A deafening techno beat mashes the brain. Icicles a centimetre thick hang from the window, but the heads inside are pouring with sweat. They pedal as if possessed and still don't make a single metre of progress. Instead of enjoying the crystal-clear air outside, the smell of twelve dripping spinning bikers fills every last bubble in their lungs. I want to get out of here! screams the body in deep despair.
Have you had enough of a stuffy gym atmosphere? Then enjoy winter where it's at its best: in the fresh air. We have tested twelve winter combos for you in arctic temperatures. So there's no longer any reason to torture your body in spinning hell. Globetrotter's cold chamber in Munich provides the ideal conditions for our test of the warming fibres. At minus twelve degrees and a slight headwind, it quickly becomes clear which combination gives you goose bumps and which jackets and trousers wrap your body in cosy warmth. The thermal images show that the larger the air cushion between the body and clothing, the greater the insulating effect. It is therefore hardly surprising that the wider-cut trousers from Gore, Protective and Vaude were able to impress in the Globetrotter cold chamber. They offer another advantage over classic tights: depending on the weather, they can easily be combined with short or long cycling shorts underneath.
The picture is similar for the jackets: Where the models fit particularly tightly, the thermal images often show reddish areas. This means that you lose a lot of valuable body heat here. This effect is intensified if no windstopper material has been used in the crucial areas. The knee area of the trousers in particular should have at least a double layer of fabric. However, wind-repellent material provides even better protection here.
Do the softshell garments keep out the icy wind?
Most people only remember weeks of permafrost from grandma's stories. Our winters are looking more and more like a mixture of slush and sleet. In practice, this means that if wet snow isn't pelting your clothes from above, you'll be bombarded with slush from below. Once water has penetrated the protective outer layer, it quickly becomes uncomfortable. Your body cools down quickly in the icy wind. This effect is called "wind chill" and makes zero degrees feel like minus six degrees when the wind is blowing at 25 kilometres per hour.
After five washes at 30 °C, we tested the front and back of the test jackets and trousers to see whether the waterproofing could withstand the moisture. Very pleasing: almost all jackets achieved good results. The water runs off cleanly at the front and leaves no residue in the fabric. The back sections of the Craft and Sugoi jackets had minor shortcomings. The area around the spine is hit particularly hard by the rear tyre. Both manufacturers rely on air-permeable, non-water-repellent material here.
The picture is different for trousers. Only the wider-cut models from Gore, Protective and Vaude scored top marks. The front and back are completely water-repellent. The classic cut models from Endura, Pearl Izumi and Scott also scored well. Only slight water residue was visible after the test. The other candidates are very permeable, at least on the back. Our tip: simply wear a pair of short rain trousers over them on wet days. They not only protect you from the wet. Rain trousers are windproof and offer additional protection from the cold.
A mere formality: the fit of the softshell parts
Unfortunately, the laboratory does not provide any information on one crucial point: the fit. Assessing this is tricky. The cut for a wiry racer differs significantly from that for an upright, less athletic touring rider. The differences in the test field are correspondingly large. Torso volume, shoulder cut and sleeve width vary significantly. However, compared to the past, competitors and long-distance riders now find it much easier to find a suitable model. Short at the front, long at the back. A narrow torso and long sleeves. This combination can be found at Craft, Endura, Gore, Mavic and Pearl Izumi. Craft, Gore, Mavic and Odlo offer functional pockets with space for gloves, a helmet cap or water bottle. The jackets from Vaude, Protective and Odlo create large waves on the stomach and chest when worn in a sporty position, stand up at the shoulders and stand in the wind like brake chutes.
There is little criticism of the trousers. The cuts are good across the board. The legs of Bontrager, Craft and Sugoi are a little short. The windstopper material from Odlo and Pearl Izumi restricts freedom of movement somewhat. Great: Odlo is the only manufacturer to secure its trousers with leg loops to prevent them from riding up. Protective and Vaude cut very wide and are more suitable for leisurely rides. The Alp-X from Gore is wide and yet tight enough to take on snowy trails.
Not too warm and not too cold, waterproof on the outside but vapour permeable on the inside. Which winter item manages the balancing act?
These softshell jackets and trousers were tested in the cold chamber:
- Bontrager RL Softshell Jacket and Race Thermal Bib Pants
- Craft Performance Storm Jacket and Stormbib Pants
- Endura Stealth Jacket and Thermolite Pro Bib Pants
- Gore Alp-X SO jacket and Fusion SO trousers
- Löffler jacket 12873 and trousers 4986
- Mavic Espair Thermo Jacket and Equipe Bibtight Trousers
- Odlo Hurricane jacket and Ride trousers
- Pearl Izumi Elite Softshell Jacket and AmFIB Cycling Bib Trousers
- Protective Jordan jacket and Bargo trousers
- Scott AS Limited Plus jacket and trousers
- Sugoi Firewall 220 jacket and trousers
- Vaude Gravit jacket and trousers
In a short test: Never freeze again with these parts
Shoes Northwave Celsius GTX
982 g/179.90 Euro/www.northwave.com
The Celsius GTX should keep you warm down to minus ten degrees. So far, tester Nilges hasn't had any cold feet. Not even wet ones: The Gore-Tex membrane is reliably waterproof. If you need it even warmer, go for the Celsius with the additional designation Arctic. It supposedly lasts down to -35 degrees.
Test summary: Very good winter boot with practical quick lacing system and good insulation.
Function: 5 out of 6 stars
Degree of warmth: 5 out of 6 stars
Mematec Comfort heating sole
398 g/199 Euro/www.mematec.com
The Comfort heating soleplate has an integrated rechargeable battery and intelligent control. The target temperature is 36.5 degrees. If the foot is colder, the insole heats until the temperature is reached. The insole is available in three sizes. At full power, the battery runs for around two hours.
Test summary: Provided there is a little space in the shoe, the heated insole is the ideal weapon against cold toes.
Function: 5 out of 6 stars
Degree of warmth: 6 out of 6 stars
Deuter Streamer Thermo Bag 3.0 l + Tube Insulator
190 g/each 14.95 Euro/www.deuter.com
Drinking plenty of fluids is particularly important in winter. With the insulation for the drinking reservoir, your drink won't freeze. The drinking bladders are approved for temperatures up to 60 degrees. As a precaution, you should always blow the residual liquid in the tube back into the reservoir.
Test summary: perfect for longer tours. The double insulation provided by the rucksack and thermo bag guarantees warm drinks for a long time.
Function: 5 out of 6 stars
Degree of warmth: 5 out of 6 stars
Further winter parts in the individual test
- Overshoes Sugoi Firewall Bootie
- Helmet Casco Urban-TC Plus
- Underwear Odlo Evolution warm Lady
- Gloves 2XU Sub Zero Glove
- Thermo bottle Elite Iceberg
- Socks Seal Skinz Mid Weight
- Helmet cap 2XU Cycle Beanie
- Odlo Hat Windproof
- Head protection Polar Buff
- Underwear RAB Meco 120 Long Sleeve
- Face mask Odlo Facemask Evolution warm
The Test results for the 12 softshell jackets and trousers and to the parts for cold winter days on the bike you will find below in the free PDF download.
Downloads:
Stefan Frey
Editor
