Club Ride Bandara Jersey

I just love technical cycling apparel that doesn’t look the part.  It’s useful for commuting and utility riding, and it turns heads at group road rides.

Club Ride’s women’s line is a welcome departure from the usual elastic-hemmed, run-of-the-mill cycling jersey.  Their Bandara women’s jersey is a western-style shirt, featuring pearl button snaps and a breast pocket, but underneath that fun detailing lies a really functional cycling shirt.  The light-weight poly fabric has ventilating mesh panels along the sides and across the front and back of the shirt and the two rear pockets are zippered for added security.

Under the front snaps, there’s an additional zippered closure.  This comes in handy if you want to ventilate a bit more by unsnapping the front, but keep things modest.    The Bandara’s natural collar and mid-length sleeves make it a great choice for riders who want to stay cool and protected from too much sun exposure.  It has an airy, loose cut that feels great on hot days.

I’ve washed and worn the Bandara numerous times over the past several weeks, after wearing it on all sorts of road and trail rides, and the fabric hand and seams look as great as they did right out of the package.  It’s a rare pleasure to see a cycling garment that has been designed and constructed with as much attention to quality as Club Ride has given to the Bandara.

One small issue I ran into with the berry color jersey I tested was colorfastness – things got a bit pink in the first couple of washes.  Club Ride owner, Mike Herlinger, tells me that this issue has been addressed with their fabric supplier, so there should be no worries on that score. Their other women’s tops are worth a look as well.

Mike plans to expand the women’s line in 2012 to include new jersey designs and colors as well as two styles of baggy shorts.   I’m personally hoping he’ll add a couple of fun sleeveless styles!

Club Ride Bandara Jersey $90, www.clubrideapparel.com