Erin Trail

Wild Rye Gem Distance Jersey Initial Impressions

The fabric is super soft and has a lot of nicer features.  Jersey is slim fitting and very lightweight.

Detailed Review

The Gem Distance Jersey is Wild Rye’s first go at a gravel-specific cycling jersey.  Wild Rye is a women’s only clothing company, focused on cycling and snow sports. The company is owned and operated by women, so they really get the needs of active women.  

I love this brand’s mountain biking gear and ski baselayers, so I was really excited to try their new gravel line.  I wore the Gem Distance Jersey on several gravel rides, usually 2 hours in duration in temperatures around 80 degrees and full sun.

Fit and Fabric

The fit of this jersey is slim (described as “next-to -skin” on their website), and honestly, I found it to be a bit small for my preference.  I ordered my usual Wild Rye size (I have many different tops + bottoms from them) and I was actually shocked it was as tight as it was. So if you like a looser jersey, size up. The sleeve length and overall jersey length is typical of other cycling jerseys. The sleeves are skin-tight and hit at my elbows.  The jersey length was just right, hitting approximately 4 inches below my belly-button. 

The fabric is buttery-smooth.  It might be the softest jersey in my substantial gear drawer. The fabric is really lightweight…. But maybe to a fault.  I got a lighter colored jersey (purple haze) and I’d describe it the color as a hint of purple.  And if I’m being honest, the fabric is also see-through.  I’m not sure if this is because the jersey is slim fitting or if the fabric is so light that it’s intentionally see through.  But I could definitely see my sports bra / base layer under the jersey.  I have form-fitting aero jerseys from other brands and they aren’t see through, so I know that tight doesn’t equal transparent. If you are self-conscious about this, wear a baselayer (from another brand as Wild Rye doesn’t offer one) or buy a darker color. 

Features

The Gem Distance jersey has 3 nicely sized pockets in the back of the jersey that are open for easy in-and-out access while riding. You can fit a water bottle or phone back there, which is really handy. There’s also a zippered pocket on the right-hand lower side that uses a pull cord instead of a traditional zipper pull.  I was worried that the cord would be annoying (it’s a few inches long), but while riding, the cord didn’t bother me and I found that the cord made it easy to zip and unzip.  This zippered pocket is perfect for things you don’t want to lose while riding.

The front zipper opens and closes smoothly and has a nice fabric cover at the top neckline seam, so you don’t scratch or irritate your neck while riding. The bottom hem has a small strip of silicone backing.  The length of the jersey was perfect and the addition of the silicone at the hem meant that there was no creeping up while I was riding. 

The fabric is also rated UPF 50+, so while being thin, it offers great sun protection. 

Riding Performance

I found the jersey to be very comfortable.  The soft fabric moved with me and the fabric never felt hot or heavy. The pockets were easy to get in and out on the fly, while I grabbed a snack and stuffed empty wrappers back inside.  The tops of the pockets are generously sized and make it easy to grab things on the go. I usually ride with my jersey slightly unzipped and found that the neck was soft and moved nicely with my harder efforts. The neck, while zipped up, wasn’t tight and I could ride with it zipped up and not feel uncomfortable. 

Overall Impression

This is a soft and comfortable bike jersey that fits and functions well on any gravel or road ride.  The fabric breathed and moved well as I rode and the pockets were easy to access and also held a lot of snacks. The jersey was so comfortable that I barely even noticed that I was wearing it, which enabled me to focus on my riding and not my clothes.

My main criticism of the Gem Distance Jersey is that the purple haze color is very light.  Too light.  I’m used to Wild Rye’s offerings being bold and colorful, so I was a bit bummed that this was so subdued.  Also, I didn’t like how see-through the fabric was.  I’m used to a next-to-skin fit from my triathlon races, so it’s not the fit that was the problem, it was the transparency of the fabric when I wore it.

Overall, this is a good first offering for a gravel line for Wild Rye.  I think expanding to other colorways with bold and bright patterns (to compliment their mountain biking line) and making the front of the jersey a touch less transparent would bring this from “good” to “excellent”.

Erin Trail