RH+ Stripes Jersey for Men
by Chris Galley
In a cycling world bloated with cycling apparel manufacturers, it’s incredibly difficult to pick out what will work for you, select the kind of kit that you need for your locality, your type of riding and more importantly, how to look cool or be that bag of spanners. There’s a cost to consider too; so when I tell you Armani designed and styled the Italian Police Service, you’re probably going to look away from Italy, as that statement conjures up huge costs. Hang on a minute and stick with me, because at pedalnorth we’ve found an Italian company that will deliver the right cycling kit, that looks cool, performs at the highest levels and won’t break the bank.
RH+ Cycling is a sub company of Zerorh.com, who are based just outside Milan in Italy. They have a reputation for designing new material technologies and developing exactly what the customer requires for their chosen sport. When they asked us to test out their Stripes Jersey, made specially for trail and mountain bike use, I was only too pleased to take it for a spin and see if I too could look like an Italian style icon.
I chose the most popular colour Stripes Jersey in Absolute Blue, Cicladi Blue and a touch of Khaki. When it arrived it stood out immediately and really did look very cool when tried on for the first time. Matched with their versatile 3 in 1 helmet, stunning Klyma sunglasses and comfy RH+ Trail shorts this jersey is a fantastic looker. The fit for me with an XL was perfect for a 42 inch chest and the relaxed hang is a true off road and classic look. And that’s in the Italian sizes too.
RH+ have developed what they call ECO Biomorphic Dry Skin Adaptive Stretch fabric. In practice this makes for a very comfortable, versatile, light and breathable piece of clothing. Their new Biomorphic Dry Tech 4-Way stretch fabrics are used in the sleeves and sides and this enhances moisture management and thermoregulation. There’s a touch a class, with silicon dots covering the shoulders, which in time will help avoid fabric wear when using a backpack. I really like that. The Stripe jersey sits in their range at £94.90 which easily competes with other brands. It’s preshaped for a comfortable riding position. It has the normal 3 rear Cargo Pockets and a zipped mini pocket to store your valuables. In house zips with a particularly nice branded self-locking camlock zipper. The neck and sleeve ends are softer feel fabrics and just to cap off, the garment the branding is reflective on the back for enhanced visibility.
On the trail it stands out, breathes nicely and allows that unrestricted movement to bob and weave your way along trails and woods. All those essential extras are nicely stowed away in the large rear pockets and the areas you would expect to rub simple don’t.
The Stripes Jersey is a great garment. Born into this world by style masters, designed specifically for the trail and I think I looked stylish enough wearing it for an old boy from Yorkshire…