Bicycle Line Ninfea women’s jersey

Bicycle Line's Ninfea is a very nice jersey for casual rides in spring and summer. It's much more lightweight than you would expect a long-sleeve top to be, demanding the support of a baselayer and/or gilet to offer decent protection in changeable conditions.

• Pros: Versatile, comfortable, attractive design
• Cons: Insufficient protection against elements on its own, may become rather thin very quickly

There's very little to the Ninfea. It's seriously lightweight so can be very easily worn under another jersey. Equally, a gilet fits over it with ease. This is good to know, as on its own it really doesn't offer much protection against the elements. Its paper thin property really is quite unusual in a long sleeve jersey.

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The main body of the jersey is made of Carezza Microsense Soft fabric. Bicycle Line tells us how this fabric offers maximum comfort and excellent moisture control when in contact with the skin.

I'd definitely agree on the comfort front: it's soft against the skin and moulds itself to you without looking like it's being over-stretched. I really rate it with regard to fit, too. Refreshingly, for Italian kit, it's not under-sized; I normally take a medium and this medium was spot on. Body and arm length were perfect, collar height ideal. The cut is feminine without being restrictive at any single point, the material having plenty of give.

When it came to moisture control, though, I didn't find it as good as others I've worn. While the fabric absorbs sweat well, this is then retained, and without a baselayer the fabric clings to the skin – not ideal in slightly cooler temperatures.

The underarm mesh panels are much more effective in encouraging moisture to evaporate. If you don't tend to work up much of a sweat on a bike then this will all be immaterial to you. It really is a great jersey for gentle spins in mild temperatures – so that's most of the British spring and autumn... and summer!

Most of the standard features are good: a sturdy zip, reflective tabs and a decent hem with some silicone to hold it in place. The latter worked okay when the pockets were evenly loaded, but if you put something excessively weighty in either of the side ones the jersey quickly swings round.

This leads me to another niggle I have with the jersey: the pocket design. The pockets themselves are relatively roomy and the fabric stretches well to accommodate bulky items. The top edge is a thin, tight elastic which makes getting a phone out rather annoying – the top edge gets caught up (under the elastic), and using one hand to get at it was virtually impossible. It would be easily overcome with a non-elasticated top edge.

The zip pocket is a nice addition for keys or coins, though.

Bicycle Line claims that the fabric offers 50+ UPF protection and I can't say I got burnt while wearing it, but then I haven't been abroad in the recent weeks to test this feature fully...

Personally, I really like the aesthetics of the Ninfea. Despite the majority of it being quite dark, it has enough patterned sections to make it stand out. It might not be for everyone but it's certainly different to many designs.

My biggest reservation about the jersey is its durability. I wash my (non-merino) kit after every wear, so this has meant a fair amount of washing in the test period as the temperatures were spot on for riding in it – 13-17°C. I followed the 30 degree wash, with no harsh detergents. While there is no sign of pilling or bobbling, the jersey is beginning to take on a rather see-through appearance. There is no patchiness to this, like you sometimes get near seams on shorts, it simply looks more transparent. With a baselayer this is of little consequence, but it's certainly something that you don't want to happen within a few months of purchase.

As much as I love the concept of such a lightweight long sleeve jersey, it won't appeal to everyone. On the one hand it could be considered versatile – it fits under a thick winter jersey, it can be worn with or without a baselayer and its low bulk means a gilet is easy to pull on over the top – but on the other, a short sleeve jersey offers all of this with the added bonus of being able to add or remove arm warmers.

Price-wise, you'd be looking at about the same cost, slightly less perhaps for the Ninfea, with a pair of arm warmers setting you back £20-£25 (Cycology's Sun Sleeves, for example, or Lusso's Active Aeros) teamed with a jersey for less than £50, such as one of Funkier's lightweight offerings or a dhb Blok.

> Buyer's Guide: 17 of the best summer cycling jerseys

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Overall, the Ninfea is a uniquely designed, exceptionally comfortable jersey that will appeal to those who don't prioritise breathability. With questionable durability it might demand a baselayer sooner than might be expected, and these niggles go against what could otherwise be considered a reasonable price tag.

Verdict

Looks and feels great, but if you like to work up a sweat it's probably not for you