Review – Café du Cycliste Ingrid Long Sleeve Hooded Audax Cycling Jersey

For those that have not heard of the Café du Cycliste brand, you have been missing out. Established in the beautiful city of Nice on the French Côte d'Azur, this brand produces some of the finest quality and most stylish riding kit on the market today.

As part of their new Audax range, the Café du Cycliste brand has released the Ingrid long sleeve jersey—a winter cycling jersey designed for those long-distance adventures. With special fabric, clever pocketing, and a unique hooded design—it offers something quite different for the endurance rider.

The first thing that strikes you with the Ingrid jersey is the fabric. Unlike the windproof softshell fabrics found on most winter cycling jerseys and jackets, the Ingird instead uses a brushed micro-fibre fabric—most akin to a micro-fleece that you might in a hiking shop. This fabric is impressive; it provides superb insulation, but also offers exceptional moisture management—allowing perspiration to be wicked away and letting it evaporate with ease. This fabric's properties make the Ingrid incredibly versatile for changing weather conditions on long distance rides.

The hooded design is also a feature that enhances the versatility of the Ingrid jersey. The shaped hood will comfortably fit underneath a cycling helmet—if you need extra insulation for long descents or as the temperature falls. The hood is also perfect for mid-ride stops, when you want to retain that body heat that you have built up. There are few hooded cycling jerseys on the market today, but this is a winning feature for me on long endurance rides; it offers quite notably better insulation than pulling on a skull cap—presumably because it keeps warm air trapped around your neck and upper back as well.

The other design feature on the Café du Cycliste Ingrid jersey that is perfect for long distance riding, is the pocketing. On the rear of the jersey you get three good-sized classic cargo pockets and a good-sized zippered pocket. Then, there is a wide 'drop' pocket that spans the width of the three rear pockets and sits on the outside of them; offering a mesh storage pouch for items such as a windproof or waterproof jacket—this quick-access additional pocket is great for longer distance rides when extra layers are always useful. On the front of the jersey, there is also a stylish zippered chest pocket for small valuables.

The Ingrid has reflective details for riding in low light conditions, and I am a great fan of smaller details such as the embroidered Café du Cycliste Audax logo on the rear.

Unusual, beautifully made, and incredibly versatile—the Café du Cycliste Ingrid jersey has fast become my go-to jersey for long winter rides. The Ingrid is fantastic to wear and the design has been refined to make this one of the most adaptable and stylish cycling mid-layers out there. Definitely a winter cycling jersey worth checking out.

>> Shop the Café du Cycliste Ingrid Jersey here

Photos courtesy of Stephanie Mackrill and Spence Willard Magazine

Disclaimer: Café du Cycliste supplied an Ingrid Long Sleeve Jersey for test and review