Looking for an Irish/green full length zip short sleeve jersey

FrankGrimes

I'm looking to get a short sleeve jersey with full length zip to use on climbs on hot days here and when I go to Alps in September (will have gear to throw on over it when it gets cold).

Cliched as it may be, I do like the idea of wearing an Ireland jersey or at least a green one when cycling abroad but the options on full length zip jerseys seem pretty limited. I've tried CRC, PBK and Wiggle and didn't see anything that fits the bill. Having seen some of the weird and wonderful jerseys sported by many on here, I'm wondering if I'm just not looking in the right places.

I have this green PBK jersey (which despite the marketing doesn't seem to have any real Irish connection bar the celtic symbols but I'll take it) and I love the material of the jersey so much that I'd happily buy a full length zip version if they did one. I'll consider buying one and getting the mother to stitch in a full length zip if it comes to it. As an aside - that jersey really is great value for £20.

So, any tips on a jersey that might fit the bill are much appreciated.

thebouldwhacker

Why not just get the An Post Jersey?

blorg

An Post TOI Points Jersey - nicest jersey of any "Irish" themed one IMHO but only S or 2XL and short zip too:


Audax Ireland - contact Paul O'Donoghue in Sorrento CC:


An Post-M Donnelly-Sean Kelly cycling team kit:

petethedrummer

Garmin Irish Champs Jersey?

RobFowl

Cycleways do the full range of the An Post kit as well. It's wotrh trying them on first as the sizing is funny. I'm usually a Large but got free kit (:D) last year and XXL fits and its a bit neat :rolleyes:

Slane cycles did do the irish team gear but I'm fairly sure they are not full zip
http://www.slanecycles.com/

FrankGrimes

Mmmm, plenty of food for thought there, thanks. Due to a bout of brain freeze (roll on le weekend) I'd actually forgotten about the An Post jersey but I've now done a bit of web searching for 'irish cycling jersey' (was working backwards and browsing through online stores before that) and it seems there's a fair few options out there.

I'd prefer something a little different to the An Post jersey but will go with that if it comes to it.

I kinda like the look of this one though I reckon I'd need an XL which they don't seem to have (will mail them if it tops the shortlist).

This one reminds me of St. Patricks Day 1986 when we were slap bang in the middle of a recesssion and I was 6 and for some reason that's earning it serious consideration. Think it might be because it looks as if it was designed in simpler times; times when we remembered that the colours of our flag are actually green, white and orange and hadn't revised that to include gold as it looked more bling.

Not mad about the green and black on the Team Ireland 2009 jersey but the 2008 one looks good, pity it's not full zip.

I came across this Iraq jersey....this search might be taking a whole new direction...

Lumen

FrankGrimes wrote: »

I came across this Iraq jersey....this search might be taking a whole new direction...

I quite fancy a North Korea jersey with Kim's face and "HTFU DPRK" on it.

But the An Post jersey Tom's sporting in the pic above looks nice.

Captain Havoc

This is the next kit I'm going for: http://www.trikotexpress.de/profi-teams-radsportbekleidung/cccp/cccp-mega-set-trikot-hose-cap-handschuh-socken.html

petethedrummer

nevermind

Trojan

Frank, let me know what you decide on, might go in with you if it saved a bit of postage.

blorg

FrankGrimes wrote: »

I kinda like the look of this one though I reckon I'd need an XL which they don't seem to have (will mail them if it tops the shortlist).

CRC have that one in XL (3/4 zip) along with a ton of reduced Spuik Team Ireland gear- unfortunately the short sleeve Spuik one is only a short zip though.

here's another option

http://www.foska.com/road-jerseys/mens/ireland-road-jersey.html

Caroline_ie

Here

Ghost Rider

What's the story with the celtic patterns on some of those Ireland jerseys? I mean, were they inspired by cycling teams from the Book of Kells?

RobFowl

If could carry it off and don't mind being expelled from the euro crew
then try
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=36652
Full lenght zip and pockets
:rolleyes:

FrankGrimes

blorg wrote: »

CRC have that one in XL (3/4 zip) along with a ton of reduced Spuik Team Ireland gear- unfortunately the short sleeve Spuik one is only a short zip though.

Thanks for that. I really like the Spuik one but it's a pity that it's only a 1/4 length zip. 3/4 zip is fine.


So for me it's down to this Primal one from CRC or this one for the gnarl factor.

emty

It is nice to wear an Ireland jersey when one is abroad but it is more important that you are comfortable .The audax jersey is very comfortable and has been battle-tested in many prestigus European cycling events such as Paris-Brest-Paris,London-Edinbourgh-London,La Marmotte and the Boards trip to the Sierra Nevada mountains.
The model in Blorg's photo also looks very handsome.Much more so than the fella in the An Post TOI one .

DirkVoodoo

I just got the Primal Italy jersey today, it feels really nice and is a pretty good cut. The zipper is a bit fidgety but the "hidden" part of it makes the jersey look a lot neater.

FrankGrimes

Thanks for all the suggestions folks.

I really like the Team Ireland one posted by Caroline and it has full length zip but unfortunately has long sleeves and the short sleeve version has only 1/4 zip. I also think the Spiuk one is class but again it's long sleeve....I'd almost be tempted to cut off the sleeves to make it short sleeve! I've long since been expelled from the Euro group so that wouldn't be a concern but I just don't think I'd be comfortable in the version that has no sleeves at all.

Agree emty, that Audax jersey does look quite dashing! Thing is I think that's a jersey you gotta earn the right to wear and with your serious long distance treks this year that defo applies in your case!

I'm going to go ahead and get the Primal Ireland 2009 (thanks for the info on your Primal jersey Dirk).

I am still strangely drawn to the one that looks like a bunch of 3rd class kids made it in Art class and I've a birthday coming up so might stick in a request for that for the craic. Emailed them a few days ago about postage and no word as yet so if they get their act together I'll post with postage details (just in case someone like Trojan is also interested in this beauty).

blorg

FrankGrimes wrote: »

I'd almost be tempted to cut off the sleeves to make it short sleeve!

You could actually get a tailor to do this for not very much money, I have done the same myself albeit with non-cycling gear.

DirkVoodoo

blorg wrote: »

You could actually get a tailor to do this for not very much money, I have done the same myself albeit with non-cycling gear.

You have "non-cycling" gear? Surely you are having a laugh?

FrankGrimes

I ordered the long sleeve Spuik jersey and it arrived today. It's a lovely jersey but the material is much thicker than on the short sleeve jerseys I have.

The inside of the material is lined with a kind of lightish white fur not a separate layer. I haven't had a long sleeve jersey before - are they generally that bit thicker? I wonder what the wicking would be like wearing that without something underneath - is this type of jersey generally worn with a base layer or short sleeve jersey underneath? I'm not sure whether to keep it for winter use or send it back.

blorg

Most of my long sleeve jerseys are a fair bit heavier, yes, they are designed for winter use. To be honest there are not a whole lot of situations you would want the long sleeves but not want it heavier. The Boards jersey is probably the only exception actually, it is normal weight.

When it is cold in winter I would wear a base layer AND a thick long sleeve (and a jacket if it was getting really cold.) I would keep it for winter use. It would be unlikely to be suitable for riding up cols in September though, you really need a short sleeve with arm warmers for that.

FrankGrimes

Cheers blorg, tis a nice jersey so I will hang onto it for the winter.

Ghost Rider

Do you really reckon it's cold enough there in September to need arm warmers?

I'm heading to do a chunk of that cycle route along the Danube in September and I'm wondering if I'll need anything like arm/leg warmers...

blorg wrote: »

It would be unlikely to be suitable for riding up cols in September though, you really need a short sleeve with arm warmers for that.

rottenhat

Ghost Rider wrote: »

Do you really reckon it's cold enough there in September to need arm warmers?

I'm heading to do a chunk of that cycle route along the Danube in September and I'm wondering if I'll need anything like arm/leg warmers...

I'd always be inclined to bring them - it just takes a brief shower and a bit of a breeze to be feeling pretty cold no matter where you are, and that goes double if you're going to be up any mountains.

FrankGrimes

meh, after deciding to keep the jersey I took it out of the package and tried it on.....no dice! Spuik sizing is quite bizarre - I take an XL or L in most jerseys but ordered an XXL cos I know they are small sizing. It's grand on the torso and the arm length but is too tight around the chest and it could do with being a bit longer overall. Wasn't meant to be I guess so back it goes.

@Ghost Rider - no doubt blorg can speak from experience but a mate who did La Marmotte on 4th July said it was 39 celsius at times but only 1 degree at the top of the Galibier! So it all seems to depend on how high you plan on going. The guy in the chalet I'm staying in says it's generally quite fine weather in mid September but once you go up into the cols it could be an entirely different day to the one you leave behind.

blorg

Ghost Rider wrote: »

Do you really reckon it's cold enough there in September to need arm warmers?

I'm heading to do a chunk of that cycle route along the Danube in September and I'm wondering if I'll need anything like arm/leg warmers...

The key thing is the altitude on the route Frank is doing, the Galibier is 2,650m above sea level and you lose ~8.5C for every 1,000m. So if it is a pleasant 21C at sea level, it will be -2C on top of the mountain. Of course it could well be hotter but sub-zero on top of the cols even in mid-summer is not outside the bounds of possibility. And this is not even taking into consideration that temperatures can swing wildly up there.

I was up there in July doing the Marmotte too when it was 38C at 700m, presumably even hotter down below. So it was probably 21C on top of the Galibier when I went through although prob felt a tad colder, maybe 18C. I didn't need arm warmers myself for the descent (I certainly had brought them) but most people were using them. A thunderstorm came through after I descended, temps dropped, people got wet and then really needed them.

The thing is, you are making such an effort going up you only need shorts and a short-sleeve even at 0C or below but you will start to freeze the minute you stop, and descending introduces a massive wind-chill factor that will give you an apparent temperature well below again.

I've done the Pyrenees in September which are lower, and the Alps in October. You really need the full gamut of stuff for the descents, which I carried in a bar bag:

- gilet
- arm warmers
- leg warmers
- jacket
- second jacket: rainproof shell
- second pair of waterproof socks
- overshoes
- full finger gloves
- thermal glove liners

You could be freakily lucky and not need all this stuff... But if you do need it you would want to have it, I remember coming down off the Tourmalet, only 4km and probably 5 minutes down to the ski station to a shop to buy full finger gloves but I could not feel my hands after the first minute and a half, they took around 20 mins to come back in the shop before I could try anything on.

With the Danube you are unlikely to face these sorts of problems, it is not so hilly I would still bring a pair of arm warmers though, they hardly take up much room.

Ghost Rider

Thanks for those replies, folks. I'll definitely bring arm warmers, just in case. I'll bring full rain gear too. The problem with rain is not the wetness, but the coldness, I find.

blorg wrote: »

With the Danube you are unlikely to face these sorts of problems, it is not so hilly I would still bring a pair of arm warmers though, they hardly take up much room.