Although 7mesh is a small start-up company and has only been on the market with a clothing collection since this year, it is no newcomer to the clothing industry. The six-strong team comes from the ranks of the renowned outdoor clothing and accessories manufacturer Arc'teryx. This background alone raises very high expectations of the products. In our test, we wanted to find out whether their first collection was able to meet these expectations with the "Revelation" rain jacket, the "S2S Shirt" short-sleeved jersey and the Glidepath bike shorts.

The first impression
"Wow, these pieces are so light", was the unanimous opinion of the editorial team when we pulled the clothes out of the box. At first glance, the high quality of workmanship and the special fabrics, some of which are not often seen in two-wheeled clothing, are striking. The design is very minimalist and impresses with its subtle plain colors. If you like it inconspicuous, this is a good choice.

The "Revelation" rain jacket makes the start as a launch edition. It feels very robust and is also quite light at 270 grams. It could clearly be lighter, but that's complaining on a very high level. If you fold the jacket up reasonably well, the pack size is also quite small. But even when quickly rolled up into a sausage, it still fits in a jersey pocket.

The Revelation is reduced to the bare essentials. It has two medium-sized side pockets and two vents each under the arms and on the forearms. All zippers are welded and therefore waterproof. A detachable hood is also included. This is fastened with four press studs. There are Velcro fasteners on the sleeves to adjust the width and two discreet reflectors. The lower waistband can also be pulled together as required.

Long sleeves, well-placed vents and few frills. Photos ©Philipp Ruggli

Felt and in full ride
The Revelation feels good on the body. The cut is slightly ergonomic, which is why the jacket hardly bulges when bent over. Like most minimalist rain jackets, it does not have an inner lining. The collar, on the other hand, is fitted with a fine and soft child and mouth protector. This serves its purpose even if it gets slightly damp from breathing. It does not become soaked. Ideal when it's stormy and you pull the jacket up to the tip of your nose. It doesn't go much further than that and as the Revelation is short at the bottom, it soon pulls on the stomach. Under normal circumstances, it is just the right length in the stomach area. Not so at the back: The jacket should have some fabric there.
However, the length of the sleeves is great. Even in a stretched position on the road bike, these reach over the wrists, which is not insignificant for the heat balance.

If it pours with rain, the Revelation keeps your spirits up. This is because the 28,000 water column keeps the moisture completely away from the skin. Even if the jacket gets dirty, it is almost clean again after rinsing. If the jacket is not very dirty, it is sufficient to shake it out as long as the dirt does not dry out.
The rain cover has been in use since the beginning of 2015 and still reliably keeps water out. The Gore-Tex® "3L Pro - 40d" material does a really good job here.

As the jacket fits really well, we have used it for other purposes and also for alpine rock and ice climbing. In each case without any scratches or holes. Only one fall on a mountain bike - for which sport the jacket is really made - has left slight scuff marks on the forearm area. So far, however, this has not had a negative impact on the water resistance - at least not in my opinion.

More abrasion than serious damage: The jacket took the fall on the forearm surprisingly well. Photo ©Philipp Ruggli

The zippers are still intact and work even better than when they were new. This is because the friction caused by the seal was simply too great, meaning that they could not be operated with one hand. However, this is now also possible. We have mixed feelings about the hood. Although there is nothing to complain about its function, the fastening with press studs is not quite ideal. It can happen that you get caught when putting on or taking off the rucksack and it tears off. To fasten the hood again, you have to take the jacket off, the press studs are too delicate to click into place behind your head.

Conclusion: As a rain jacket for various two-wheeled adventures, the Revelation meets our high expectations. It impresses with a good cut, long sleeves, low weight and excellent workmanship. Another plus is the durability of the Gore-Tex fabric, which is particularly important in the event of a fall. Deductions are made for the fastening of the hood and the somewhat short back section. Anyone looking for a high-end product will not be disappointed with the Revelation. For the price of almost 500 francs, we honestly expected nothing less.

Next up is the S2S shirt. The cut of this, especially at the collar, is more in line with the look of légère cut road bike clothing by European standards and is therefore a matter of taste. The cut of the size S we tested is somewhere between body-hugging and loose fit. The top scores with its technical refinements. A lightweight polyester fabric (4-way stretch, with little elastane, as this absorbs water) ensures good ventilation in the armpits and back, allowing heat and water vapor to escape easily. The tightly woven nylon front provides excellent wind protection and, according to the manufacturer, is highly resistant to friction. This is particularly important for backpack wearers.

The 7mesh team assumes that the majority of their customers will be riding with a backpack, which is why the jersey has no back pockets. Instead, there is a small pocket on both sides that can easily hold a smartphone. There is also a cable outlet for this, as well as cable loops at the collar.

On the bike
The S2S shirt cuts a fine figure on the bike. The jersey is not restrictive and is very comfortable to wear. Even after long rides, the jersey does not feel wet and dries very quickly. I particularly like the slightly windproof front, which protects you well on descents and prevents you from cooling down too quickly in mild weather. However, such windproof garments are often a horror in the heat. Not so the S2S jersey: even at over 35 degrees the shirt is absolutely comfortable to wear in combination with a functional shirt. There is no heat build-up and no dripping wet, sticky feeling at these temperatures.

Simple, comfortable, high-quality and functional - the S2S shirt from 7mesh. Photos ©Philipp Ruggli

Similar to the jersey, the Glidepath trousers are rather tight at the top, but not body-hugging. The cut should be a little tighter around the buttocks so that the buttocks are not packed in so "plump": the fabric somehow sticks out a little unusually.
The thigh section is slightly wider and reaches down to the knees, which we really like. The 2-way stretch is also said to be very hard-wearing and is surprisingly water-repellent, which we can confirm. They offer good protection in light rain, the raindrops simply roll off, even after more than five washes. The material dries quickly and never feels damp.

Numerous features show that 7mesh has put a lot of thought into bike shorts. The waistband can be adjusted quickly and easily using two adjustment mechanisms. Nevertheless, the Glidepath also has belt buckles, probably more for those who ride with a belt for style reasons, as the adjustment range is very generous. In addition to two classic trouser pockets at the front, the shorts also have two cleverly designed side pockets on the hips. These are cut in such a way (with an inner compartment) that you can even ride with a cell phone stowed in them without it getting in the way or swaddling around. The pockets are large enough to stow a singletrail map inside.

The widely adjustable waistband and smartphone pocket are two of the most important features of the 7mesh Glidepath Short. Photos ©Philipp Ruggli

In the saddle
The shorts are already one of our favorites after the first ride. You almost don't feel them on your body, which has to do with the fact that they are almost half the weight of many other products. Thanks to the wide cut, they can be worn well with knee protectors, nothing is restrictive, no ugly "protector gaps" and they are tight enough at the crotch so that you don't get caught in the saddle on steep technical terrain. There was no abrasion in the seat area over the test period.

Conclusion: The debut collection from 7mesh shines with high-tech materials and small, fine details. Although there are other small details that could be improved, all in all we were very impressed by both the jersey and the shorts. 139 francs for the S2S shirt and 149 francs for the Glidepath shorts are no bargain either. However, in view of the high quality and excellent workmanship, the items are worth every franc.www.7meshinc.com