THERE’S still enough weeks of summer left to enable you to get out and about without donning layer upon layer of protective gear beforehand. With that in mind, here’s a couple of lightweight items from a manufacturer you may not have heard of.

Albion Cycling Mountain Jersey (£80) and bib shorts (£110)

British manufacturer, Albion, blend homegrown knowhow with Italian style to produce garments that are both stylish and practical. The company specialise in making gear that can cope with the worst our weather can throw at it.

As a smaller firm, they have to fight off the might of more established brands, but by focusing on quality and not quantity they have established a niche for themselves. The first thing you notice about the Mountain Jersey (£80, reduced from £120), is the feel. Albion say they have manufactured it using an “innovative high stretch, breathable, moisture wicking performance fabric”.

It is intriguing to the touch – feather-light, weighing in at 111gms for a medium shirt. Made from 63 per cent polyester and 37 per cent elastane, it’s highly elastic with an almost tissue paper feel to it.

In terms of practicality, it features a YKK reverse coil zip and three rear pockets, and can be folded up small enough to fit in a rear pocket should you need to carry a spare.

My son wore it on a warm summer’s day with nothing underneath and found it extremely comfortable, the mesh side panels meaning he never felt like he was overheating.

Something of a wannabe fashionista, he liked the cut of the top and the navy and olive colour scheme. He reported that it stayed in situ when seated or out of the saddle, making for a hassle free ride. It would be rude not to compliment the jersey with Albion’s bib shorts (£110).

They don’t stand out in the same way as the top, with just a simple panel on the left leg identifying the manufacturer, but they are nonetheless just as effective. They feel quality and robust enough to stand the test of time.

Ignoring my wife’s suggestion that I looked like some kind of failed wrestler with them on, I went out safe in the knowledge my pants were neither going to ride up or fall down while I pedalled the hard miles.

Constructed from MITI fabric and benefiting from Elastic Interface’s chamois technology, they are designed for long rides, the padding providing supreme comfort during a 30-miler over the Moors.

I spoke with Albion co-founder Charlie Stewart about the brand and the items we tested:

What is the Albion ethos?

Charlie: To make functional, innovative clothing and accessories for cycling in changeable British weather conditions.

You have gone for quality over quantity, how does this work for you and the consumer?

At the moment we believe it means well made products with practical features that have really been thought about, for tough riding in changeable conditions. We hope that 'quantity' will come, but never at the expense of quality. 

What are the key selling points of the Mountain jersey?

The fabric is innovative in cycling - very light, very stretchy but it also holds it shape really well. That means a product that delivers comfort and function on the bike for your long rides in hot weather (we do get hot weather here in the UK too!) 

Comfort is a key part of the bib shorts, tell me something about how you arrived at the design and what kind of feedback have you had from customers?

With shorts, the starting point was always going to be the pad - it had to be comfortable for rides of six hours plus. Once we had settled on that, we needed a premium quality fabric that would provide the required level of comfort but also compression. The positive reception we've had to the shorts suggests that customers are pleased with what we've come up with.

Where do you see Albion in the next five years?

As an innovative outdoor business with sustainability at its heart, making clothing and equipment for any person who wants to get outside and push themselves to the limit - whatever the weather might throw at them.