Why technical tee?
It’s no doubt that cycling jersey has evolved into the most optimized outfit for the sport. The skin-tight fit reduces aerodynamic drag more than aero frame and aero wheels, combined, could ever achieve—allowing us to go faster and cover more distance with the same power output. Combined with quick-drying material, its front zipper allows optimal thermal regulation in wide range of temperature, while its back pockets allow us to carry the essentials without messing with smooth pedalling movement. Cycling jersey is, therefore, a must for a competitive ride.
But most of us are riding for fun, not for competition.
And for such fun ride, I preferred to wear something more relaxed and comfortable—and I know I wasn’t alone. Comfort-reason aside, figure-wrapping cycling jersey also looks too serious for such kind of ride—it’s akin to wearing a formal suit and tie to a cozy barbecue party.
So it was kind of perplexing to find that virtually no local brand took cycling-specific technical tee seriously. Basically, there were only two options from them: it was either performance-oriented cycling jersey aimed at athletes and athlete-wannabes, or extra-loose, graphic-ridden MTB jersey that often looks garish. Third option was to go with expensive, established brand’s offerings. Thus, just like many cyclist fellows, I ended up with the last option: repurposing running or general technical tee.
And then, I stumbled upon Team Teazy.
In a crowded sea of race-fit jerseys and loose MTB shirts, their focus on cycling-specific technical tee is a fresh breeze. I was interested in their model’s modest, somewhat muted, color options, as well as cycling-specific features like reflective strips and zippered back pocket. It seemed like a perfect option for me and most cyclists. Before long, I shot them a direct message for short consultation, which ended up with me getting the short sleeve model in mustard color and size S—recommended for my average height and underweight build.
So, onto the basic question: how does it perform, and how much does it deliver?
First Impression
The sensation of heft and thickness, was what came first to my impression after unboxing—it felt somewhat puffy. While I don’t think the actual weight matters—especially for casual riding—I was concerned about its thermal regulation performance.
Dubbed as Teazy SoftTouch™, the fabric is claimed to provide best-in-class body temperature regulation and UV protection. Comparing it to other tees and jersey, I could say that Teazy’s tee fabric lives up to its name, to a degree; it feels noticeably smooth and soft on the skin, which should help with comfort. The fabric’s thickness might indeed help with UV protection, but I still doubted its thermal regulation capability—even more so with the fact that there was no smart-combining fabric with something lighter and more breathable on critical areas.
Putting it on for the first time, I was impressed with the fit. Labelled as Teazy Pro Fit, it treads the fine line between figure-wrapping race jersey and loose standard tee, which is just perfect for casual cycling. Kudos to Team Teazy for taking the extra mile to adjust the fit instead of just adding features to standard tee design.
The Details
The turn-up reflective strips on the sleeve was a cycling-specific detail pulled from Rapha’s Technical T-Shirt. Compared to Rapha’s stylish pink, though, it looks more industrial (Team Teazy indeed claimed it as “industrial-grade”), though I don’t have any qualms with it. When turned up, the sleeve’s length looked just right. Unfortunately, the same thing couldn’t be said when it was hidden in the hem; the sleeve turned awkwardly long. Thus I don’t see any reason to hide the strips. I personally think it would be better to just put the reflective strips on the outer side of the sleeves.
The Teazy’s technical tee also came with a zippered back pocket. Teazy claimed it fits medium-sized phone, which I found to be true; my phone did fit there nicely, and the zipper prevents it (or whatever stored there) from suddenly jumping out into freedom. I personally wouldn’t keep my phone there out on the ride, however. While Teazy claimed the pocket is designed to be comfortable no matter how hard you ride, the reality is that a pocket on a relaxed-fitting jersey means it’ll sag, and whatever stored there will bounce around like squirrel—especially on rough roads! It’s not that Teazy made mistake with the pocket design; it’s just how physics works. Still, I don’t think the pocket is a bad idea; in fact, I could appreciate its existence for emergency storage. For light items—think money, ID, or even tripod phone holder—it’d be nice. For phone, spare & tools, or packable rain jacket, I’d only use the pocket as last resort, though.
Out On The Road
Out on the road, Teazy’s Technical T-Shirt performs as expected.
Early in the morning, it was evident that the tee’s thicker fabric provides noticeably better insulation compared to other tees I had tried. As such, I could see it as perfect companion for high-altitude, cooler-climate rides—the kind of cycling getaway I personally preferred.
The thing is, a cycling top is often rated for its performance in warmer instead of in cooler climate, even more so when it’s meant to be worn on tropical (read: hot and humid) climate. It makes sense; in cooler climate, one could simply layer up with vest or windbreaker, but in hotter climate, one could only hope the only layer they’re wearing would help.
The good news is, the relaxed fit allows good airflow between the skin and the fabric, which helps with cooling through convection—something race-fit cycling jersey could not achieve. The not-so good news is, cooling through convection only works so far and eventually highlights the fabric’s weakness in thermal regulation. It’s evident when I returned to the city and pushed through the traffic under the blazing mid-day sun; even more so when I made a stop and had no wind to blow away excess body heat. It’s nothing dramatic, though—certainly nowhere as hot as wearing a jacket, mind you—but it feels noticeably hotter compared to the repurposed tee I usually wore, and it takes noticeably longer time for me to cool down, even under the shade.
Wrap-Up
Here’s the thing: I personally admire Team Teazy for what they do. As a new product aimed at cycling segment previously untouched by other local brands, Teazy’s Technical T-Shirt holds a lot of potential. And, indeed, there are some things to love from the technical tee. The fit was nice; so was the color options, which achieve the balance between flat monotony and eye-searing colors—the mustard color blends nicely with lush mountain greeneries! The reflective strips helps with additional visibility, especially early in the morning and late after sun set. Zippered back pocket provides nice emergency stowaway space, though I personally would be happy even without it.
There’s small niggle left, however. Comfort was one among the main reason many of us choose technical tee over body-wrapping cycling jersey, yet it is here Teazy lagged a bit. Sure, by design, relaxed-fit tee allows better airflow compared to race-fit jersey. And the SoftTouch fabric feels nice and soft on the skin. But the thickness of the fabric makes it less than ideal on long hours on hot, humid days. A lighter, more breathable fabric—or simply smart-combining it with much more breathable material on critical areas—would benefit the tee immensely.
At Rp209,000 (USD14.5 at the time of writing), the Team Teazy’s Technical T-Shirt sits at mid-low spectrum of cycling apparel, making it valuable option for many. In term of comfort and thermal regulation performance, there are similarly priced, even cheaper, running and general technical tees that performed better out there. None of them comes with cycling-specific fit and features, however. Technical tees from big brands, on the other hand, have all the features as well as decent thermal capabilities, but cost a heap lot more. Thus, if cycling-specific fit and features is your top priority—and you’re constrained by budget—Teazy’s Technical T-Shirt is a decent option.
Summary
Pros: decent fit for casual cycling, balanced color options, turn-up reflective strips aids visibility, zippered pocket provides emergency stowaway space.
Cons: thick fabric hampers comfort on hot days, no smart-combining fabric to aid thermal regulation.
Overall rating: 3.5/5
