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Liv is the new women’s cycling brand from Giant, who have always been committed to the female rider but are now taking their commitment to a new level and becoming a stand alone brand dedicated to female cyclists.

The Liv Terra Jersey is a staple piece for any road or cyclocross riders wardrobe, it’s one of those tops that you don’t realise how useful it is until you have one. Perfect for those days where it’s a little too chilly for a tshirt, and definitely not cold enough for a soft shell.

The Liv Terra Jersey is feather light, soft to touch and a pleasure to ride in. The ‘club fit’ jersey is a more relaxed fit than a standard road race jersey; it’s a nice snug fit but not skin tight and a medium gives me room to wear a base layer underneath without feeling restrictive. Colours and panelling also give a very flattering fit.

I’m a fairly standard size 12, apart from my abnormally long body for my size and this jersey is the perfect fit, so sizing is pretty true, unlike a lot of road kit that comes up small. I was very impressed with the length, long enough to wear with cycling leggings (not bibs) and the dipped hem makes it long enough to not to get a cold back or show any skin on a ride. On my first glance I did wonder if it would ride up as I noticed that there’s no silicone gripper on the bottom hem, however I’m pleasantly surprised it didn’t ride up at all and I didn’t get that awful bunching of the front zip that some jerseys do. A full length zip makes it easy to put on, especially over a base layer. The arms are a great length, and are long enough to keep your wrists covered even when stretched out in the riding position.

The dry wicking ‘transtextura’ fabric is a stretchy honeycomb knit material which moved well with me on the bike and did it’s job of wicking away the sweat quickly. It also feels lovely and soft against the skin.

For the first ride I’d say I underestimated the Liv Terra Jersey and wore my long sleeved ‘skins’ base layer underneath and I was far too hot. For the next few rides I just had a short sleeved base layer on and it was great! I’m fairly new to road and cyclocross, my main biking being enduro, and on autumn days and chilly summer mornings I do sometimes struggle on what to wear; I have now found the answer.

The colours work well together, and are colours I’d usually associate with the Giant brand. I like the way the hems and zip are all sewn in contrasting colour. Flat lock stitching is used throughout, and on the larger seams the bulk of the sewing is outside keeping the inside fuss free and eliminating any chafing issues.

I have mainly used this on my cyclocross rides which take me along a muddy field and down a muddy tow path, the week of testing saw lots of rain and post down pour rides providing plenty of upwards rain! I was worried that the dark mud might stain but it didn’t, I washed it as instructed it came out looking brand new with no evidence of mud splats.

The Liv Terra material properties mean that the pockets can hold a fair amount securely, the elastic aged tops of the pockets also help with the security of items in them. I actually managed to pack it down into the middle pocket to take in my rucksack on an epic Mtb Ride as that extra layer incase it got really cold. The Liv website says that the top also has a zippered credit card pocket but I am yet to find this!?!

Pros
Flattering fit
Great length
Stretchy material moves with you and allows a layer underneath
Washes well
True sizing and good size range (S-XL)

Cons
Could do with a little more reflective accents
Material looks like it could snag easily

Price: £44.99, available from Giant.

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