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So this review can be definitively summed up like this. One of the best cycling jerseys I’ve worn.
Okay, great, thanks for reading. What’s that? You want me to go into it a bit more? Well alright then…
…It was a dark and stormy night, well not exactly, but one night a few months ago I put a tweet out asking for suggestions on merino tops and one suggestion I received was a top from a company I hadn’t heard of before, Torm. Interested I started to have a look around and see what this fledgling young (only been around since 2010) company has to offer.
And what exactly is that? An understated, form fitted elegant range of finely made jerseys with more than a generous nod towards Rapha’s style of design. That aside they are undoubtedly quite smart and a very finely tailored range of cycling tops and nowhere is that more obvious in the T5 jersey.
Made from Sportwool™ for ultimate performance, the T5 cycling jersey has got quality from cuff to cuff. Sportwool™ is what happens when they combine merino and polyester (merino goes on the skin side with the polyester going on the outside). It’s not itchy and is odour resistant and feels rather nice against the skin. From the Torm site itself;
“Sportwool™’s sophisticated temperature and moisture management system maximizes wearer comfort no matter what the activity or weather conditions, permitting maximum physical performance.”
Fine stitching is the norm throughout making it a tough and strong, smart cycling top. The jersey has a bit of stretch for greater comfort and movement with all the advantages you’d expect from merino wool. Whilst not thick enough to form adequate protection from freezing cold days it does work very well in conjunction with a layer underneath and when I went out on a dark and not very stormy but pretty chilly night it only took a few minutes for my body to warm back up and I rode comfortably along without any real care of the cold at all. When the temperature returns to double figures this smart cycling top will doubtless do the business on it’s own for you as you go about your ride and beyond.
The fine functionality continues, starting with the high zip collar that fits quite comfortably around the neck. The zip has a white fabric inner lining that concludes it’s journey at the top of the zip as a wrap around so it causes no irritation when the collar is done up to the top. Round the back of the jersey is a drop tail and 2 waterproof zip pockets which you can drop your wallet and phone in quite snugly plus a slightly bigger open pocket sitting in between. There’s also reflective strips down the sides of each waterproof pocket which is a nice little touch that also helps towards being seen, a big plus especially if you get the black version of the T5 jersey.
So a tick in the function box, a tick in the quality box and lets go ahead and put that tick in the style box too. As I said it’s a form fitting well tailored jersey. Side panels give it a nicer fit. I did have to get a size up but that’s the common risk of wearing cycling clothes. The size up gave me a nice encapsulating finish without becoming a new skin and it fits a base layer under it too without looking tight. There is a white band around the top of each arm that as well as helping with visibility they give the jersey a really nice contrast against the primary colour of the jersey.
I actually think this cycling top can also double as a stylish cardigan//jacket that because of Torm’s fine tailoring and attention to detail is a unique and fashionable little number giving a smart look around the office or at the local coffee shop. I’m sure this wasn’t it’s first intention but I think it works well.
Oh and I didn’t even mention the best part did I, you can get your hands on the T5 long sleeve cycling jersey for just ÂŁ55. An equivalent jersey from Rapha is over ÂŁ100, to get such a finely made high performance and oh so nicely styled jersey for such a good price is outstanding I say.
I’ve been happily living in this for a week now and it really is just perfect in my eyes, certainly one of the best cycling jersey I’ve ever worn. Quite discerning.
Fit: 8/10
Function: 9/10
Style: 9/10
Value for Money: 9/10
Quality: 10/10
Overall: 45/50
You can get the Torm T5 Jersey from Torm for ÂŁ55 and it comes in 3 colours. Red, black and grey.
