New Winter Gear First Look

Unfortunately for me, it seems that last winter was the winter that finished off a whole bunch of my winter gear. It’s inevitable really as nothing lasts forever and especially in UK winters. You would, however, hope that it doesn’t all need replacing at the same time. Add into this the prospect of doing a number of winter Audaxs and this all amounts to lots of parcels through the door and a much lighter wallet.

Here’s the gear that I have been picking up over the last month or so in preparation for the darker, colder and wetter days ahead. As I start to use this gear moving into the colder months I’ll post some proper reviews but for now, here’s my first look.

Northwave Raptor Arctic GTX Thermal Winter MTB Boot

I have used a pair of Northwave winter boots for the last 6 years or so, I reviewed them at the end of 2012, and in the main really got with them. I still had cold feet sometimes and eventually they started leaking but I did find them reasonably hardwearing. For the first few years they did keep my feet warm most of the time, eventually though I think the problems with my cold feet, were my feet getting worse and not really the fault of the boots. As such this time around I decided to go with the fully fleeced lined versions instead of the slightly more lightweight versions I had before. Ideally, I never would have gone for this colour. I mean they, are, loud.. but they were the last pair in hi-vis that Evan’s had and were on sale at a whopping £30 cheaper than the equivalent Black pair. All being equal I’ll choose the colour that matches my other kit but this isn’t a fashion show and I wasn’t passing up that sort of saving. Besides, hi-vis is hi-vis for a reason and with the prospect of doing a lot more road riding this winter, being seen should really be a top priority.

The construction is basically a fleece-lined neoprene hi-top sock, with a carbon sole and a Gore-Tex waterproof outer layer. The hi-top is very snug, actually making them quite a pain to get on and off, however I’m also hoping that this will keep warm air in and the rain out. The biggest problem for any winter boot is the massive hole in the top that your foot goes in, so hopefully, the snug seal around the base of the calf is going to stop water running down my legs and into the boot. The enclosure here is one piece and seems a bit softer and more pliant than the previous boot (which was fine after it was broken in), so I’m hoping they shouldn’t be at all constrictive when peddling. Instead of the buckle laces and protective velcro strap they now have a ratchet tightening system. This seems like a reasonable design but I’m interested to see how this goes once it’s covered in mud and oomska. It could be perfectly fine but I can also see the possibility that it could get a bit gritty. Time will tell.

Altura Nightvision Cyclone Jacket

The first of the 2 new waterproofs that I splashed out on (see what I did there?). This one should be considered my commuting jacket. I find that using anything for commuting means it wears out or falls apart just that much faster. This is no surprise though as wearing or using anything 5 days a week whatever the weather is going to take its toll. I was fortunate to find this jacket in a 60% off sale, so picking up a £100 jacket for £40 really is a great bargain.

The jacket is a classic 2.5 layer construction, with 15k hydro-static head and a 15k vapour release. It has a removable hood, two front zipped pockets, a chest pocket with zipper as well as a rear zipped pocket to allow you to get to your jersey pockets. There is a hidden vent in the upper back area and a couple of undersleeve pit zips for extra venting. The sleeves are generously cut so they don’t ride up when stretching out to the handlebars. There are velcro cuffs to adjust the size and a drawcord hem to pull in the waist. The general cut and sizing is relaxed, certainly not a race fit. It also has a number of large reflective panels.

I have worn this for my commute a couple of times in bad weather and although it kept the rain and wind out on these short 30 minute rides, I’m not sure it vented that well. However, both times were very mild in terms of temperature, and it has only been since then that I realised that it had the undersleeve venting. Pit zips have always been the best venting system in my book so we’ll wait and see how it fairs when they are both left open.

Columbia OutDry Ex Reign Jacket

The Columbia Outdry fabric is somewhat of a totally different way of making a waterproof material. Most waterproof materials have an outer layer, then a waterproof membrane, then an inner layer. The problem that can sometimes occur with this way of doing things is that as the outer layer becomes saturated the moisture on the inside, your sweat, can’t vent through the fabric. Outdry tries something different by putting the waterproof layer on the outside. Whilst the same thing can happen, it’s far easier to shake off the water that builds up on the surface, therefore allowing the internal moisture to escape keeping you cooler and less sweaty on the inside.

It has externally taped seams and is the first jacket of this style that I have had. There are two front zipped pockets and a chest pocket with zipper. The hood isn’t removable but has a velcro adjuster to tweak the size and a drawcord to sinch up the face hole. Like the Cyclone, the sleeves are generously cut so they don’t ride up when stretching out and the cuffs are adjustable. Again the cut and sizing is relaxed with a drawcord hem. In terms of venting, it has pit zips as well but they are significantly larger than on the Cyclone, starting on the sleeves and running partway down the body. The one disappointing thing on a jacket of this price is no wired peak in the hood to keep it shaped to your liking in the wind.

For the last 3 years, I have used the Specialized Sub Zero Winter Gloves, which I reviewed back in 2015. Unfortunately, Specialized have stopped making them and don’t seem to have an equivalent in their product line up any more so I spent quite a while trying to find something that I could replace them with. Eventually, I came across these Nordic cycle gloves from GripGrab.

They are billed as thermal insulated, windproof and water-resistant. They have a gel insert in the palm and silicon long the fingers to aid grip. They are lobster style with a 3 finger design, but with a layer of separation between the “big” fingers. They are just a tad snug in terms of size but as my old gloves stretched after some wear, I decided not to return them and hope that the same will happen with these. Lets see how it goes.