Road Cycling Clothing

10 Best Summer Road Cycling Jerseys

We round up some of our favourite jerseys, for our favourite season...

The good news: summer cycling is not too far away. In fact, if you catch Mother Nature on a good day, you could even suggest it’s already arrived (we’ll brush over the sleet yesterday…)

Summer jerseys are all about breathability, quality wicking fabrics that draw sweat away from the skin, and of course everybody likes a good fit that makes them feel confident and comfortable on the bike.

Summer jerseys can be teamed with arm warmers and a gilet on the chillier days of spring, and should the temperatures rise both these layers can be rolled into a pocket and stowed away. It’s always best to wear a base layer underneath your jersey, too – giving you an extra layer of protection should you be unlucky enough to lose your grip on the road, and also acting as an extra sweat wicker so you don’t have to feel those droplets cool on your skin when you stop.

There are hundreds of brands out there making some great summer jerseys, but obviously we’ve got our favourites. Here are just a few of the best summer jerseys…

FWE LTR Women’s Short Sleeve Jersey – £29.99

If you want technical, quick drying fabric, but without a price tag that makes you do a double take, then this offering from Evans Cycles’ in-house brand could do the job.

The LTR (lunch time ride, an Evans Cycles Friday tradition) jersey is meant to provide a fairly relaxed fit, and we did find we had lots of breathing room when wearing it. The fabric is fast drying and breathable, and we love that it’s available in a great post-box red as well as a more understated black with mint details.

See it here.

Dhb Blok Women’s Short Sleeve Jersey – Prism – £45

dhb provide a fantastic example of the fact that you just don’t have to re-mortgage your house to get a great quality cycling jersey. We tested this one on our TWC20 photo shoot, as dhb were included, and loved the lightweight fabric, and the design.

Made from quite a thin fabric, this is very much a jersey for the mid summer days. The fabric boasts a UPF 30+ rating, so you can rest assured you won’t burn through it, and it is treated with an anti-bacterial system.

See it here.

Primal Ride On Women’s Cycling Jersey – £50

Want to show a little attitude on your ride? This one could be for you! The Ride On jersey is loud and proud, and it’s a slightly more relaxed fit which makes it great for all-day adventures.

This jersey features SpeedPro fabric – it’s lightweight and pulls sweat from the skin. There are no tags, for added comfort, and 3 wide pockets so you can carry all your kit comfortably. Sizes are available from XS to 3XL too, to ensure there’s a good fit for everybody.

See it here.

Morelo Women’s Crosses Jersey – £60

We do love a bit of Morvelo – there’s loads of excellent designs to choose from, but we particularly like this geometric pattern.

The fabric is light, but robust: that means it’s breathable, but not so paper thin you have to worry about snagging it on every dangling branch you sweep past, should you venture off-road.

See it here.

Chapeau! Madeline Jersey Caviar Stripe – £69.95

There’s clearly something in the air in cycling-fashion world, because Chapeau! have come over all patterned, too. The pinstripe/polka design took our fancy – and it’s available in a range of colours.

The fit is mid-way between race and relaxed, so it’s a lovely casual option that still feels pretty slick. You can count on this brand to provide quality wicking fabric, without breaking the bank, and there are some reflective details for a little extra visibility.

See it here.

Fat Lass at the Back Stealth Jersey – £69.99

Fat Lass (or Lad) at the Back arrived on the scene fairly recently to cater for larger riders who were struggling to find quality kit. They’re a bit of a Marmite brand – but love them or hate them, they do make fantastic quality gear.

The new ‘Stealth’ range is a little more understated than the more colourful options available. Though some pieces shout ‘Fat Lass’ loudly, this one doesn’t feature the name at all. It’s designed to fit a woman with curves, is long at the back to avoid any triangles of exposed skin, and has reflective elastic at the cuffs. This one is available in sized 16 – 22, and only comes in these colours – though there’s plenty more on the site.

See it here.

Castelli Climbers Jersey – £70

We could have included something like the Castelli Anima jersey to give you a cheaper option. However, for £10 extra pounds, we’d always recommend the climber’s jersey. Made from an incredibly light material, it’s got an ‘internal bustier’ – so you can pull the zip down on the climbs without feeling like you’re giving away too many secrets.

The fabric is a mesh like structure, so it’s not suited to those who want more coverage, and if a full zip is a deal breaker, this one isn’t for you. If neither of these bother you, and you need a jersey for super hot days and super tough climbs, go with this one.

See it here.

Ale PRR Bermuda Jersey – £90

We’ve been seriously impressed with all of the Ale (say it Allez) kit that we’ve reviewed so far. The PRR Bermuda jersey is a performance fit garment, but the super stretchy material means it’s comfortable, too. What we really love is the fact that the jersey finishes quite low on the hip, and dips at each corner – which makes for a flattering fit that feels good on and off the bike.

The back of the jersey has carbon woven in, too, for quick wicking, and the front features micro perforated fabric for added breathability.

See it here.

Rapha Souplesse Short Sleeved Summer Jersey – £120

We included Rapha in our list of 20 Champion brands in women’s cycling, and we were thrilled to test out the summer Souplesse jersey on the photo shoot.

The Souplesse range forms the base for the Canyon//SRAM women’s race team kit – it’s race ready wear with an aero fit that sits close to the skin. However, the material is still pretty stretchy, and we found the garment incredibly comfortable.

The material is breathable, but fairly heavy, more so than some of the very light versions made specifically for long climbs on overseas training camps that you might find elsewhere on the market. You could wear this with arm warmers and a gilet into autumn and be comfortable on the milder days. There is a contrast stripe for visibility, and you can snap this jersey up in navy, coral, or black.

See it here.

Giro Women’s Chrono Pro Jersey – £135

Expensive though it is, Giro make great kit, and they’re passionate about creating it in equal measures for women. We’ve been huge fans of the Chrono range since we tested it out in Switzerland, and we love the fabric of this jersey.

Incredibly stretchy, the 4-way material provides a close, aero fit that doesn’t result in any nasty restriction. It’s fast drying as well, and available in the awesome Galaxy design, or in a more understated white.

See it here.

Obviously, you’ll need shorts to pair these with… check out our round up of favourite pairs here.