Review: Santini Stone Delta Women’s Fit Tech T-shirt

For those warm summer days when you simply want to do an easy ride with friends, maybe up to that little grassy hill on your gravel bike for a drink together, you could wear a simple cotton T-shirt over bib shorts. But that won’t be as good as Santini’s Stone Delta Tech T-shirt at wicking away moisture – or for storing your small essentials.

If you already have a couple of short-sleeve cycling jerseys, you might be wondering why you’d need anything else – and rightly so. You don’t really need any cycling-specific clothing, if we really get into it. But having some purpose-made quality items does elevate riding experiences. Or at least they do mine, and the Stone Delta technical tee has done just that.

> Buy now: Santini Stone Delta for £47.49 from BikeInn

I’ve been enjoying a few scorching days riding mostly gravel, and this T-shirt fits the bill almost perfectly for these less speedy rides, where wearing tight Lycra would seem like overkill.

The whole shirt is made from Polartec Delta recycled fabric (Santini says the “entire” fabric is recycled), which is essentially a mesh-like fabric that has excellent breathability. This makes the shirt feel very light when it’s on – and when you ride, the wind effectively cools you down.

It has a slightly heavier elastic hem which doesn’t have any gripper, but the weight alone keeps the top in place well – I never found it creeping up the back.

As this is first and foremost a garment for warm summer days, I wouldn’t really pair it with an additional layer underneath – but throwing a jacket on top is no problem. The thinness of the fabric also does mean it’s slightly see-through. I didn’t really find this an issue as I’d wear a sports bra under it anyway, and because of the looser fit it doesn’t really stick to the skin.

Speaking of which, Santini says this has a ‘classic’ fit, meaning it’s quite a lot more relaxed than some. As I said above, this is not a skin-tight garment at all, and it’s longer than a racier cycling jersey would be, but that works well for the type of riding it’s intended for.

I tested a size XS, which is the second smallest in the range that spans from XXS to 3XL.

For carrying things, Santini has included two zipped rear pockets, accessed from each side. These easily take keys, a bank card, and even a phone. I’d rather not have my phone in one of them because the weight can then make the shirt not sit as well, but if needs must, you can. It also means you don’t have to worry about wearing shorts with pockets.

For the sake of testing its versatility further, I’ve also used this top when running. Though it’s very breathable and comfortable, when moving the arms more I found the zippers would rub on my sides on the inside of the shirt. I never found this much of an issue when cycling – perhaps because my bib shorts cover my waist higher than my running shorts – but something to bear in mind if you ride with non-bib shorts.

The overall look of this shirt, with subtle Santini Terra Nova branding on the upper back and two little soft Santini sew-on patches, isn’t too out there, and makes it easy to pair with other – even non-Santini – kit.

The light colour does tend to show road spray, and though the shirt otherwise washed well in the recommended 30 degrees, following a particularly mucky ride some spots didn’t come out before the second wash.

Santini has actually given quite specific care instructions for the Stone Delta, including a recommendation to wash it ASAP (which I agree works best), but it also goes as far as recommending its very own detergent. I didn’t have any of that, so perhaps my results could have been even better!

There is also a purple option if the neutral light grey doesn’t please your eye.

Value & conclusion

This technical T-shirt retails for £70, which is pretty much what you’d pay for a good cycling jersey, and arguably the time window to use this shirt is much shorter (at least in the UK).

That said, other technical cycling tees cost around the same – Rapha’s Women’s Explore Technical T-shirt is a tenner less at £60, but it doesn’t have any pockets and the size range is more limited.

> Read more road.cc reviews of women’s cycling kit

Stu tested the men’s MAAP Alt_Road Ride Tee 2.0 last year and, similar to my experience with the Santini, couldn’t fault its performance. The women’s tee is now £85 – though some smaller sizes of the previous version are currently in the sale for £18. It also has a small pocket for valuables, and also incorporates recycled materials in its fabric.

In comparison, the Stone Delta isn’t a bad price, and overall, if you think you need a technical T-shirt in your cycling wardrobe, it’s a very good option.

> Buy now: Santini Stone Delta for £47.49 from BikeInn

Verdict

Great quality technical tee that does what it promises, and has decent pocket space