With many premium cycling jerseys costing well north of £100/$150, it's always nice to find a product that costs less but still purports to offer good performance. Sportful’s SRK jersey is just such a piece.
SRK is a small collection for men and women that includes short-sleeved jerseys, shorts and a thermal jersey. Sportful says that it is designed for versatility, and will work both on and off-road with a slightly more relaxed fit than their aero options.
There are six colours available for men with sizes from S to 3XL and six for women from XS to 2XL.
Construction
The jersey is made up of two main fabrics; a very light, airy material on the arms and sides, with a less open weave on the main body. The arm hems are raw cut and elasticated but don’t use any silicone grippers and neither does the tonal elastic on the rear hem. The front hem is a simple Lycra edge.
At the front is a nice chunky YKK zip in matching green (although there is no zip garage/chin protector) whilst the rear security pocket zip is white. The three pockets are in the same lightweight material as the sleeves, again with simple Lycra edging.
Should you suddenly feel curious about the jersey’s origins before going for a ride, on the left pocket is printed ‘A jersey designed with a vision to create a product for all, embodying the essence of fun and the true testament to our love of cycling’. So now you know. Post-ride, you can use the hashtag on the right sleeve and inside the collar to upload images to Sportful’s Instagram should you wish to - #moregreatdays.
The ride
Despite Sportful’s intention that the SRK jersey has a slightly relaxed fit, I would say that it was still pretty racy. Sizing is more ‘Italian’ than some of Castelli’s more recent offerings for instance, and my usual size medium was certainly pretty snug on my 186cm/74kg body.
Out on the bike I found the SRK jersey short, even when worn with the appropriate SRK bib shorts, there was still a rather unsightly gap between the jersey and the bibs for my pale belly to make an appearance. Bent over on the bike I found myself frequently rearranging the jersey to help it sit better, and the lack of silicone gripper around the hem didn’t help as this allowed the jersey to ride up at the back too. On the flipside, I found the gripper-less sleeves worked very well, sitting nicely in place.
The pockets are both high and deep, with the tops sitting 4cm higher than the pockets on Castelli’s Espresso Jersey - good for storage, less so for access. In fact, while I admit my shoulders are not the most flexible, I could barely reach into the pockets whilst stationary, let alone when riding the bike or stiff after a few hours in the saddle.
Aesthetically, apart from its ability to cruelly expose my muffin top, I really liked the SRK. The green colour grew on me and I was impressed with the fabric’s ability to stay dry. Sleeve length was good and the jersey stayed taut around my shoulders and neck without bunching up and I liked the slightly higher collar which provided a little more protection against the wind than low-cut jerseys.
However, as well as the pockets being hard for me to access, they also went slightly against the slick look of the jersey as the lightweight fabric rucked and wrinkled easily - less of a problem if stuffed full though.
Value and conclusion
With the rather large caveat that you need to check the fit, then the SRK Jersey does offer good value with its £75/ $89.99 RRP. The fabrics work well, the colours look good and all the expected features are present and correct.
I would really like to have seen a gripper of some sort around the rear hem, and for my body shape I needed the jersey to be 3cm longer and for the pockets to sit commensurately lower too. I’ll knock one star off for the fit on me, but if it fits you well, then it has the potential be a worthwhile product.
