Text version of the review below:
Sometimes you really need to be in Lycra or baggies. For long road work or fast XC in varied temps and as part of a layering system, lycra is unbeatable, either in normal weights or thermal versions. And for real trail rides, baggies make a ton of sense and can allow for body armor, etc.
But.
Other times both of those options might be a bit extreme. For instance, tripping around town or bikepacking or touring. All of these things could be done in lycra or bags, but options are good. And here are a couple for ya.
Unless you are going to shop for used dress shirts at the local Goodwill, and yes that does work well as a dirtbag approach (not that there is anything wrong with that), then Club Ride has to be the king of casual yet functional clothing and the Vibe shirt here is one of my faves. It does not make you look like you stepped out of a Line Dancing class like some of the more western look ones, and it is cut very much like a normal dress shirt, yet with some nice features.
There are vents at the armpit areas and a front zipped pocket as well as one rear zipped pocket. All pockets are meshy backed and there is a media port in the rear pocket. There is also a small eyeglass wipey sewn into the bottom hem in the front. Cool.
The fabric is light to wear and great for summer, although I wore it on less strenuous rides, sweat wise. Still, it seems to dry quickly and opening the snap front allows air to get in there easily. The cut is a bit snug across the shoulders, something I only noticed when I was on something with a longer reach, like drop bars. I could have gone with an XL and likely alleviated this, but the LG was really a good fit otherwise. I was told that some stretch will be worked into the fabric for next year to make this better (also there will be additional sun blocking protection), but for now, size up if you are broad of shoulder. I am 6’2″ and 185lbs, with a decent but not lumberjack build, if that helps any.
You can read the full review from Twenty Nine Inches here.
