Nalini Pro Cycling Jersey Review

Nalini is an Italian manufacturer of cycling apparel for many of the world's top cycling teams. As one of the few companies still doing the design and assembly in Italy, their attention to quality is top-notch. Nalini offers a wide range of jerseys that are the identical items you'll see on your favorite teams in the peloton. I had the chance to review Nalini's pro jersey series and am glad to report that these are no cheap knock-offs that peel apart quickly or bleed in the wash. They are the real deal, and I gotta tell you, it's cool to feel like a pro on the bike, even if I don't ride like one.

Smart Design

The Nalini design for these pro series jerseys offer many of the same types of features that you'll find in most high-quality jerseys. But it's the small details that set them apart.

The short-sleeve team jersey as shown above features:

• lightweight 100% Polyester interlocking knit material - feels remarkably light on your skin, almost like it's not there
  
• terrific wicking properties to pull sweat away from the skin for maximum cooling
  
• 3 deep back pockets
  
• Either full or partial 14 cm front zip (depending on the model) for varible ventilation
  

The specific details beyond the norm listed above include the jersey's trim cut. This makes sense when you think about the pixies on the tour who are the ones normally wearing this. In the case of you and me however, and others who generally fall into the category of more regular-sized people, you'll need to watch the European sizing, as it definitely runs small. You'll want to order a size or two larger to keep from it being too tight.

The jersey also features a nice elasticated waist to keep it from riding up. This is coupled with the sleek Raglan sleeve design that definitely tells you you're looking at a trim fit, and not a jersey with lots of extra material that will be flapping in the wind.

Quality Construction

What makes this line of jerseys remarkable, and a testament to their use by so many pro teams, is the quality of construction. Built on Nalini's "summertime light" material, a quick-drying polyester, the jersey material has a surface with an interlocking, low-profile honeycomb design that -- while indistinguishable to the casual observer -- provides a high level of moisture management and comfort, combining an incredibly light feeling with the type of durabilty required by professional cyclists.

Also, the stitching incorporated into the jersey by the Italians sewing away at the Nalini facility in Mantova, Italy, helps define the jersey's toughness and durability. Reinforced seams throughout, both inside and out, make unraveling and splitting a non-issue, and the sublimated seams mean you'll also be carefree when it comes to rubbing and chafing.

All in all, I am a big fan of these pro series jerseys by Nalini. You are wearing the exact same cycling clothes as the pros, and get to be the beneficiary of the quality of the construction, design and material they demand. And all at what seems to me a very reasonable price, based on listings from various places.