Castelli Premio Black Jersey

The Castelli Premio Black Jersey is a very good jersey with great breathability, stylish looks and a fit somewhere between performance and all-day comfort. However, while this has all the quality you'd expect from Castelli, I feel the high price is hard to justify.

Check out our best summer cycling jerseys buyer's guide, or our best cheap cycling jerseys guide if you're on a budget.

The Premio, as the name suggests, is Castelli's premium jersey. It is focused on performance and comfort, with a close fit designed for all-day comfort rather than a more aggressive race fit.

Materials

The jersey is made from a recycled fabric that consists of 74% polyester and 26% elastane, with the resulting material having a good amount of stretch to it. And it felt comfortable even on my longest test rides.

It's a lightweight summer jersey that weighed in at just 115g, which is 30g less than the claimed 145g weight. Not much in absolute terms – about the weight of a bag of crisps – but that's a fair percentage difference. And I'm genuinely amazed how Castelli can make a jersey so light without it being see-through.

Castelli recommends it for temperatures between 16-35°C and I was able to use it in temperatures from around 13-30°C – and it felt great throughout this range.

Another feature that's handy for summer riding, and a reflection of its non-see-through nature, is that it has a UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) of 50+. I have worn some mesh jerseys that have been so translucent that I've been left with tan lines from my bib shorts – so there'll be none of that here.

On a recent break in Portugal, I managed to sneak out for a ride in temperatures around 30°C and the jersey proved impressively breathable and did a great job at keeping me cool.

After some tough climbs the jersey was a bit damp but it quickly dried out in the wind. And while it was totally covered in salt from my sweat after four hours of riding during the middle of the day, the jersey was still surprisingly dry.

Fit

Castelli describes the jersey as having a 'Performance' fit, which is designed to balance comfort and performance.

I thought the sleeves were perfect, which for me means not too long, and there was no movement or flapping. The sleeves' 'ribbed' material looks good too.

The cut is generous at the front, so there's no risk of exposing your midriff to all and sundry. The rear gripper isn't the usual silicone strip but it did a good job holding the jersey in place and I never found myself adjusting it.

Size

The Signature comes in seven sizes from XS-3XL and I tested the large, which is my usual size for Castelli. Castelli's size guide had me between medium and large, and while some of my other Castelli kit sizes up very small, I think this would have been fine in a medium for me.

The three rear pockets are a good size and their contents felt stable even during hard out-of-the-saddle climbing efforts.

The zipped valuables pocket wasn't big enough for my Samsung S20 FE but was perfect for keys and a card.

There is no zip garage but with a low neckline it wasn't really required, and the low neck also did a good job of keeping me cool on warmer summer days. The YKK zip has a large U-shaped zip-pull for easy adjustment, which was effective but I felt it was a little oversized.

As you'd expect at this price the quality is excellent. After using the Premio for a few months and with numerous washes there's not a loose thread in sight and it all looks as good as new.

I tested the 'Belgian blue' jersey, which I think looks good, and it's also available in 'light black/black', 'avocado green/deep green' and – wait for it, wait for it! – 'silver grey/Sedona sage'. I think the understated design, at least of the blue and black colourways, makes it easy to pair with any other cycling clothing.

Value

At the RRP of £175 this is one of the most expensive jerseys we have tested, but it is not alone around that sort of price.

The MAAP Evade Pro Base Jersey 2.0 received a positive review from Steve and is a tenner cheaper at £165.

And I really liked the Velocio Men's Signature Jersey Velocio Men's Signature Jersey, which is priced at £147, has a similar fit to the Premio and like the Castelli it has impressive green credentials. 

The Sportful Bomber Jersey received a great review from Bryn and is priced at £120, though the fit is a tad racier than that of the Premio.

Conclusion

This is a high-quality jersey with a good fit, it's breathable and comfortable for long days out, and if it was a bit more affordable, I'd have scored it a little higher. However, there's no getting away from the £175 price, and there are similar quality jerseys out there available for a fair bit less.

Verdict

Lightweight, breathable, great looks and a good fit – but that heavyweight price is hard to justify