Velocio Concept Merino Long Sleeve Jersey

The Velocio Concept Merino Long Sleeve Jersey is soft and lovely but ultimately very expensive.

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> Buy now: Velocio Concept Merino Long Sleeve for £180 from Velocio

Let's get straight to the heart of it. This is extremely nice to wear, but is it so much nicer than its rivals that it's worth the premium? For me at least, I honestly can't say it is.

At £180 the price is very high for a jersey – even a merino one. The 7mesh Men's Ashlu Merino Jersey that Matt tested earlier this year is made from ethically sourced wool and is cheaper at £160. That's not because it's a weak blend either, as at 89% merino it actually contains more wool than the Concept.

The Albion Long Sleeve Jersey that Hollis tested last year does a very similar job to the Velocio and has gone up to £120, and though that's not merino it is lovely and soft, and scored very well.

Indeed, the Van Rysel Mid Season LS Road Cycling Jersey Racer, tested by Shaun last year, is another great, slim-fitting long-sleeve for layering or outer use, and it's just £54.99. Again, it's not merino, but is this Velocio more than three times better? Let's pretend that wasn't rhetorical and say no.

But that's that. If the price doesn't bother you, there's little else to put of you off – this is a reasonably versatile and extremely comfortable jersey, and it's built to a very high quality.

The fabric is 75% merino, with 7% elastane to give it a really nice stretch – it's form-fitting to the point it will never flap or ruck up uncomfortably, but at the same time it's light and absolutely unrestrictive. In case you're paying attention and wondering about the other 18%, it's nylon, there to boost fit and durability, according to Velocio.

This 'ultrafine' merino gives UPF30 sun protection, which is always useful in a long sleeve – it's no good being caught out because you felt protected and weren't.

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The seams are all overlocked rather than flatlocked, but that perfect stretch and general softness means they cause zero issues, even when using this as a midlayer. The three rear pockets are backed with a much stiffer fabric that effectively stops them sagging, and there's a zipped fourth pocket on top of the righthand one for valuables. Unfortunately it's much too small for a typical phone, but it's good for keys and money.

I found the tail very secure with its silicone gripper and elastic, and there's a neoprene-feeling windflap behind the metal-and-plastic YKK zip that ends in protective zip garages. The one at the top feels a bit redundant due to the low, rounded collar, but hey. It's there and looks tidy.

The logo on the central pocket is reflective, and in this colour at least the whole jersey is noticeable, which I always appreciate.

I found the fit mostly excellent – slim and almost tailored yet, as I said, entirely unrestrictive. Personally I'd like an extra centimetres on the sleeves, as they tend to ride up to just above my wrist, and I wouldn't want to size up thanks to the rest being just so. You probably could should you need to, however, as the generous stretch should help shrink it to you elsewhere.

The sizing feels just right, and Velocio offers an impressive eight options from XS to 4XL.

Velocio says this is good on its own 'for cooler fall or winter days', but for me at least it's not really up to that – the fabric is roughly 0.5mm thick and not windproof. I only found this comfortable alone (well, over a baselayer) on mild days well into double figures, and preferred a windproof layer over the top if the air was chilly. I found it good up to around 20 degrees like that, after which I started to want short sleeves.

I also found, during one ride with 17-18°C air temps, that I was slightly chilly on shady fast bits and slightly hot on sunny, sheltered climbs. You could see that as the problem with it being fundamentally quite warm yet vulnerable to windchill, or you could see it as it being versatile in that it was okay, if not perfect, for the entire ride.

It gets damp and doesn't dry that fast when used as a midlayer, but it stays comfortable so it's not a huge issue there. Being wool it doesn't start to smell unless you really hate washing machines, either.

It dries much quicker with no other layer on top, but in this (rather attractive) colour any soggy patches are noticeably darker and more translucent than the rest, which isn't a great look. The navy blue and black versions will presumably hide it, though the 'Army' green one may not.

Even dry, this is thin enough to make you think about the colours of your baselayers and bib straps, as light ones can show through.

Overall

This is undoubtedly a high-quality jersey, and it's lovely to feel, look at and wear. For me it's too thin and vulnerable to chills to be a super-versatile 'go-to', though – I found it useful either as an outer when it was just a bit too cool for short sleeves, or as a slightly-warmer-than-a-tee baselayer worn next to the skin. I could often make it work, but rarely thought, 'Oh, that's the perfect thing for today.' Given the high price, that it feels anything less than essential is a bit disappointing.

Verdict

Very comfortable with an excellent slim yet unrestrictive fit, but it's expensive