Mons Royale’s Temple Tech jersey is the long-sleeve version of the Temple Tech T Geo. As such it shares the tee’s fabric, features, generous-length fit, comfort and good wicking performance – and not insignificant price tag, but then merino is expensive. It’s a good-quality, versatile top/base layer for autumn through to spring.
The front, side and sleeve panels are made from a silky soft 140gsm merino wool (83%), 13% polyamide and 4% elastane mix fabric, while the back and underarm gussets are full merino mesh to aid ventilation. The material is fairly lightweight which means it’s more breathable than other winter base layers that tend to use heavier 200gsm merino. Although you still get sweaty when riding hard, it wicks well and dries off pretty quickly, and the beauty of merino wool is that it stays warm even when wet.
Bike-friendly features include a drop tail to keep your back extra snug, and raglan sleeves so no shoulder seams to rub under packs. There’s also no armpit seam thanks to the mesh insert. The sleeves, like the body, are a decent length even on my 6ft6 frame and the thumb loops keep them in place if you want to keep your wrists covered. The hem of the cuff is unobtrusive and flatlock-stitched (like all the seams) which means it feels fine pulled down under gloves. Also, the great thing about merino is it doesn’t smell like manmade materials do, so you can wear this a few days on the trot. One downside is that the fabric isn’t super durable so you don’t really want to crash if you’re wearing it as an outer layer.
The Temple Tech LS jersey also comes in a blue option, both retail at €90. Check out Mons Royale for more.
