Reviews

Altura Podium Elite short sleeve jersey – review

Smart, lightweight, well-priced summer jersey, but room for a little refinement on the fit

Altura have produced a smart, summer-weight piece in the Podium Elite short sleeve jersey, and the lightweight fabric and Coldback treatment ensures this is very much a warm weather top which performs well when the temperature rises.

The jersey comes from Altura’s flagship Podium collection and the fit is geared towards the racer. That’s not to say you have to race in order to wear it, of course, but it’s a close fit, particularly under the arms. A little more give at the join between the front panel, side panel and under arm wouldn’t go amiss, but otherwise the length and width of the jersey is good.

Altura’s Podium Elite short sleeve jersey combines a racy fit with this high-viz colourway

The dropped tail stays securely in place while riding and the full-length front zip means you can let plenty of air in when things really warm up or on a long climb.

Coldblack is becoming increasingly popular on lightweight summer jerseys and, if you’re not familiar, it’s a treatment applied to the fabric to reduce the amount of warm sunlight being absorbed by the material. In reality, it’s difficult to say whether there’s a substantial difference over a regular, untreated fabric, but what can be said is that the fabric itself here is both lightweight and very breathable, which helps keep things cool and quickly moves sweat away from the body.

The rear of the jersey is made from an even lighter, mesh-style fabric which certainly helps to keep your back cool, and it’s comfortable to wear with or without a base layer.

The arms are finished with grippers which are comfortable and effective, though they’re a little shorter in length than other jerseys I’ve worn and tested of late. Whether that works for you is a matter of personal preference but it’s something to be aware of.

The lightweight, breathable fabric is well-suited to warm summer rides

Specification
Price: £74.99
Sizes: S-XXL
Size tested: M
Colours: high-viz; red/black; black/white
Website: Altura
UK distributor: Zyro

As I’ve already alluded to, the hem at the back does a good job at keeping the jersey locked down and in place with a combination of a fairly wide band of elastic and silicone on the inside. The front hem is slightly different, with a lighter material which isn’t quite as bulky, nor as stretchy, but that’s just fine. The hem is triple-stitched all round, as is the rest of the jersey, giving it a robustness despite its light weight.

At the back there are the five open pockets, plus a zippered pocket for valuables. The varying sizes of the rear pockets ensures you have a number of options as to exactly where you want to keep your ride essentials, as well as being able to effectively spread the load – or really load up for longer rides.

Fives pockets – and an additional zipped pocket – provide plenty of storage

On the back of the jerseys there’s also a full width, reflective chevron pattern across the pockets, as well as more reflective print on the hem, offering an increased level of visibility over many jerseys, particularly in the neon green colourway tested (there are also white/black and red/black options available). Otherwise, the look of the jersey is very clean.

Conclusion

All in all, the Altura Podium Elite jersey is lightweight, good value and, despite its racy intentions, gives a good nod to visibility, while also offering plenty of storage for day-long rides. The fit could be refined a little but, all things considered, there’s really not much to complain about and a lot to praise.