The Café du Cycliste Lucienne jersey is stylish, comfortable, and suited to all but the hottest conditions.
We tested the Lucienne jersey in a range of temperatures from 15 to 30 degrees, and while it performed well in most conditions, features like the merino wool mix and high collar were unsuited to the most ferocious heat.
A deal breaker? Not for riders in the UK, we’d say, who face temperatures over 25 degrees on an infrequent basis. In typical summer conditions, say from 15 to 25 degrees, the Lucienne was a pleasure to wear.
Its most distinguishing feature is a casual appearance that left us feeling refreshingly unselfconscious at the café, where it drew the occasional complement. We wore it on the train and around the office in the high-days of late July – not something we’d do in more race-oriented clothing.
The opaque panels in the centre of the back and the arm pits provided effective ventilation, but the high collar (4cm on our small-sized test garment) proved to be the feature least suited to very high temperatures. Comfortable in other conditions, when temperatures turned savage, it had us reaching for the zip long before we did in other jerseys worn in similar conditions.
The body was perhaps proportionally longer than suggested by the close fitting sleeves and collar, and the additional fabric may be welcomed by riders not possessed of a physique to grace the UCI WorldTour. Slimmer riders are likely to experience the bunching we encountered.
The sleeves proved comfortable in all conditions and aesthetically provided the Lucienne jersey’s key feature. They were soft against the skin, and of sufficient length to offer some protection from the sun.
Three rear pockets performed their task adequately, and the zipped rear pocket proved an added bonus – a handy store for a key and a credit card, but perhaps not intended for anything larger. The silicone band at the hem performed its limited task without complaint and proved effective in holding the jersey in place.
Price: £117
Size: XS, S, M, L, XL
Colour: grey
Website: Cafe du Cycliste
