Product Report:
Bouré TEAM SPF-50
Long Sleeve Jersey
Reviewed by Richard McCaw
About the jersey: The Boure Team & IHBC Mountain Goat SS & LS (SPF-50) jerseys are made of a new material called SQ Pro® with Mynx UV fabric. The SQ Pro® material is only available from Voler (Cascade 1200 jersey, Amgen Tour of California) but I haven’t seeen Voler advertise any LS SQ Pro® jerseys. The Mynx UV fabric is bonded chemically with the yarns, to greatly increase the UV-reflective properties of the fabric. The UV rating is 50+ SPF. The small block micro-mesh construction of the jersey enables air to easily pass through the fabric. You can feel the airflow going through the jersey when you are riding. Thus keeping you cool & dry. No need to apply suntan lotion on your arms before or during the ride (just the area between the sleeves and your gloves).
First Impressions: At first I was skeptical about wearing a long sleeve jersey in hot weather but when I got the e-mail stating the Cascade 1200 km route (www.cascade1200.com) needed to be changed and that the weather forecast was shifting to above average temperatures without any possibility of a drop of rain (so much for the wet weather training in the spring San Francisco Brevets & Santa Cruz Flèche!). I needed to find the right clothing solution for the possibility of riding 2 days in a row in temperatures above 95 F. I called Wade at Boure and he indicated that they were getting great feedback from bicyclists in areas like Arizona who are wearing the jersey. So I decided to take the gamble and ordered the jersey and other clothing options for the ride.
I saved the jersey for the second day of the ride from Cowiche to Quincy. Temperatures were from 55 – 90 F+ during the day. To my surprise the jersey kept me warm enough early morning and then when riding at night (down to the upper 40’s while wearing a wind vest on other rides) and then the jersey keeps me cool when the temperatures rise above the upper 70’s to 100 F+. We rode both ways through the Yakima Canyon in the morning. After that there weren’t too many opportunities for shade and the benefits of the jersey started to materialize. I felt more comfortable and less fatigued at the end of each day than I normally would with my arms exposed to the sun for 16 hours per day. It’s not easy to apply sunscreen to be effective 16 hours a day. On the third day from Quincy to Mazama it was one of the hottest routes I had ever ridden. I was certainly glad I was wearing this jersey or I might not have finished the ride— everyone was feeling the effects of being exposed to the hot sun. I took the jersey off & rinsed it out in the Beebe park sink (which had cold running water!) near the Columbia River where it was 97 F in the shade. Then I put it on for some extra cooling. The jersey dried out within a couple of minutes. Tough to keep motivated to ride when it is 100 F but this was my remaining brevet I need to complete to achieve the Randonneur 5000 award. Then the jersey switched to a warming mode when descending Loup Loup in the dark until I got to the overnight control stations. The off white sleeves help the jersey to be more noticeable in the dark and more reflective in the sun.
In summary–this has become my jersey of choice for double centuries (Marin & Knoxville), brevets and hot day rides when I don’t have time (or want to) to put on suntan lotion. The negatives I have observed are you will feel hotter if there is no airflow. E.g. you stop for a rest in the sun or on a steep climb in no wind. I would recommend this jersey for PBP 07 and I will definitely be wearing it if I go.