PEdAL ED Kaido Jersey

The Kaido is one of two cycling jerseys in Pedal ED's line up of clothing. It's made from a blend of Merino wool and Meraklon to ward of smell, sports a full-length zip and has a relaxed, rather than racy, cut. It's made in Italy and costs about what you'd expect to pay for this kind of top.

Meraklon you say? It's a modified polypropylene fiber with some appealing characteristics: wicks well, comfortable next to the skin, bulk without weight, quick drying, non-allergenic and antibacterial and is claimed to remain odour-free even if soaked in sweat. This is not my opinion after testing, you understand; I got it off the internets.

Combined with merino and a smidge of elastane, the blend does indeed feel lovely next to the skin. In terms of wicking and quick drying, like most merino garments I've tried, it's nowhere near as good at keeping you dry as most completely synthetic jerseys. It's a bit heavier as well, at roughly twice the weight of a basic synthetic jersey. What it doesn't do, again just like all merino garments I've tried, is smell. Well it does, but it'll take a few hard rides over a few days, and even then, it'll be a whiff rather than a pong.

The Kaido has a full-length front zip, with zip garage at the chin. It has the usual silicone gripper at the hem, to keep things in place around the waist. There are no grippers on the arms, though I didn't find things riding up there. There are the usual three pockets on the back, with a zipped pocket on the middle one for valuables. You'll struggle to fit bigger phones in there, but iPhone 3-4-5 size phones are fine. The pockets are a fair size, but not massively deep – about the height of said size of phone. More for carrying a snack than a pump.

In terms of fit, the Kaido is designed more for riding than for racing. The cut is relaxed and comfortable as opposed to figure-hugging. In my opinion, this matches the choice of materials. This jersey is perfect for an all-day ride where you're not in too much of a hurry; I can see it working very well for touring, audaxing or café riding. For hard training or racing, I found myself grabbing a synthetic jersey. The fit is almost perfect, apart from a bit of bunching at the zip, even when standing up straight.

The Kaido is designed by Hideto Suzuki, who started Pedal ED after spending 15 years in the Japanese fashion industry. No surprises there, as you'll have spotted this one looks pretty stylish. I like the black band running down the back and the overall understated look. There is the tiniest bit of reflective detailing on the logo on the middle back pocket.

Verdict

Stylish merino blend jersey, perfect for lower intensity rides