Le Col Pro Jersey II review: Decent, but the ‘Pro’ is misleading

Any jersey, like any other cycling tech from clothing through bar tape to saddles and bikes themselves that slaps a ‘Pro’ moniker somewhere in its name gives the consumer some level of expectation regarding the level of performance on offer. Pro, like the pros use, yeah? Oddly the Le Col Pro Jersey II isn’t the pinnacle of the brand's performance; it sits beneath the Hors Categorie and Pro Aero jerseys. Despite perhaps not quite living up to its name on paper, how does it stack up against the competition?

I’ve been wearing the Pro Jersey II for a good few hundred kilometres, mostly on the backroads of the northern Lake District, but with several forays onto gravel too. We’ve had heatwave conditions and cooler days so the thermal management of the fabrics has had a thorough going over, as has the fit and storage. Does it deserve a spot alongside the best cycling jerseys? There's only one way to find out, besides buying one yourself and testing it alongside its competitors, but that's our job.

Design and aesthetics 

Many jerseys have a unique selling point. The new Rapha Gravel Jersey has a gravel-specific cummerbund, The Invani Reversible is (you guessed it) reversible, and the Rapha Brevet has enough storage to cope with even the most voracious raids on the nearby bakery while bonked out of your mind mid-audax. The Le Col Pro Jersey II, as far as I can tell, doesn’t have a hook. It is the archetypal cycling jersey. Five panels, three back pockets with an elasticated upper, a small collar, a rubber gripper at the lower hem and relatively wide, flat silicone grippers for the arms.

It is very similar to the Sport Jersey in terms of design, but utilises a four-way stretch fabric whereas the Sport is two-way, and the Sport eschews the arm grippers in favour of a simple material double-over. The cut is racier, I’ve tried a small in both models, and the Pro is definitely more performance orientated, so if you want form fitting then definitely go Pro.

The material used in the entirety of the jersey certainly feels luxurious, and as a bonus, it’s 100% recycled, which is certainly heartening to see. It’s smooth, almost soft-touch in the hands, with plenty of stretch. I must say I think the hem gripper is a little basic for a jersey at this price point and I’d like to see it mirror the flat lying silicone of the arm grippers for a more seamless transition from jersey to bibs.

What I do like from a design point of view is that it’s free of any adornments or embellishments. It’s a single block of colour, in this case a very lovely green that is definitely a light forest green rather than sage, as the Le Col website would have you believe. A simple wordmark on the chest and an embroidered logo on the upper back is all there is. No unnecessary flashes, zig-zags, dots, stripes, or anything else. It makes for a simple look but combined with the ‘standard’ design it adds up to a jersey that looks classic while offering up more modern performance.

Fit

This isn’t an aero jersey, but you still get a close, second-skin feel almost everywhere. The arms are long, as is the current fashion, and stay put with the grippers very well without biting or restricting movement. The material has the perfect amount of stretch, too. Not so much that it feels baggy, but not so little that you feel like you’re going to burst the seams getting it on. 

The length is good too, a little longer than other jerseys, but again it’s another note that this isn’t necessarily a race cut where the front in particular would be heavily cropped to avoid folds when in a very aggressive position.

The thing that I didn’t get on well with was the shoulders. I’m not a broad man. To be completely honest I’m a skinny man, and the shoulders for my body type were way too roomy at the top, and even with the jersey fully zipped up there was so much room it flapped annoyingly. If you’re slightly bulkier then you may not have this issue, but combined with the collar, when unzipped, there is a lot of material moving around while at speed.

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Comfort

This is a comfy jersey, especially given it has a close fit. The material stretch is supportive without being restrictive, and the simple construction means there are fewer seams to worry about. The heavily embroidered logo on the back, along with some other seams and labels mean it is best worn with a base layer as they can rub a little. The flappy shoulders aren’t really a detriment to the comfort except when I’ve been out for an all-day hike in the sun with my top off and burnt myself to a crisp, where the flapping really did become a bit painful, but that one’s on me. 

In terms of thermal management, this really isn’t a jersey for high summer; the lack of mesh panelling and the slightly thicker than usual material mean it is actually quite a hot jersey. It’s not one for winter by any stretch, but over 20 degrees you’re probably going to wish you were wearing something else. On the flip side, especially in the UK where, heatwaves aside, we’re mostly below that range, it represents a pretty versatile option for extending into the shoulder seasons with some of the best arm warmers and a gilet. 

Storage

Three back pockets and a little zipped one for essentials. The set menu, no gimmicks. The pockets do a pretty reasonable job; they can hold a lot of cargo thanks to the inherent stretch of the material, and the smoothness of it makes it easy enough to slide things in and out, even usually difficult items like my mini pump with its rubberised end caps. 

The upper hem is quite bulky, with a wide elastic that I think could be more elegant, but it keeps the cargo secure even if you decide to bunny hop a few potholes on a gravel descent. When empty the hem doesn't sit as flat as I'd expect from a jersey at this price though. 

As a bonus, thanks to the long cut, the pockets aren’t so high as to require hyper-mobile shoulder joints, as can be the case with some race jerseys. 

Value 

Considering it’s a very good, but quite basic jersey in terms of fit and features it’s quite hard for me to say it represents good value for money. For context, at £130 (approximately $160) it’s £40 more than the Rapha Pro Team Training Jersey, which appears to be more tuned to performance. I’ve not used the Pro Team Training jersey, but I have used many others from the Pro Team range and the fit is very good indeed.

Moreover, if you’re after a more general use jersey and aren’t interested in performance gains so much you slip towards the realm of the Rapha Core Jersey, which is half the price. With the spare £65 in your pocket you could put that towards a new set of bib shorts too. I’m not saying they’re directly comparable, but if you aren’t 

Verdict

This isn’t a race jersey, so ignore the Pro name. What it is though is a very good, albeit slightly high-priced, all-rounder. To me, it represents a halfway house to a race jersey, something for the riders who are looking for a more performance-oriented garment but don’t want to opt for a full race cut. 

It’s comfortable, fits well almost everywhere, and is usable over a broad range of temperatures. I can’t get past the fact that it feels like a deluxe, close-fitting club jersey rather than a garment with performance in mind, but in terms of its actual performance as a garment, that's probably a good thing for the types of riding that most of its eventual wearers will do. 

 Tech Specs: Le Col Pro Jersey II

• Price: £130 / Approx $160
• Weight: 139.6 grams in size small
• Size availability: XS-3XL
• Colour Options: Sage, Black, Navy, Yellow