Velocio Women’s Merino Trail Long Sleeve Review

Words by Caitlin Wilkinson  |  Photos by Michael Walker

In addition to their range of Men’s Mountain bike performance wear (which the Loam Wolf team has enjoyed previously), Velocio also offers a full lineup of Women’s versions with unique cuts and colors. Thanks to the team at The Loam Wolf, I was lucky enough to test out some of Velocio’s staple garments, beginning with the Merino Trail Long Sleeve Jersey.

ABOUT THE VELOCIO MERINO TRAIL LONG SLEEVE

The Velocio Merino Trail Long Sleeve jersey is very much like it sounds. Manufactured from a blend of 75% Merino Wool; 18% Nylon and 7% Elastane, this jersey is designed to offer the performance properties of Wool without compromising on durability or comfort. The outside of the arms are given abrasion-resistant paneling to fend off brushes with shrubs and bails.

Velocio has added an extended hem to cover your butt whilst in the attack position and articulated shoulders for easier movement. You can pick up the Women’s Merino Trail Long Sleeve in 4 flattering colors, in a whopping eight sizes (XXS – 3XL) and at £83/$109.

THE DIRT

Living in the Northeast of Scotland, blisteringly cold winters are commonplace, which can make finding the right jersey tricky. The women’s tailored fit was great as it complimented my figure. I am 5ft 4.5 inches and 71 kg. With my winter weight I wore a size medium. I found that the Trail Long sleeve wasn’t baggy but avoided being overly tight too and offered movement in the right places. The sizing of the garments is done by measuring from pit-to-pit, so make sure you measure yourself first before purchasing, as these come up small. The Velocio website has a fantastic size guide which can help you through the process of choosing the correct size, though.

The design of the long sleeve is minimalistic with only the Velocio logo on the chest, which I was a fan of. Also, the army green color was lovely, as it complemented the forest surroundings. Against the skin, the Velocio Merino Trail jersey was comfortable and avoided any irritation. The abrasion resistant elbow pads add great versatility to this jersey, knowing that if you fall more you will probably not bust your elbows – or the jersey – up as bad.

I gave the Velocio Merino long sleeve a good test under a jacket, testing it in temperatures as low as -5 Celsius (23F). The natural insulation of Merino wool kept me impressively warm given its light weight, and I appreciated its moisture-wicking properties when I was pushing hard on the pedals. I found that the jersey excelled in temperatures around the 7 degrees celsius (45F) mark on its own and was comfortable down to -2 degrees celsius (35F) with a jacket on top. In the warmest winter temperatures I rode in, the jersey was great at keeping me at a nice temperature. In colder temperatures, it was effective as a warm thermal layer with a jacket on top.

There weren’t really any negatives apart from maybe the need to wash cool as per the instructions. This is due to the Merino content, so just be sure that you are aware of this before you accidentally shrink it and as I said earlier, measure twice order once!

The Wolf’s Last Word

I particularly enjoyed the comfort of the Merino Trail Long Sleeve, as soon as the North East winter rolled in it quickly became my go-to. It served as a comfortable base layer for the colder days, and on the milder days I felt like I could wear it without a jacket which meant I could show off its super sick army green color. Undoubtedly one of my new favorites! It’s pricey though.

Price: $109 / £83
Website: Velocio.cc