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Van Rysel Men's Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Summer Jersey Racer Ultralight

9
£44.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Impressive race jersey when it comes to performance and quality with the benefits of long sleeves for those that want them
Impressive build quality
Good attention to detail
Very breathable
Sizing is small - this is one for the racers
Weight: 
149g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Van Rysel Men's Long-Sleeved UVP Road Cycling Summer Jersey Racer Ultralight not only has a very long name, it's also a great jersey for warm conditions that span spring through to autumn. Lightweight in construction like a traditional summer jersey, it's also breathable while giving you a little bit of extra protection for your arms. It's very good value too.

For a mere £44.99 there is a lot going on across the Van Rysel jersey, with plenty of small details often not even found on jerseys costing double the price.

For instance, you get a zip garage at the top of the jersey to reduce any irritation against the skin of your neck, but you also get one at the bottom. Something many manufacturers don't bother with.

2022 Van Rysel Men's Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Summer Jersey Racer Ultralight - collar.jpg

If you are spending a lot of time hunched over in the drops your jersey zip can rub against your expensive shorts, causing bobbling and a lot of wear and tear. This lower zip garage prevents that.

2022 Van Rysel Men's Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Summer Jersey Racer Ultralight - hem.jpg

Pockets

You get three rear pockets in the traditional layout although Van Rysel has given a little extra detail by sloping the two side pockets downwards towards the outside, giving you easier access to the pockets when you are riding.

2022 Van Rysel Men's Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Summer Jersey Racer Ultralight - back.jpg

You also get a zipped valuables pocket.

2022 Van Rysel Men's Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Summer Jersey Racer Ultralight - zip pocket.jpg

Finishing things off are a couple of reflective strips running down the back.

The overall quality is brilliant for the money too. The stitching is neat throughout with no signs of any stray threads left poking out. It's robust too.

Sizing/cut

The Van Rysel is designed with a racer's fit in mind (size up if you've not got a peloton-ready physique) so the seams are always under pressure, but durability hasn't been an issue over the last six weeks of testing.

2022 Van Rysel Men's Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Summer Jersey Racer Ultralight - back.jpg

The cut is close all the way around, even the arms are snug, almost like you are putting on a pair of arm warmers and the rest of the jersey moulds to your torso, giving a smooth aero finish.

The stretch in the fabric allows for plenty of movement though, so you don't feel restricted on the bike.

The tail is dropped long enough for stints in the drops too.

2022 Van Rysel Men's Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Summer Jersey Racer Ultralight - gripper.jpg

Heat management

As for performance, the fabrics used are highly breathable and great at wicking sweat.

I was wearing it through the last UK heatwave in temperatures nearing 40°C at times and while I still got hot while climbing, as soon as I hit a descent or flat and picked up speed the breeze soon whipped through the jersey and dried it off.

The arms use slightly thinner material than the main body, but it was nice to have them on those really hot days for protection against the sun as the whole jersey is made from UV-resistant fabric.

2022 Van Rysel Men's Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Summer Jersey Racer Ultralight - cuff.jpg

As we are now heading into autumn and the temperature is cooling off, I've still got plenty of use out of the Van Rysel. It's been ideal for chucking on when it's still warm enough for just a jersey but you want a bit of arm coverage, and if it's early morning chilly it fits easily under a gilet.

> How to dress for cycling in autumn

With the gilet undone there is no real wind resistance, but with a lightweight baselayer underneath it's thick enough to keep you warm on the climbs in the upper single digits, temperature-wise.

That's how I see the Van Rysel working for the rest of the year, as a great layering-up option.

Competition-wise, well, as you'd expect there aren't a huge amount of lightweight summer long-sleeve jerseys on the market.

The Rapha long-sleeve training jersey has a similar sort of shape and design, although it's designed for cooler days, so it is a little bit thicker. Though you will pay £105 for it.

MAAP makes a long-sleeve Evade Pro Base Jersey. I was very impressed with the short-sleeve version when I tested it, especially in terms of breathability and fit.

Unlike the Van Rysel the long-sleeve option doesn't come with a zipped pocket or zip garage – and it costs a cool £145.

Conclusion

If you want a slim race jersey but with the addition of long sleeves for cooler days or sun protection the Van Rysel is a very good choice, as long as the fit suits. It's a lot of jersey for the money.

Verdict

An impressive race jersey when it comes to performance and quality with the benefits of long sleeves for those who want them

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Van Rysel Men's Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Summer Jersey Racer Ultralight

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the product is for

Van Rysel says: "Are you looking for a very lightweight long-sleeved jersey? Then this jersey is just for you! It's lightweight and compact – take it wherever you go!

"Morning chills, warming up, going downhill... there are many moments when you'll feel the need to slip on our long-sleeved jersey. And you'll never lack for comfort!"

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Ultra-lightweight jersey

Three standard pockets and one zip pocket for your phone and keys.

Ventilated back and underarms are specially designed for intense activity.

Stretch fabric for greater comfort and freedom of movement when cycling.

UV-resistant fabric.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
8/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
8/10

The sizing is very much aimed at super-slim racers, so if that's not you you'll need to size up.

Rate the product for weight:
 
9/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

No problems from repeated washing cycles.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It performs well even in high temperatures, and makes a great layering option for cooler days.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Incredibly breathable.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The fit is designed for the very slim.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

A couple of other alternatives I found (in the review) were double or triple the price.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

At double the price I'd still be impressed with the Van Rysel. It's really well made, performance is great and the durability is high for such a lightweight jersey.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 44  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

Add new comment

2 comments

Avatar
I love my bike | 1 year ago
0 likes

As summer is now over, you've got to need one in XXL & order on-line, or wait for next  year & hope they stock it again (+/- any design revisions).

Avatar
KDee | 1 year ago
1 like

And the award, for longest name in the cycling garments category, goes to...✉️...📜...🥁...DECATHLON! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

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