Within the midst of winter, I obtained the supply to check out Velocio’s Ultralight Rain jacket and Alpha Lengthy Sleeve jersey. With their slim, light-weight building, efficient climate resistance, and nice thermoregulation, these items rapidly grew to become a brand new favorite combo for cool climate rides. The jacket and jersey saved me heat, dry and completely happy in something from freezing level temperatures to balmy spring days, and so they’re clearly minimize to work completely with one another.
Building and Options – Ultralight Rain Jacket:
Velocio’s Ultralight Rain Jacket is a skinny however absolutely waterproof shell produced from eVent DV Storm material. This material is light-weight, but fully blocks wind and rain whereas providing breathability as effectively. The jacket options taped seams, and a dropped rear hem with a silicone gripper. This shell has no hood, however does have a excessive soft-lined collar to maintain the weather at bay.
Easy and lean stretch panels on the cuffs hold the sleeves in place as you trip, and a zippered inside chest pocket with a media port gives storage for bank cards, MP3 gamers and even smartphones. The primary zipper has pull tabs for straightforward use with gloved fingers, and a zipper hood up prime to maintain your chin and neck snug. The jacket is completed with reflective logos and particulars.
Two massive vents on the again encourage warmth to flee, and let you entry your jersey’s again pockets with out taking off the jacket (the vents line up very properly with the pockets on the Alpha Lengthy Sleeve).
The Ultralight Rain Jacket retails for $349 USD. Colour choices are Navy or Citron (yellow), and males’s sizes vary from XS-4XL. Girls’s fashions are additionally out there, in the identical coloration choices with sizes from XXS-3XL.
Alpha Lengthy Sleeve Jersey:
Made with 63% recycled materials, the Alpha Lengthy Sleeve is a perfect layer beneath a shell for colder, wetter rides, however can be worn by itself or over a jersey in nicer climate. The entrance faces of the jersey are produced from a grid-style Polartec Alpha Direct insulation whereas the perimeters, again, and decrease sleeves are Velocio’s Merino 210 material. This material mixture traps heat air within the entrance faces whereas permitting glorious breathability and moisture administration; the polyester-faced Merino 210 again panel gives a comfortable contact and resists abrasions.
A half-length entrance zipper retains factor gentle and trim, and the lengthy, skinny hems on the sleeves do a terrific job of protecting wind out of your jacket whereas becoming simply beneath or over different layers. The Alpha Lengthy Sleeve’s collar sits pretty excessive, and a material hood retains the zipper lined. The marginally dropped rear hem features a silicone gripper, and the jersey has three massive pockets throughout the decrease again.
The Alpha Lengthy Sleeve jersey sells for $199. Males’s fashions can be found in Hearth Pink or Navy, in sizes XS-4XL. Girls’s fashions are offered in the identical colours, with sizes starting from XXS-3XL.
Journey Impressions:
Earlier than we speak about efficiency, let’s tackle how the Velocio clothes match. I’m 5’10” tall with a slim construct, and I’m sporting the Alpha Lengthy Sleeve and Ultralight Rain Jacket in measurement medium. Each items present a slim match however lined my physique and arms effectively. The stomach is minimize pretty excessive on the rain shell, however on the bike, it’s simply lengthy sufficient for me. The Alpha LS is a bit longer within the physique than the jacket (significantly within the entrance), so its grippy hem holds onto your pants or shorts fairly effectively.
I’ve discovered no consolation points with the collars on the jacket and Alpha LS: The jersey’s collar sits simply towards my neck at an ideal peak, and the jacket matches it to a tee. Arm size was excellent for each clothes, and the jacket’s cuffs have been comfortable sufficient to remain put over my gloves.
Regardless of the Ultralight Rain Jacket having a really lean minimize across the physique, I had no points with mobility on my gravel bike rides. The jacket’s shoulders supply slightly additional room, so I by no means discovered any limits to my vary of movement whereas driving drop bars. That mentioned, this jacket was clearly minimize for driving place… off the bike, if I unfold my arms broad, the jacket’s chest tightens up.
Whereas the Alpha LS and Ultralight Rain Jacket are clearly finest fitted to street or gravel driving, I did trip them on my enduro MTB to see how they felt. As a consequence of an harm I didn’t get the possibility to go for any actual path rides, however I pedaled round city and had no points spreading my arms broad sufficient for my 800mm handlebar. I anticipate the jacket’s mobility can be high quality for MTB rides, I might solely see the tight chest space changing into a problem should you took a tumble and your arm(s) obtained pulled again harshly. With no limits to mobility the Alpha LS might simply work effectively for MTB rides, so long as you don’t thoughts the road-biased styling.
My first take a look at trip with the jacket and jersey was a cool winter day of 2-3° Celsius (35-37ºF). With bibs and an extended sleeve jersey beneath, the Alpha LS and Ultralight Rain Shell saved me completely happy and heat all through the trip! Each are skinny and light-weight clothes, however the Alpha LS held in my physique warmth very effectively and the jacket did a terrific job of blocking the wind.
Even on rides the place my ears began off a bit chilly my physique was heat sufficient with the jacket, Alpha LS and a long-sleeved jersey proper out the door. I didn’t should pedal arduous to get warmed up, and I stayed heat all through the rides with out overheating. For those who do get scorching on this combo, merely opening the jacket will cool you down rapidly because the Alpha LS permits wind to chop via pretty simply.
Lastly, when spring got here temperatures have been excessive sufficient to drop the jacket. My first trip with the Alpha LS as an outer layer was about 9-10° (48-50ºF), in sunny situations with gentle wind. With an extended sleeve jersey beneath I used to be simply heat sufficient on this informal Sunday trip. The Alpha LS is certainly not windproof, so that you’ll really feel air flowing via it as you trip. Regardless of that it nonetheless traps a bubble of physique warmth round you so it’ll take a cold wind earlier than it is advisable to toss a jacket over prime.
I obtained an opportunity to trip the jacket in gentle rain for over an hour, and every little thing beneath it got here dwelling bone dry – My arms stayed dry proper to the hems, the excessive collar saved my neck absolutely protected, and solely two or three inches of my pants between my saddle and the decrease hem obtained moist. I seen water beaded up properly on the shell and shook off simply after the trip, so I’m assured this jacket might deal with much more rain than I subjected it to. An over-helmet hood can be good for actually wet rides, however I settle for its absence within the title of protecting the jacket lean and light-weight.
I really like the lengthy, comfortable hems on the Alpha LS’s sleeves. They’re snug, skinny and simple to slide into jacket sleeves (or over/beneath gloves), and so they hold the wind out. The waist hem is comfortable however snug so it does a terrific job of protecting wind away out of your torso.
The Ultralight Rain Jacket gives a zippered interior chest pocket, which has a port for headphone wires, so I threw my older iPod Nano in there. The slim pocket doesn’t depart a lot room for motion, and I couldn’t even really feel the iPod as I rode. This pocket is massive sufficient to hold a smartphone; it would really feel a bit heavy in there nevertheless it’s good to have the choice.
The Ultralight Rain Jacket does pack up fairly small. You in all probability couldn’t squeeze it into your down tube, however most jersey pockets ought to work, and any backpack or decent-sized cargo bag might carry it simply.
One closing word – I prefer it when your cozy driving garments will be worn casually as effectively, however the Velocio gear is clearly made for driving. Each clothes have a slim, lean minimize and appear to be efficiency biking garments, in order that they’d appear a bit excessive off the bike… they’re nice for his or her meant function although!
