A smart-looking Merino-based mountain bike top that’s just at home off the trails as it is on them

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Mission Workshop’s District : MC riding top elegantly bridges the gap between riding jersey and casual T-shirt with its clean, simple styling and exceptional performance from the Merino wool.

Although Mission Workshop’s clobber is pricey, you can pretty much guarantee that it’ll be high-quality kit that will last and perform as expected with little fuss.

Made from a Merino wool and nylon blend to give the benefits of the famous wool – breathability, wicking, lightweight and anti-bacterial properties – and increased durability of a synthetic material, The District : MC has a relaxed fit, although sizes up quite small.

There is a three alloy-button opening and the crew-neck collar isn’t especially tight. The torso section is made from four pieces of material and there’s a panelled shoulder construction to help improve fit.

Once I’d worked out how The District : MC sizes up, it became obvious that my 178cm tall, 73kg frame needed a size large rather than the medium I’d originally requested.

After you’ve got the right size and you pull it over your head, it’s incredibly light and airy to wear and has a fantastic amount of stretch, which lets you move around on the bike with ease.

The three-button collar opening is great for the climbs, letting me exhaust any excess heat I was producing. And when it’s buttoned up to the top, I didn’t find the aperture overly tight or constricting.

If it’s a particularly cold day, it’s tight enough to be worn as a base- or mid-layer but really excels when it’s worn on its own.

The performance offered by the Merino wool construction is, as expected, fantastic; it wicks sweat away, dries quickly, doesn’t get too heavy when it’s wet, keeps you warm or cool and takes a lot of punishment to get it to smell.

Washing it as per Mission Workshop’s instructions rejuvenated its feel, and after a summer and autumn of heavy abuse it remains unsoiled.

Not only does it work well out on the bike but it also looks great, and the simple design means it can be worn when you’re not riding too – I’ve worn mine as much off the bike as I have on it.

I love wearing my The District : MC jersey in a whole host of conditions from dirt jumping to enduro to off the bike around town.

Given its price, it’s a good job it performs as well as it does and can be worn in so many places – it’s basically three jerseys in one.

If you’re searching for an up-market top, this has to be on your shortlist.

Alex Evans is BikeRadar's mountain bike technical editor. He started racing downhill at the tender age of 11 before going on to compete across Europe. Alex moved to Morzine in the French Alps at 19 to pursue a career as a bike bum and clocked up an enormous amount of riding. Riding those famous tracks day in, day out for eight years, he broke more bikes than he can remember. Alex then moved back to the UK and put his vast knowledge of mountain biking to good use by landing a job working for MBUK magazine as features editor. Since working for MBUK, Alex's focus has moved to bike tech. He's one of BikeRadar's lead testers, knows how to push bikes and products to the limit, and wants to search out the equipment that represents the best value for money. Alex is also a regular on the BikeRadar Youtube channel and BikeRadar podcast.

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