Blackmore Cadet Jersey

Who are Blackmore?

Essex based Blackmore Cycling Apparel are a small independent brand that have been creating their unique and rather quirky cycling kit since 2015.

Blackmore is the name of the village in which they are based. The duck logo which you’ll find on their clothing pays homage to the village pond where the local cycle club meet for the Sunday ritual road ride.

The Blackmore Cadet

The Blackmore’s range is made in Italy from coolmax polyester and lycra. There is one style of shirt, with the name simply denoting the colour or pattern.

The Cadet comes in an olive green hue with contrasting stripes. Somewhere along the line, ‘Camo’ became the default identity for the gravel scene. So the Cadet fits in well. It’s a stylish piece without actually trying too hard to be different. Subtle gravel cool, if you will.

Fit and features

There is no escaping the road bias of their kit. For road bias, read ‘close fitting’ or ‘snug’ if you prefer. The high Lycra content of the material used means that the Blackmore Cadet is super stretchy and figure hugging in the way you’d expect of a road racing style jersey.

Sizes run from XS to XXL. You should probably consider going up one size to avoid the crop top look. Go up two if you prefer a more relaxed fit.

The sleeves are slightly longer than on most short sleeve jerseys. A 45mm wide silicone arm gripper helps keep them in place and I certainly had no problems with them riding up. There is a silicone gripper on the back of the jersey to keep it in place.

Breathability of the Blackmore Cadet jersey is fantastic. This is no super lightweight, mesh jersey, but it’s nice to wear in hot weather without ever feeling overly clammy. There’s a full length zipper just in case the temperature really rises or if you get the urge to flaunt your chest wig.

The three rear pockets are considerably narrower than I like. I actually found it a struggle to use them, particularly if I needed something ‘on the fly’. The two outer pockets will barely take a tube, tool and pump before bulging to the limits. Chuck all the bike support kit into a saddle pack and save the pockets for smaller items such as food and gels. I liked the small, zipped pocket in the middle of the centre pocket. It is not big enough for a phone, but is fine for keys or money.

Lastly, there is a small reflective duck motif on the right-hand side pocket (a welcome nod to the fact we drive on the left in this country) and another little quack on the front.

Quality and longevity

Stitching and materials are up there with the top brands and after numerous washes, the colours have shown no sign of fading. Our friend and supported Blackmore rider, Alex ‘Teaboy’ Watts, is currently putting Blackmore kit to the ultimate test on the Tour Divide. It will be interesting to see how it fared when he returns home.

Conclusion

Blackmore are a niche brand with quality that backs up their style. At £79.99 they are nudging towards the more expensive end of the spectrum. What price style and exclusivity? If it works for you, then it is worth every penny.