It’s been a big year for testing bike gear, with my current count at 42 bits of tech actually reviewed, and a lot more than that tested in the background. Lights, jackets, socks, shorts, shoes, all sorts of peripheral tech, self-inflating tyres, AI-enabled glasses, and of course, bikes. Much of it has been excellent, but when you test this many things, it takes a lot to stand out.
So that I don’t forget things I tested almost 12 months ago, I keep a list on my phone that I constantly add to of products that have really impressed me throughout the year. Some of them become the yardstick against which I judge other products, but most just quietly slot seamlessly into my riding life, which is more often than not why I like them so much.
Two brilliant jackets
While the best waterproof cycling jackets have got worse in recent years, thanks to laudable regulatory changes concerning the banning of PFAS, the best winter cycling jackets continue to go from strength to strength. I’ve tested loads in recent seasons, some were standout for pure warmth like the Velocio Alpha Zero, and others for pure technical wizardry like the crazy £700 Assos Johdah, but two stood head and shoulders above the rest: The Assos Equipe R Habu S11, and the Albion Ultralight Insulated Jacket.
The former is, to my mind the best winter jacket out there right now, which is why it sits as my ‘best overall’ in the guide. It is beautifully well fitted, the gloves pocket on the front is surprisingly handy, it’s insulated enough for all but the absolute most arctic riding I ever do, and somehow it’s breathable enough to not turn me into a giant, mobile puddle of sweat even when I’m doing repeated hill sprints. It’s marvellous, it’s expensive, but it’s something you will buy once and only replace years down the line when you finally wear it into the ground.
The latter, Albion’s ultralight emergency layer, comes with me on most rides as a back-pocket peace-of-mind brain salve, or to throw on at the pub after a ride. It’s a lot warmer than a gilet, it’s more insulated than a traditional wind jacket, it’ll just about fit over the Habu jacket when it’s unbearably cold (basically when it gets to -5ºC), but held its own as a useful extra layer from early autumn all the way through midwinter and into spring. It was also in my colleague Graham’s gear of the year last year.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…