The Domestique Critique: Arrueda

I love this jersey. Like ham and pineapple on pizza, you either love it or you hate it. I bought it straight away, and was impressed with the quality and comfort and now I love it even more. Arrueda is a Spanish company started in 2014 making custom cycling kit, and now sells designs to the public with some designs only offered for one month and only during that month. The Feminism jersey was available during March 2017. International Women’s Day was March 8 and this jersey was a celebration of those that have struggled to get us to this point and a recognition of how much more work we have ahead of us.

This is the most lightweight jersey I own, maybe next to the Velocio Ultralight. The material has a silky smooth feel and the entire back is a micro mesh for maximum ventilation. It’s only slightly see-through and I didn’t have any issues with sun exposure after my rides. The locking zipper is a nice touch for a thin jersey and the crewneck collar is stylish. I personally like having less chafing my neck on a ride, and with a crewneck I don’t have to zipper down and expose myself just to get a little air. However, the zipper either didn’t quite go to the last tooth or they need to add a soft flap that stops the edge from scratching skin.

The longer sleeve is a current trend and initially I was worried it would be too long. It’s laser cut so no uncomfortable grips or seams. In fact, you could hardly notice any seams on this jersey at all. The sleeves have an excellent stretch with the paneled material that never looked like it was stretching at all. The sleeves didn’t roll up nor did they restrict movement in any way. A ++, Arrueda. They even give a black-on-black baseball kind of look that gave the design depth.

Three pockets in back gave me ample storage space for my rides. The grip on the hem was silicone and did a fairly good job of keeping the jersey in place while riding. And, sigh, don’t mind my crazy hair in these photos. It’s always a looong suffer between short hair to long hair again. Amiright?

The only thing this review is missing is the matching cap that also shares the quote on the back of the jersey, plus splays Feminism across the flip of the bill. That quote – it’s true.

Overall

This jersey was reasonably priced at US $100 and is an excellent summer weight jersey with comfortable sleeves and maximum breathability. Bonus if you stand by your principles. All black, everyday.