Orro Cycling Jersey

The Orro Cycling Jersey is a perfectly okay summer cycling top that's likely to appeal if you ride an Orro bike, but you can get more technical jerseys for the same sort of cash.

• Pros: Comfortable, breathable and well fitted
• Cons: Only available in black, the oddly undersized pocket

Orro is a British brand owned by i-ride, the parts and bikes distributor. We've tested a few of its bikes such as the Gold STC and liked what we saw. Now, spotting that plenty of riders like to match their cycling outfits to their bikes, the brand has launched a small range of clothing including this jersey. It's closely aligned with the black-and-gold aesthetic of its bikes, so if you do own one then you'll be well matched, and you can further coordinate by adding the gilet (review coming) and bib shorts.

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It's a summery short sleeve affair, made with two comfortable and breathable polyester fabrics that are similar to what we've seen on many other summer jerseys. Aerate fabric is used for the majority of the jersey, with a more elastic Link fabric used on the side panels.

This arrangement helps manufacturers offer closer-fitting jerseys where each size can nevertheless accommodate a wider range of body shapes. It's available in five sizes from small to XXL, and – if you go by the size chart – you'll get a fairly close fitting jersey.

As you can see in the pictures, it is a fairly simple cut, so the front does bunch up more in a cycling position than something more aero focused like this jersey from Hommage au Vélo that we tested recently. Unlike some racier jerseys, the long front means this will look respectable at the cafe stop rather than revealing bib short mesh.

As the name suggests, the Aerate fabric used is very breathable, just right for the sort of hot summer we've had this year. At 130gsm (grams per square metre) it isn't super-lightweight for a jersey fabric, and the overall weight is a fairly typical one – more than lightweights like Endura's Pinstripe jersey. For me, breathability of the fabric is more important than low weight in a summer jersey, and it scores well on that front.

> Buyer's Guide: 20 of the best summer cycling jerseys

One thing that might be less ideal for hot days is the colour – you've a choice of black or nothing. The reflective gold logos do contrast nicely, and the chevron design on the back is snazzy. As well as the logos, Orro has added reflective piping along the top of the pockets and around the zipped valuables pocket – welcome if you ride in the evenings or early morning.

Those pockets take a fairly typical approach, with an unintentional twist in the case of our review jersey. It's good to see a zipped pocket that's big enough to accommodate a modern smartphone, but I was puzzled by the sizing of the right-hand pocket, which is markedly smaller than the one on the left. Orro says that this is a manufacturing error and that the pockets should be the same size (if any owners of this jersey have unequally sized pockets they should get in touch with Orro for a free replacement).

The other details are handled well – wide and stretchy sleeve openings are comfortable, there's a silicone gripper strip along the bottom of the back which helps prevent it riding up, and the zip is covered with a flap to prevent it irritating the neck.

In truth, there's nothing that really stands out from the market here – it's a lot like a million other jerseys that you can buy. Orro is presumably aiming at its existing customer base, and there's nothing wrong with that. If you've got one of its bikes or like the styling on offer here, this is a pretty good summer top. Others may want to shop around as, for this sort of price, other brands can offer more technical jerseys, such as the Flux Print from Kalf, for example.

Verdict

Comfortable summer jersey styled to match your Orro bike