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review

Altura Race Line Windproof Jacket

7
£119.00

VERDICT:

7
10
Well made winter jacket that struggles to justify its price tag
Weight: 
420g
Contact: 
www.zyro.co.uk

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Raceline is Altura's performance range and this Windproof Jacket is designed for winter and autumn use. It performs well in general, but a few little niggles let it down.

It's basically a softshell jacket that uses panels of various weight to control temperature and keep out the elements. The front is windproof using a Roubaix style material which is smooth on the outside but has a fleecy pile on the inside. This traps warm air against the body and as a bonus feels really soft against the skin.

These front panels extend from the hem to the neck and as well as being windproof are also water repellent. They stand up well to road spray and a bit of drizzle; anything heavier will get through but thanks to the fabric you do stay warm.

The front of each sleeve uses the same material, keeping your arms warm when you're riding into a headwind or if it's a bit on the chilly side. Your sides are also looked after by the same material. Basically any part of your body that's going to subjected to the winter wind is covered.

Everywhere else uses a thinner, much stretchier form of Lycra. This allows the jacket to move with you as you shift from the drops to the hoods, out of the saddle or whatever position you need to adopt. It is also there to transfer body heat away should you start to overheat and it does a decent job of that.

You get four pockets at the rear: three standard and one zipped big enough for some keys or a phone. Unfortunately they seem to be made from the same stretchy material and although nothing jettisoned out of them at any point I was constantly worrying about losing things. They are quite large and anything remotely heavy like a multi-tool just bounces about as the material stretches.

Below the pockets is a dropped tail with a silicone gripper to keep it in position. It certainly didn't move when crouched in the drops and the material proved to be a pretty good barrier against road spray.

The Raceline does a good job of keeping you warm and it's plenty thick enough to cope with freezing temperatures. If you do start to overheat it does wick okay too but I think maybe under the armpits could do with using the same material as the back panel instead of the softshell fabric. That would allow heat to escape from one of the hottest parts of your body.

Going by the size guide the Medium on test is my recommended fit but the Raceline has quite a relaxed cut for a performance jersey which does create some bunching when you're on the bike.

It may read as if I didn't like the Raceline, but that's not the case. It's a good bit of kit that is comfortable to wear and has really good build quality; it's just that there are too many little niggles for it to justify its £119.99 price tag.

The red/black and white/black colour options are good for visibility and with a size range from XS through to XXXL there should be one to fit everyone. For dry winter training miles the Altura Raceline is a good performer but its lack of breathability at the armpits and relaxed fit isn't the best choice for performance riders.

Verdict

Well made winter jacket that just struggles to justify its price tag.

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Altura Race Line Windproof Jacket

Size tested: Medium, Red/Black

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

The Raceline Windproof jacket is designed as a winter/autumn jacket by using softshell materials to trap warm air inside. It works well in cold conditions and is okay in terms of breathability.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

-Softshell front/arm panels are windproof & water repellent

-stretch panels at the rear for fit and wicking

-full length zip

-dropped tail

-three pockets plus one zipped pocket

-34" to 51" chest sizes available

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Pretty well though there were a few small niggles which took the shine off.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The warmth.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The pocket material isn't supportive enough.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? No.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 35  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Whatever needs testing or Genesis Flyer, fixed of course!  My best bike is: Kinesis T2 with full Centaur Red

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

 

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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1 comments

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lbalc | 7 years ago
1 like

As mentioned by deal catcher it is currently on sale at £35.99- massive bargain. I got it at about £54. Been using it for 2 winters now and initially it felt too warm (and I do "run hot") even at 0°c with no base layer. I figured out it was the bib tights I was wearing with the high back not letting heat out (cheap bibs not very well made: brand I will not mention). Changed bib tights to Altura Etape and realised this soft shell does the job well. I'm 5 11 and 75kg. Medium is good- on the arms tightness wise and a bit baggy on the chest. Sleeves couldbe 1-cm longer as they just reach under winter gloves. When it's got down to -2°C I have worn a full length base layer but most times from 0-3°C a short sleeve jersey is fine. 3-5 sleeveless base layer. 5-7 wear it on its own. Only main thing that lets it down a bit is the pits do get hot- so non windproof material would be better or pit zips.

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