Dakine's Thrillium Short Sleeve jersey is designed with the downhill rider in mind, although it lends itself to all styles of riding. It’s comfortable and stylish, but some won't get on with the snug fit – or the slightly fragile seams.
- Nukeproof Blackline Women's jersey review
- Royal Racing Heritage Short Sleeve jersey review
- Buyer’s guide to summer mountain bike jerseys
The excellently-named Thrillium jersey uses a four-way stretch polyester fabric that's had a Polygiene treatment to combat smells. The sleeves are raglan – meaning they continue right to the collar and there's no seam on your shoulder – and the rear hem is dropped by two inches for good coverage.
In Dakine's own words it’s cut to be not too baggy yet not too snug, and really that’s the perfect way of describing the fit. It certainly fits tighter than a lot of gravity-based jerseys, but the sleeves stay baggy and there’s still a bit of breathing room.
The tighter fit might not be for everyone, but I liked it... until I came to take it off. Once it's sweaty the jersey sticks, and under the stress of dragging it off, some of the stitching in the seams has started to fail.
So far it just looks a bit scruffy on the inside in odd spots, and I suspect it'll take a fair bit before any seams actually start to come apart, but it's disappointing.
Also, the Thrillium uses Polygiene Odor Control, which is meant to keep the jersey from getting smelly with the aim of encouraging people to wash it less often. Nevertheless, after each ride the top had enough of a whiff to warrant a wash.
At least it does a great job of keeping cool. There are thin panels on either side which let air through easily. The Thrillium makes for a great summer jersey, and is equally comfortable underneath a jacket thanks to those raglan sleeves.
The Dakine Thrillium Short Sleeve Bike is cool, comfortable, and wins a bunch of style points, but the merely average odour control disappoints – while the suspect seams may well reduce the jersey's life expectancy.