With spring fast approaching I was looking for a lightweight, long sleeved jersey and Sugoi’s new Crossroads Henley fit the bill perfectly. This women’s top has full length, black and white striped sleeves that look like arm warmers but are sewn into a light blue raglan cut henley. The henley has a casual, loose fit and is made using a unique Toasted Bamboo fabric which is an environmentally sustainable material. The sporty polyester fabric is also infused with carbonized bamboo to enhance UV protection and anti-bacterial properties against the skin. I’m pretty sure this jersey has more technology built in than my iPod.
I was excited to get out and test the Sugoi Crossroads Henley but the day it arrived the trails were wet so I wore it road running instead. The jersey was super soft and loose fitting to allow my arms to move around freely and running proved to be a good test of the Crossroad’s extreme wickability. The Finomesh fabric definitely kept me cool and dry while the jersey itself was so light and airy I found myself leaping over puddles instead of running around them.
That same breathability worked wonders on the mountain bike trails too. Though the Crossroads Henley is a long sleeve jersey, it’s not a winter jersey – it’s definitely more of an “early spring” or summer morning jersey. The fabric allows for a lot of ventilation and air flow and zipping down the trails I could feel the cool breeze go down the v-neck and pass through the front of the jersey. The Crossroads really gives you the best of both worlds – long-sleeve warmth at the trailhead and ventillation on the trail after you’ve had a chance to warm up.
The jailhouse stripes are probably my favorite feature of the Crossroads Henley. When my front suspension engaged on the trail the stripes on my arms would shake a little I had a momentary whirling feeling, like I was being sucked into… “the zone.” The jailhouse stripes also give me a feeling of busting loose on a run or mountain bike ride. After being a prisoner of winter, I can’t wait to rock this jersey into the spring!
