Altura Endurance Men’s Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey

The Altura Endurance Men's Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey is a new and improved version of the jersey I tested in 2021, with a reshaped fit and a recycled main fabric. Stop me if I get too emotional here, but it's still absolutely fine and really quite nice for the money.

For more options, check out our guide to the best summer cycling jerseys.

Altura says this is 'semi-fitted' and that seems right – it gives a loose but not saggy or flappy fit that's comfortable and relaxed.

There's a zip garage at the nicely sized neck to protect your skin, and a flap running down to the bottom behind the zip for the same reason. There's no garage at the bottom to keep the zip off your shorts, though I didn't have any issues with it.

The zip puller has a decent plastic toggle to help you find and drag it while riding.

The old version had some merino panels among the synthetics, but I don't feel this version suffers for being all recycled polyester. It's still soft and comfy against the skin, and it still starts getting smelly almost as soon as your sweat dries after a ride – the old one was the same.

The fabric has a mesh look on the outside but is much smoother on the inside, and though it's quite thick it's not excessively warm when the sun's really blasting. The loose-ish fit helps with air circulation and cooling, while the thickness should mean it stays comfortable over a reasonable temperature range too – I can't say for sure, as during the relentlessly hot and dry test we didn't really have reasonable range.

The Endurance will please traditionalists with its relatively short sleeves, and they're prone to rising even further on the bike – they went from mid-bicep to above it on me once I got going. Like the hem, the cuffs are bonded, though the hem gets elastic and a silicone gripper around the back. I found the nicely dropped tail stayed in place very well.

The logo and patterning on the back is reflective for safety.

I like the almost clashing red pockets on this version, and they're a decent depth. The elastic topping the main three is strong and they don't sag even when stuffed, while the zipped pocket on top of the right-hand one is also good, and sized just right for my 16.5cm phone. The zip has a big long cord pull with chunky plastic grip on the end; another nice touch.

The sizing feels good to me if you're after an effective relaxed fit, though you could probably size down without issues if you want a close one. The sleeves would be even shorter then, of course, though I think you'd be fine with the length in the torso.

Value

The old version was £69.99 in 2021, so £80 now seems as reasonable as anything else (ie, not that reasonable, but tough). It's cheaper than a lot of jerseys we review – plenty are £100 or more.

The Scott RC Premium Short Sleeve Shirt, for example, has gone up to £99.99 since we tested it last year. It's pretty thin with a race fit that rises particularly high at the front, and 64g lighter at 104g (both in size medium), if that's a factor for you.

The Gore Daily Jersey Men's is right there at £79.99, though that's such a tight fit you might actually need to size up. Otherwise it's very good according to Ian's review, and also lighter than this at 124g in medium.

The dhb Aeron Short Sleeve Jersey is cheaper at £65, but the weird fit and clammy fabric meant it did poorly in our review.

Overall

This is a solid jersey (not literally, that would be weird) with a comfortable relaxed fit, effective details, and strong-feeling build that promises to last. It's very nice to wear. The short sleeves won't please everyone but otherwise cause no problems – really, it's only the need to wash it every time that counts against it, and this is not the only jersey where that's true.

Verdict

Comfortable and versatile relaxed jersey that looks good and feels made to last