The Most Versatile Jersey I own: Giordana Wool Jersey Review

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I guess it’s been about ten years now since Rapha hit the scene with their first generation wool jersey. It was kinda their gimmick - the hook that drew you in - “how can you wear a wool jersey on a hot day?” Was the common question I got and, for the most part, it...worked, as long as you stuck to their summer weight pieces you could stay comfortable up into the 80’s.

They iterated a bit, released a super light version, and then when you weren’t looking they pivoted to more modern fabrics. And it was a good move. So here we are, all these years later, and it appears that Giordana is trying to turn back the clock. But this wool jersey is a whole new animal

Giordana was going for a modern jersey with a classic vibe, and to achieve this they used a fabric that’s 51% polyester and 41% merino wool to make it soft and breathable - and it’s definitely soft: it feels a lot like a stretchy version of one of my favorite old t-shirts, and the heathered colors make it look like one, too.

They say the fit is relaxed, but I found it to be quite form fitting - in a good way - and the fabric has a nice level of omnidirectional stretch, so it moves with you very well. The Jersey has *just* the right amount of gripper material at the waist - and the sleeves - which don’t have any grippers - aren’t too short or too long. I really dig the fact that there isn’t any extra elastic banding or silicone at the end of the sleeve - a well-build jersey really shouldn’t need any of that stuff because the tightness of the fabric should do the job of keeping the sleeves in place. You also get a cam lock zipper, which should be standard equipment on any jersey above a hundred bucks.

The collar’s quite soft, and not too high, which means it’ll be comfortable under a vest or jacket or just zipped all the way up by itself. And that brings us to the “how to use this jersey” portion of our show. You’ll notice I said USE and not WEAR. That’s because I found the Giordana wool jersey to be more utility than fashion. Let me explain…

With the right base layer, giordana’s wool jersey has an ENORMOUS temperature range and a ton of usability. On a cold winter ride in the 40’s it’s a perfect mid layer under a jacket, and with a sleeveless summerweight base I felt fine the high 80’s. Above that, I had to fly without a base layer to be comfortable. But, it’s the space in the middle where it REALLY excels.

I live almost exactly halfway between the beach and the desert and I’m a short drive from a mountain that goes from just above sea level to about 6000 feet. That means I can experience some pretty wild temperature swings on any given ride - as much as 40 degrees depending on which direction I’m headed. And, when you’re climbing that 6000 foot mountain, you tend to shed jackets and vests pretty quickly on the way up. At the same time, you need something that REALLY breathes when you’re climbing for two straight hours. I really don’t like stuffing crap in my pockets so, having a jersey that can cover the spread is a godsend.

The case study goes like this: My longer rides typically start at sunrise. And, because it’s slightly more arid than it is humid here it can be chilly - like in the mid to high 50’s as late as July. But it heats up. FAST. Within 2 hours, it can swing into the high 70’s and by hour 4, 5, and 6 it can be pushing 90, unless the road points up and I climb into lower temps. With a Lycra jersey I usually start out in Giordana’s DryYarn arm warmers and a vest, which is fine...but that vest is gonna come off, and I really need that space in my pockets for food so it’s nice to be able to clip in with one less layer, one less thing to cram in my pocket mid-ride. On days where I know I’ll see that big swing and be done before it gets TOO hot, it’s tough not to reach for this one.