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Van Rysel Road Cycling Jersey Racer

9
£44.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Simple and effective, this is a light, highly breathable race jersey with excellent attention to detail
Well specced
Very close cut for those who want aero
Breathable and dries quickly
Can stain if not washed straight after
Weight: 
130g

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 Men's Short-Sleeved Road Cycling Summer Jersey Racer is a light, highly breathable race jersey designed with an aero fit. It also has many of the characteristics of jerseys costing twice as much – it's a bit of a bargain, and definitely up there with the best summer cycling jerseys around.

Van Rysel is French superstore Decathlon's flagship cycling range, yet that doesn't mean premium prices – surprising really, when you look at the quality and attention to detail.

The Racer jersey is tailored, as its name suggests, for racy types with minimal body fat and of a lean persuasion. Bear that in mind when it comes to sizing as you may well want to go up a size or two.

Get the fit right and there is very little to pick fault with. The material used for the bulk of the panels has loads of stretch to aid the fit, and it is breathable too.

I wore this jersey through the last heatwave, and it did a decent job of letting the air flow through to keep me as cool as possible and dry (for the side panels the Racer uses a lightweight mesh). Should the whole thing get overwhelmed with sweat after a hard effort or climb, it dries fast as well.

2022 Van Rysel Road Cycling Jersey Racer - shoulders.jpg

The arms are reasonably lengthy, but stay in place thanks to the compression in the cuffs. They also provide a smooth transition between skin and jersey for an added bit of aeroness.

2022 Van Rysel Road Cycling Jersey Racer - sleeve.jpg

The rear is heavily dropped for riding in the drops, and the front sits nice and high to stop the material bunching up. It prevents the zip from damaging your shorts too, thought thoughtfully Van Rysel has added a zip garage at the bottom anyway.

2022 Van Rysel Road Cycling Jersey Racer - hem.jpg

You get a zip garage at the top of the full zip as well, though as the neck sits quite low it's not that necessary.

2022 Van Rysel Road Cycling Jersey Racer - collar.jpg

Pocket wise there are three in the traditional layout, with the right hand side overlayed with a zipped valuables one. Either side of the main three you find a small extra pocket on the side panel, and these are ideal for energy gels, route instructions or anything else you need easy access to.

2022 Van Rysel Road Cycling Jersey Racer - side pocket.jpg

Finally you get a smattering of subtle reflectives – as I said, the attention to detail is good.

For colour options, there are six available. This fluoro yellow is easily the most eye-catching, although should you get caught on wet roads, make sure to wash it straight away. Dirty spray will stain the fabric if not dealt with fast. That's true of many light-coloured jerseys, though, and not just restricted to the Van Rysel. The other options are Black, Denim Blue, a rather retro looking Team White, Navy Blue and the current Cofidis team jersey.

Value

At a penny shy of forty-five quid, I reckon this represents good value for money. Scott's lightweight RC Premium jersey is a similar sort of design and comes in at £99.99, although many deals can be had now as we batter towards winter.

Endura's Pro SL Lite short sleeve jersey is again of a similar ilk. It lacks details like zip garages, and there is no zipped pocket – a must in my opinion – so its £82.99 price tag doesn't look quite as appealing to me.

Overall

The Van Rysel Racer is a high-performance jersey for not a lot of money, and it looks and feels as though nothing has been sacrificed to get there. It lacks some of the green credentials and technical fabrics of some offerings, but if you want bang for your buck (or pops for your pound, maybe), then look no further.

Verdict

Simple and effective, this is a light, highly breathable race jersey with excellent attention to detail

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Van Rysel Road Cycling Jersey Racer

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the product is for

Decathlon says, "Racer is Van Rysel's flagship range. It's composed of products designed for cyclists who want to push their limits. Are you looking for a light, breathable, perfectly fitted jersey that's designed for performance? This jersey is right up your street!"

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

Breathability: Two mesh inserts (ultra-breathable fabric): on the sides and back.

Lightweight: Enter the world of performance with a jersey that weighs just 129 g in size M.

Stability: Elasticated sleeves and hem at the back provide a snug fit.

Pockets: Three classic pockets and one zip pocket on the back, two pockets on the side.

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

Sizing is true, but keep in mind it is for a racer's physique.

Rate the product for weight:
 
9/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

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

As mentioned below, if it gets dirty wash it quickly so it doesn't stain.

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

A top-notch racers jersey in terms of performane and fit.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Very breathable.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The light colour can stain if not washed quickly after wearing.

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

It is impressively cheap compared to similar offerings mentioned in the review.

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

From a pure value for money point of view the Van Rysel really can't be knocked. It performs and fits just like many jerseys double the price, and without any obvious sacrifices.

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!

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