Altura Raceline Review – Better Than The Way We Wore

It used to be the case that cold weather cycling meant looking like a fugitive from fashion.  Waterproof jackets came in only one colour – bright yellow – and were as breathable as a plastic bag.  Legwear was a trawlerman’s overtrousers, gloves were a pair of ski mittens, and the whole, stylish ensemble was topped off with a bobble hat.  Or was that just me?

Fast forward through various revolutions in fabric technology and advances in the breathability, water repellency and pronounceability of membranes such as polytetrafluoroethylene – nowadays it’s just called PTFE or Teflon – and suddenly you can’t move for stylish bikewear that wouldn’t look out of place on the catwalk.

The Altura Raceline range is the perfect example.

Altura Raceline Long Sleeve jersey, £69.99.

This is so elegantly engineered – multi-paneled and pre-shaped to fit the riding position, and including little details like a flap to protect the bottom of the full length zipper – it could almost pass for a quality softshell  jacket.  I’ve logged a couple of hundred miles in it in a variety of conditions, ranging from the crisp, windless day in the video to a drizzly, windy 40-odd miles I completed this morning, and it has been consistently comfortable and warm.  Its fleecy lining worried me when I first saw it, I thought I might overheat, but not at all.

Value for money:  4.5/5

Altura Raceline Bib Tights, £84.99

These are also a triumph of form and function, with foot straps and multi-density padding.  They’ve kept me warm in temperatures as low as 5C, and cool during climbs.  Though not billed as waterproof, they kept my legs dry during the drizzle of this morning’s ride. The only thing that loses them marks is the zip which didn’t stay up all the time(though being such a shallow zip anyway, it didn’t make any difference comfort or temperature-wise).

Value for money:  4/5

Altura ThemoCool long sleeve baselayer, £44.99

An almost light-as-air, highly stretchable and efficiently wicking piece of cloth which worked a treat when combined with the Raceline jersey.

Value for money: 3.5/5

Altura ErgoFit Gilet, £44.99

I wore this on the downhills and also when the temperature dropped below 10 degrees.  Perfect on the downhills, it was actually a bit too effective on the flats(though it wasn’t a particularly windy day, and its main feature is its windproofness).  It worked better this morning when I wore it for 40 miles against a fierce south-westerly with regular spurts of drizzle.  Kept me warm and dry.

Value for money: 4/5

Altura ErgoFit Windproof Gloves, £34.99

These have been a godsend, because where I live – on the North Sea coast of Scotland –  is notoriously windy(the day we made the video was an extreme rarity, honest).  The material does what is says on the packet – it’s water repellant and breathable as well as windproof – and the ProGEL palm padding is just the right amount to cushion the road vibes without hindering my ability to undo zips, remove sunglasses, etc.

Value for money: 4/5

Altura Night Vision Thermolite socks, £13.99

Winters up here normally require at least two pairs of socks (one of which should be thermal) plus overshoes, but so far this month I’ve only had to wear these.  Just a shame about the colour, which brings back awful memories of my cycling waterproofs from a bygone age……..

Value for money: 4.5/5

1. November 16, 2012 at 15:58

   These video reviews are really excellent – it gives you a perspective of the gear that 'paper' reviews don't. Two things I think would be useful – say what size each item is and some close up 'walk rounds'. Thanks.

2. Bikesoup:

   November 16, 2012 at 16:09

   Thanks for the feedback twanginman, that's a really good call. We will address both those points in future reviews.