ends here and there, but nothing major, and all the stitching is smooth and neat. There's nothing to irritate.

Overall durability is good too. Jerseys as light as this can sometimes be a little fragile, but I've had no issues with the MAAP, even on gravel rides where there is a bit of tussling with branches and the like.

Pactimo's Men's Summit Aero SS jersey is a similar kind of design and Shaun was very impressed with it, and it's actually cheaper at 'just' £100.

At the other end of the scale though you're looking at double that for something like 7mesh's Skyline jersey at £200.

Overall

If you want a light, close-fitting summer race jersey that copes very well with high temperatures, the MAAP is a very good choice. It ticks all the important boxes, even with those few small omissions I mentioned.

Verdict

Highly breathable jersey with a great fit, and comes into its own in hot weather