GEAR: Siroko clothing

You know that rabbit hole you go down, the one where you search for a new whatever, visit every site possible and then you end up bombarded with adverts on Facebook? 

Well, in my search for clothing that fits my lanky torso this very thing happened and I ended up clicking on an advert for Siroko. There was a big '60% OFF' sticker plastered over the image but it was the subtle colourways and 'race fit' cut that drew my eye so I was pleasantly surprised at what I found on the website; strong designs, a variety of colour schemes and prices that looked great.

I'm tighter than cramp so £40-50 for a jersey, although still a good chunk of money, seemed better than what the usual big-name brands were charging. But this was a (to me) unknown brand, although compared to some I've found, at least it looked legit. 

Like many people, the big thing with clothing is fit; I'm 6ft 3in, have got a thin torso but orangutang-like arms, so most jerseys look ridiculous on me, especially long sleeves. The Siroko site has a size calculator that ended up sizing me as an L (190cm/80kg, tight fit with a slim chest and flat waist). I did a bit of toying around just to see where I was on their scale of things and I was just an L, I think because of my height. Fair enough, as I'm a M in most short sleeve jerseys from UK brands and an L in tighter long sleeve stuff like my Shimano Evolve stuff.

Siroko is Spanish by the way. I don't know if it's a traditional word, or just a made up one, but it's now firmly embedded in my head with a picture of 80s VW coupe very time I say it. Anyway, descriptions were all well-written, pricing appeared in sterling (but in Euros at checkout) and the whole site seemed well thought out. The advertised sale was obviously working well for them because several of my choices were all out of stock, so it was a case of working through each jersey because there's no option to filter all by size.

I ended up going for an M2 Nebelhorn in a 90s-esque tie-dye pink and green, a long sleeve M2 Grand Tour with a more sedate blue stripe/fade, plus I liked the look of the gilets in classy solid colours, so ordered one of those in a luscious Marine blue-green. All in large by the way.

I'd earlier looked for reviews of Siroko gear and had happened upon a Youtube video, a positive review from a likeable guy, and the description contained a money-off off link so I used that. I also got a 5% off code from Siroko themselves (via email) when I'd half-submitted my order but logged off by mistake. Not sure which money off was applied in the end but the total came to €108 (£98 with the conversion); €44 each for the jerseys, €26 for the Gilet, six Euros off for the discount, and free postage for it being over €70 - happy days!

The order confirmation was sent promptly and bear in mind I ordered at 6pm on a Wednesday, I was shocked that noon on Friday, the DHL guy knocked the door!... 36 hours to be shipped from Spain to the midlands. Top service.

So what of the jerseys themselves?

The material is the same across the range; it's a slightly shiny mix of polyester/spandex with solid panels and some with perforations to allow breathability in key areas. I won't say the material is heavy but it feels it's got a bit of weight to it, not in a bad way though, it's just that it's stretchy stuff that hugs the skin. For me that's a big plus - I'm no fan of baggy sleeves and suchlike - and the sleeve length is good, nearly to the crease of my elbow. The front zip is good quality, stitched in so there's very little showing, although it's not an 'invisible' zips like you get on some jerseys. The collar is a race-style design so it's not a big old flappy thing - big plus. 

But do they fit? I'd say they're spot on; my chest is 96cm and my waist is 83cm, with Siroko's sizes being 96cm and 80cm respectively. With the stretch in the fabric it fit very race. Both tops are long enough in the body, although I could do with the arms on the long sleeve to be another 10-15mm longer, but that's personal taste for me.

The gilet is excellent too; it's light, packs into its own rear pocket and has interesting rear 'dummy' pockets that allow you to access your jersey pockets. As a layer to keep of a bit of wind it's great and the mesh rear helps with heat control. It's not a winter gilet. Fit is really, really good on this, plenty long enough and with no pinch points, even on the collar when fully zipped. My riding buddies were so taken by it in fact, three of them ordered one each over breakfast and have since commented on how good they are. The classic colourways probably help too.

A word of note; the M2 Nebelhorn had a fault with the stitching around the bottom hem; as I stretched the material to zip up, stitching holding the gripper to the main material broke with an audible 'POP!'. I contacted Siroko and within hours they'd said i could choose another top FOC up to a similar value. I ended up going for a an equally eye-catching M2 option. safe to say, it arrived within a few days and there were no stitching issues - very, very impressive customer service.

I have a lot of Madison and Shimano tops that I really rate and this stuff from Siroko is definitely on-par in terms of quality, fit and I like the colourway options. Prices are very reasonable and aside from the length issue in the arms of the long sleeve, there's nothing I disike about these tops or the gilet. Would I buy again? Absolutely, and I really hope Siroko can get some bib short options listed soon because I reckon they could be onto a winner with their colour schemes; bibs that aren't black seem to be in a minority these days.