For several months of the year, I wake up to the sound of rain pummelling the window and dread stepping out into the cold and dark to set off in the morning. This year less so but when I was just starting out commuting it was pretty intimidating, especially when it got dark. I still can't confess to knowing what is the best kit out there, but over the last 18 months i've learnt what works for me, both from a budget perspective and for my commute. I should probably also say my commutes average speed is around 15-17mph over hillyish terrain so I am working up a sweat, I think if you are planning on coasting in you'll probably need warmer kit, but if like me you're also using you commute as a bit of a workout then this might work for you. Over the next few days i'll be posting on what I've bought over the past 18 months, what works and what i've settled on, my wardrobe is actually pretty limited but I do now ride comfortably and pretty much in all weathers. My first years kit purchases went like this and in this order:
Briefly on one sleeved tops, I have two and as yet I've not found one that works for me which is probably down to the times and conditions I ride in. So today --- Cycling Jackets I'm using this a bit of a cop out, I only have three jackets, all of which are good, two purchased from eBay and one purchased direct from the store, they all work really well. A jacket is something you can easily spend £100's and I literally mean £100's. I'm one of those people who'll sit and deliberate on what I should buy, reading reviews in micro detail putting stuff in my basket only to take it out 5 minutes later, for me anything above £50 is a weeks worth of commuting by train and that is always my acid test for whether I'll get more use out of it than it's worth. I wanted something that was warm, would keep me dry and wouldn't make me feel sick having spent a lot of money on it. Decathlon B'Twin 900 My first jacket bought from eBay was the Decathlon B'Twin 900 in black and red, and it is fantastic, I used it all through 2017/18 winter it was my only jacket and I still use it now when the weather is around freezing as it keeps me really warm but if i get up a pace I can open the zipped side panels and cool me down a bit, it's not waterproof, but water repellant, although don't let that put you off as I don't recall ever being freezing cold and soggy. Then again this is a commuting jacket so I'm not stopping to take in the scenery and getting cold. Water does run off this jacket but when it does start to soak in your body heat makes it act a little like a wetsuit so you keep nice and warm. My jacket is black with reflective panels and has a neat little build in neck tube, knowing very little about what the winter elements would through at me last year, I was happy with purchasing this and I have thought over the following 12 months I should just buy the same jacket again, I haven't, and I don't regret doing so but this is a really great jacket. Lusso Aqua Repel My second Jacket again from eBay was the Lusso Aqua Repel (and this is where you might start seeing a theme) it's very waterproof and windproof which is fantastic riding in Autumn and I'd imagine Spring too, the only downside is I don't find it very warm compared to my other jackets and it isn't very breathable, so when you do get up a sweat you can get damp inside. Having said that though on a miserable or persistently damp day it keeps you dry and when the wind picks up you really don't experience any wind chill that I can get with my Decathlon jacket so with the right base layers this could be perfect. It's not my go to jacket at the moment and I think I might have bought it a bit late into the season, but it does have a purpose and I'll be getting it out more in Spring, as a side note I was also considering buying the Aqua Extreme Repel Jacket, at the time i bought this and I would still like to try it, so will probably be on my next years purchase list. Lusso Windtex Aero+ My third Jacket was bought on the back of another couple of Lusso purchases and that was the Lusso Windtex Aero+ Thermal Jacket - Black/Flo Yellow, wow this is toasty. I think I could get away with not wearing a base layer under this, water beads from it and when it gets to sub zero temperatures I'll be wearing this one a lot, probably exclusively, actually I pretty much already do as it is by far the most visible jacket I own which is important when you're commuting in the dark. At £99* it is priced really well when you compare it to other jackets on the market, in warmer weather I have found myself unzipping it to get some air in to cool me down, but to be honest Autumn in the UK it can be -2c on the way into work and 8-9c on the way home so there isn't, or at least I haven't found, that perfect medium yet, I am confident though that when the temperature really drops I'll be warmer than I was last year, which is a good thing. So what should you get, well if budget is not an issue I would go with the Lusso Windtex Aero+ Jacket, it ticks all my commuter boxes, it's warm, keeps me pretty dry and is visible which is fantastic. It is my favourite hands down and I really can't fault it, it's one of those jackets that instantly feels warm when you put it on and on a horrible morning you don't feel the bite of the weather when you step outside, i'm glad I upped my budget for this jacket and I think I would have probably stumped up the full RRP were I to get this or something similar again. That being said though for £60 the Decathlon Jacket is really good option for people who aren't sure that they'll be cycling during the winter months next year, and absolutely worth considering. Next post Baselayers... *Both Lusso jackets are listed at discounted prices, at time of posting the Windtex Aero+ is still available at £99 the Aqua repel jacket is no longer available. Aqua Repel Extreme may be a suitable alternative.
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Mike GaskellI started commuting around May 2017, mainly to save the £45 a week train fare and get ready for the Dunwich Dynamo. Archives
August 2022
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