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Van Rysel RR 900 Women’s Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey

8
£34.99

VERDICT:

8
10
A great summer jersey with very little to fault, at a brilliant price
Weight: 
134g

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 RR 900 Women's Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey is, frankly, brilliant. It's super-stretchy so fits comfortably round all your curves, it's full of features, well made and a great price. I really like the 'Blue wave' styling, too.

  • Pros: Stretchy fabric, zipped pocket, zip garage, price
  • Cons: Not quite as high-wicking as some high-end jerseys, maybe

Decathlon's new brand, Van Rysel, seems to be following closely in B'Twin's footsteps, with good quality kit at an attractive price. Stu tested the men's version of the RR 900 and was impressed – though you have to pay a fiver more for that one, and it's a slightly different design.

> Find your nearest Decathlon store here

I'm not sure whether you need to size down here or whether the Lycra-like fabric is just so stretchy it'll accommodate all bulges, but I've been testing a small and I'm not a small in anything, other than men's T-shirts. I'm mostly a medium, sometimes large. Maybe a medium would fit perfectly too, but I certainly don't feel restricted in any way in the small. (It's not me in the photos, that's Ashia, who usually wears a small.)

Van Rysel RR 900 Women's Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey.jpg

There's still plenty of length in the body, and the raglan sleeves sit nicely in just the right spot. They don't have silicone gripper to hold them in place, but the smooth and deep cuffs are elasticated to just the right degree, close but not overtight.

Van Rysel RR 900 Women's Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey - cuff.jpg

We often criticise (much) pricier jerseys for not having certain features you'd expect/like to see, such as a zipped pocket for valuables and a zip garage at the collar to stop the zip irritating your neck. Look, other brands: you can have both these things in a £35 jersey! And a garage at the bottom of the zip to protect your shorts...

Van Rysel RR 900 Women's Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey - collar.jpg

The zipped pocket is 'water repellent' too, though if you put your phone in it naked it will get condensationy, less so if you have something in the pocket between it and your back. It's just deep enough for an iPhone 6.

Van Rysel RR 900 Women's Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey - pocket 2.jpg

The three main pockets don't feel as secure as those in some jerseys I've worn, but nothing's fallen out. The elasticated hems across the top could be a bit tighter. I do like having three 'normal' pockets, though, so that's a definite plus here.

Van Rysel RR 900 Women's Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey - pocket.jpg

Unlike the men's version, the fabric at the front of the jersey isn't mesh, so it's a case of lowering the zip if you want a bit more air. You do get a long mesh panel at the back, though, all the way down the jersey (under the middle pocket) to the elasticated hem. It definitely helps keep you cool and dry – the only area that got a bit sweaty was the back of the collar, where the solid fabric takes over, though I didn't really notice while I was riding, only after I'd taken it off.

Van Rysel RR 900 Women's Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey - back.jpg

There's a strip of silicone gripper all along the rear elasticated hem, which does an OK job, and some reflectives on the rear to help you be seen on gloomy days – a vertical stripe and the logos.

Van Rysel RR 900 Women's Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey - gripper.jpg

Construction-wise, it's made with a mix of flatlock and overstitched hems, all holding together fine with nothing to suggest it'll fail anytime soon, and is comfortable with or without a baselayer.

Van Rysel RR 900 Women's Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey - riding 2.jpg

And you get all this for £35. For a fairly simple summer jersey, with all the features you need for a day's ride, which you can bung in a washing machine daily if you needed to without worry, that's a great price. Emma thought the Funkier Prima Pro was exceptional, but it's a tenner more, and Janine was very taken with Cycology's loud Spin Sista, but that's £55.

> Read more road.cc reviews of women's cycling jerseys here

You might prefer a merino top for multi-day touring or for looking less Lycra-y on casual rides, or a more high-end fabric for ultimate aero/wicking if racing (Rapha's Souplesse Aero for £140?), but for sportives, fast training rides or daily commuting, the Van Rysel is a great bit of kit.

Verdict

A great summer jersey with very little to fault, at a brilliant price

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Van Rysel RR 900 Women's Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey

Size tested: Small

Tell us what the product is for

Decathlon says, "This women's cycling jersey has been developed by our design team for intensive cycling in hot weather

"This short-sleeved cycling jersey offers great ventilation thanks to the mesh fabric at the back and the full-length zip. Also practical with its 4 pockets at the back (1 zipped and water repellent)"

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

From Decathlon's website:

MOISTURE MANAGEMENT

Mesh at the back.

Full-length zip.

STABILITY

Ergonomic cut and elastic around the waist.

Slim fit.

POCKETS

4 pockets at the back, including a water-repellent and zip pocket.

LIGHTWEIGHT

Ultra-lightweight fabric, very pleasant to wear.

COMPOSITION

MAIN FABRIC

90.00% Polyester (PES), 10.00% Elasthane

YOKE (GENERAL)

87.00% Polyamide, 13.00% Elasthane

CARE INSTRUCTIONS:

Wash before first use.

WASHING INSTRUCTIONS

Machine wash - 30° max - normal

Do not bleach

Do not tumble dry

Do not iron

Do not dry-clean

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
10/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
7/10

It's very stretchy – so much so that I've tested a small, whereas my norm is medium or even large.

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

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

Really easy - bung in the machine with other sports kit.

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

It's a brilliant value summer jersey, perhaps not the most breathable/wicking but I haven't overheated in it, and it has plenty of features that much more expensive jerseys often don't.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The price! And the zip pocket, the three normal pockets, the zip garage, the colour, the fact that I can wear a small...

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing much. Gets a bit sweaty round the back of the collar on a hot day, and the pocket tops could be tighter.

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

Brilliant.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Absolutely

Use this box to explain your overall score

It's a very good summer jersey that's hard to fault for the money – and would be even if it were twice the price. It's not 'exceptional' (though the price is), but it is very, very good.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 54  Height: 169cm  Weight: size 10-12

I usually ride: Vitus Venon  My best bike is: Paulus Quiros

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, sportives, general fitness riding

Tass is our production pedant, who boldly goes hunting for split infinitives, rogue apostrophes and other things up with which she will not put. She joined road.cc in 2015 but first began working on bike magazines way back in 1991 as production editor on Mountain Biking UK, then deputy editor of MTB Pro, before changing allegiance to road cycling as senior production editor on Cycling Plus. She's ridden off-road but much prefers on, hasn't done half the touring she'd like to, and loves paper maps.

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1 comments

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RobD | 4 years ago
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Nice review, I looked at these with my wife a few weeks ago when we were in Decathlon, they feel nicer than quite a lot of the cheaper jerseys out there.

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