Autumn has arrived. It's pretty much the same as summer around here lately, only the days are slightly shorter. I managed to dodge most of the rain and inclement weather by, ironically, cycling in the north of England a couple of weeks ago, but I had a ride planned with the beloved (and my wife) at the weekend and it didn't look too promising.
Luckily for me, I had received the howies Cadence jersey to test. A long-sleeved, merino and Sorona mix top, with a silky feel on the outside and a snuggly feel on the inside.
Wait, what is Sorona? According to those nice guys at howies, it uses partly plant-based glucose from renewable corn starch to replace 100% oil-based fabrics.
So, m-m-m-my Sorona jersey was supremely eco-friendly, being produced using less greenhouse gas emissions and less energy than petroleum-based fabrics. In combination with the merino, it's claimed to be breathable, moisture-wicking and temperature regulating - and possibly made from unicorn's mane as well.
Too good to be true? The Cadence jersey certainly looks good, though it's not for fans of fluoro. The body is plain black, with subtle white detailing on the rear zipped valuables pocket, and red, white and green trim on the full-length zip forming a Welsh tricolour from neck to waist. I confess, I love my plain jerseys as much as my colourful ones, so this fits well with my wardrobe. It's also quite slimming on me, which at my age is a bonus.
On my 60km ride out into the Surrey back roads, I felt comfortably snug even when it started to rain. When the sun peeped out and reminded us that autumn was only a few days old, there was no hint of overheating.
The rear cargo pockets are capacious enough for my (unnecessary) emergency gilet, for my snacks and my mini-pump. The fabric stayed in shape, with none of the sagginess you sometimes get when wool mix combines with pocket contents. Each time I reached for my phone I didn't feel like I was rummaging around at the carnival lucky dip.
So, what's not to like? A great fitting, affordable, superbly performing jersey that looks great off and on the bike. The Cadence jersey looks to hold strong appeal, whether you're a sporty cyclist, a commuter, a hip fixie rider or a mountain biker.
It's versatile and, when combined with a rain-repellant jacket like howies' Helium, could see you through most of what autumn and winter could throw at you. And even, judging by what we've had recently, spring and summer too.
Cadence LS Cycle Jersey, £79 from howies.co.uk
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