VERDICT

We were impressed with the quality and wide range of summer shorts and jerseys available. At the budget end Altura’s ProGel II shorts impressed but were edged out by dhb’s Aerons, which ride well for a variety of tasks to earn our best value award. It’s good to see new innovation in the world of shorts, with both Fizik and Giordana impressing, but Castelli’s Free Aero Race shorts nab our highly commended award based on performance and price. We were blown away by the pro-level ride, value and size options offered by Endura’s FS260-Pro SL shorts, which take our best on test award. Craft’s Verve earns our best value jersey award because of its forgiving fit, straightforward performance and low price. Café du Cycliste delivers a classy ride in its Fluerette, while Rapha’s Pro Team Lightweight is a racer’s dream earning our highly commended award. Sportful’s Giara stood out for us, especially considering current riding trends, balancing subtle looks with topend performance to win our best on test.