Ciovita Men's Opera Short Sleeve Trail Tee review – does the close-fitting mountain bike jersey make more sense for gravel?

Ciovita’s Opera short sleeve jersey is described as a Trail Tee, which would make you think it would challenge as one of the best mountain bike jerseys, though with its close cut and subtle style, I think it could be more suitable as a gravel apparel option instead. You'd be forgiven for thinking they were an Italian brand, but they are based in Cape Town, South Africa, which has some of the best gravel bike riding on the planet, so how does their latest Trail Tee hold up?

Features

The Opera Trail Tee is an understated affair in Charcoal, which is mainly black with grey panels. That's the only option in short sleeves for men, though it's available in Sage, Navy Blue, or Black in Long sleeve versions and a fetching Coral or Cyan (Light Blue) in a female cut. Fit is described as race, though I think its description is a bit confusing, as trail and race are very different things. I'd say it's a looser gravel race fit. Close-fitting, but not skinsuit tight, and thus avoiding making anyone with over 10% body fat look ridiculous.

The neck features a shallow V-neck, with a small inset of material at the front that helped prevent it from gaping or flapping too much when lent forward riding. It also has an elongated rear that gives plenty of coverage and reasonably long but just about right-length short sleeves that suited me well. Those blessed with big biceps might find it a bit snug, though.

As you'd expect for a jersey designed in the heat of South Africa, it is a very well-ventilated piece of kit made up of large panels of mesh material in different weaves in Black combined with a lovely-feeling Italian Melange Nylon Lycra in a subtle Charcoal. Sadly, the need for extra ventilation has been lacking in the Northern Hemisphere so far this year, but on the odd occasion the sun has made an appearance, the Opera Trail Tee has excelled.

There is only one pocket in the rear, but this is zipped and big enough for a phone, small wallet, multi-tool, or similar. Though I like more storage generally, I doubt the light-feeling material would support lots of pockets and extra weight, and I'd rather have one good pocket than three baggy ones. There's also a useful sunglass wipe just on the inside at the front of the jersey. It's reassuringly thick and has remained soft and genuinely usable on lenses despite lots of washing and use in Yorkshire's finest ‘Gravel’ conditions.

All of Ciovita’s kit is made in its Cape Town factory and is mainly available to order from its website, though it is expanding into retail shops. The site has plenty of examples of Ciovita helping the local community, though there are no mentions of using recycled or organic natural materials, which is a bit disappointing in this day and age.

Performance

I opted to go for a medium, which worked well for my 175cm height and 83kg build. The fit was close and borderline too tight for what I consider a trail jersey, though for gravel, it was pretty much perfect. I find a lot of the latest high-end road-based garments focus too much on being aero and pay little attention to how most average riders look in them. Not so here. It retained the look of a performance top without making me look like a packing accident in a meat factory.

I tended to wear it on warmer days and would pair it with a gilet for temperatures between 8 and 12 degrees. I found the looser-cut sleeves very comfy, generally, though they don't work as well as a tighter jersey when paired with arm warmers. The material tends to flap on top of them, which isn't an issue in terms of function but does look and feel a little odd.

I've had the jersey on test for some time, and it has seen plenty of wet rides, as well as warmer dry rides. It has been washed many times and still looks box fresh with no fraying of seams and none of the fading or graying you sometimes get with darker garments. I also find it stays smelling fresh, which isn't something you always find without some form of Merino or natural wool in the mix, and it dries quickly, too, so it works well for multi-day rides and adventures.

It's well priced, too, I think at $50 / £39 / €45, which puts it in the mid-range category, though I'd happily pay a little more for the use of recycled or natural materials in the mix.

Verdict

I was a little confused when I first got the Trail Tee to test. It was good for XC rides but just felt too tight-fitting for trail riding, where I prefer a looser cut. However, it made more sense to me once I paired it with some Lycra shorts and used it for gravel.

I really liked the fit. It was loose enough to be almost flattering but not so baggy that it would be annoying at a reasonable speed. The subtle styling was definitely a bonus for me, too, though more color options would be nice.

My only criticism is its lack of green or eco credentials, either in production methods or the materials used, which seems at odds with most other brands on the market currently. That aside, it's a great jersey that I enjoy wearing whenever the weather is good enough.

For more information, check out Ciovita.com.

Tech specs: Ciovita Men's Opera Short Sleeve Trail Tee

• Price: $50 / £39 / €45
• Colors: Charcoal/Black
• Materials: Italian Melangue Lycra
• Blend: 50% Nylon, 32% Polyester, 18% Elastane
• Sizes: Pro fit, S, M, L, XL, XXL