Kit Review – ‘The Breakaway’ Jersey by Twin Six

‘The Breakaway’ Jersey by Twin Six – $85.

Twin Six are an American brand, producing a range of cycling jerseys and accessories. They often appear in articles in the cycling media which recommend stylish cycling kit, for the more discerning among us who like to seek out something a bit different.

Let’s be honest, plenty of mainstream cycling kit can be pretty tedious to look at.

I understand that for many people it’s all about function and whether it performs technically – and there’s nothing wrong with that – but personally I go for kit that also looks good and makes me want to wear it. Twin Six might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you can’t deny it stands out from the crowd.

First of all, the price needs factoring in. This is not high end premium kit, but mid-range; the ‘Breakaway’ jersey that I tested retails at $85, which is around £60 here in the UK. For that you get a standard short sleeved jersey, but without perhaps the sense of luxury that you get with the more expensive ‘designer’ stuff.

It’s made from Polyester, but it does have a certain softness and feel of quality about it. It’s got the standard three rear pockets, reasonable length in the sleeves, and an elasticated waistband to keep everything in place. It doesn’t have the added extras like zipped pockets or waistband gripper, but the zip is well-designed and neatly hidden away behind a fold of material.

Size wise, it’s comparable to the European sizings that I’m used to; if anything perhaps very slightly on the large side. I wear a Large in the majority of kit I wear (occasionally medium) and although this Twin Six jersey fits me fine I could size down to a medium for a slightly racier fit. That’s personal choice, though.

Overall there’s nothing about the basic design and fit to either complain about or particularly get the pulse racing. It’s a decent quality, everyday cycling jersey.

Where this jersey really hits the spot is with it’s looks.

Clearly, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but you cannot deny that the spotted pattern of ‘The Breakaway’ is a head turner. Christened by a cycling friend of mine the ‘King of the Valleys’ for it’s reverse ‘King of the Mountains’ polka dots, the pattern is dazzling. Little details like the whiteness of the zip, and the classy looking ‘6’ logo top it off nicely.

The pictures don’t really do it justice; in real life, it’s a striking looking thing.

I don’t normally wear jerseys that stand out from the crowd quite as much as this – I’m a bit of an introvert really – but I’ve loved wearing it out on the road. When you put it on it makes you smile, and it’s a great addition to the summer wardrobe for those days when you’re feeling confident and not afraid of a bit of attention.

If we had more than just the occasional day of sunshine here in the north of England, and I was in full possession of the kind of deep mahogany tan which would set the red and white off just nicely, it would no doubt look even better.

If ‘The Breakaway’ is not to your taste Twin Six have designs which go right across the spectrum of loudness from ‘muted-but-still-interesting’, to ‘hey-look-at-me-in-my-cool-jersey!’

Unfortunately, the spray-on mahogany tan is not included.