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review
Gilets
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BTwin Ultralight Bike Gilet 700

BTwin Ultralight Bike Gilet 700

9
by Stu Kerton
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Apr 19, 2014

5
£19.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Smart looking, great performing stowaway gilet that's hard to beat in terms of value for money
Weight: 
60g
Contact: 
www.decathlon.co.uk
How we test

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B'Twin's 700 Ultralight Gilet is my favourite bit of kit at the moment. It comes with me on virtually every ride thanks to its light weight and packability.

Ultralight is bang on as you can barely feel this gilet when it's in your hands let alone on your back. The 100% polyester fabric is very thin which keeps the weight down to just 60g for the large size. It's fully windproof and does offer a degree of water resistance against drizzle and fog.

You don't get a mesh back to disperse heat like you see on a lot of gilets but there are two armpit vents which do a pretty good job of stopping you getting too clammy.

The cut is pretty form fitting with no excess fabric flapping about in the wind. An elastic hem keeps things in place when you're on the bike. It's got a good high neck too. The full length zip is covered by a small tab to stop neck irritation.

At the rear is a neat little drawstring pocket which'll hold a phone and an energy bar. On the other hand you can stuff the gilet into it when you've finished wearing it. You can be pretty rough with the Ultralight when ramming it in there making it easier to put away while in the saddle. The whole package ends up the size of your palm and easily fits into a jersey pocket.

White is the only option but its very tastefully done with just a few small logos dotted around. Road spray washes off fine and I didn't have any issues with staining over the test period.

In use the Ultralight is amazing at keeping the wind out for such a thin fabric and the wind on your arms is more noticeable due to the fact that the BTwin is blocking it completely from your torso. The neck keeps the drafts out to front and back.

It's comfortable, moving with you well on the bike although you do get that scrunching noise that afflicts all polyester items and a large amount of static which thankfully is more noticeable when you are putting the gilet on or off.

Overall

For a penny under twenty quid the Ultralight is pretty amazing. Not only does it perform well and look smart but BTwin back it all up with a two year warranty. Looking at the construction though I don't think you're going to need it.

Verdict

Smart looking, great performing stowaway gilet that's hard to beat in terms of value for money

road.cc test report

Make and model: BTwin Ultralight Bike Gilet 700

Size tested: Large

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?

A windproof gilet that is ideal for aspects of cycling in cool and windy conditions. Both of which the Ultralight deals with very well.

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

100% polyester

windproof

water resistant

60g

S - XXL

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
9/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

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

Very well indeed, its windproof and packs down very small

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The windproofing.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The static build up.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 9/10

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,

 

BTwin Ultralight Bike Gilet 700
Btwin
Stu Kerton

Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.

With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.

He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.

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5 comments

Avatar
Flying Scot | 10 years ago
0 likes

No shame in decathlon, they do a whole range of stuff from budget to high performance and none of it is crap.

I'm a bit of a badge snob though, so I will admit to not having many of their jerseys....

Avatar
Sprool | 10 years ago
0 likes

Good to see this review, I was in Decathlon Stockport last week driving away thinking I wish I'd bought one as I had a very damp drizzly ride out last Sunday, this would have been ideal addition to the not-so-fair-weather kit.

Avatar
s_lim | 10 years ago
1 like

I like the fact that there's a bit of a love affair between Decathlon and Road.CC at the minute; they're the only ones reviewing Btwin/Aptonia, and all products invariably com back with a decent rating, echoing the experiences of many budget-conscious cyclist.

Cycling as a hobby is bloody expensive; Decathlon should be applauded for cutting prices and not quality.

(My tuppenceworth; Aptonia gels are the best I've used, Btwin series 7/9 kit is as good as anything on the market).

Avatar
JonoB replied to s_lim | 10 years ago
1 like
s_lim wrote:

I like the fact that there's a bit of a love affair between Decathlon and Road.CC at the minute; they're the only ones reviewing Btwin/Aptonia, and all products invariably com back with a decent rating, echoing the experiences of many budget-conscious cyclist.

Cycling as a hobby is bloody expensive; Decathlon should be applauded for cutting prices and not quality.

(My tuppenceworth; Aptonia gels are the best I've used, Btwin series 7/9 kit is as good as anything on the market).

I feel sometimes that Decathlon is viewed as the Aldi/Lidl/Skoda of the cycling world (some people just wouldn't be seen dead with their products). I have always liked their stuff for its value for money - having discovered Decathlon in France while on holiday years ago. As a family of keen cyclists and walkers, just about every bit of kit we own comes from Decathlon.
Many thanks to roadcc for this slight change of direction towards more budget products making cycling more inclusive rather than exclusive 4

Avatar
parksey | 10 years ago
0 likes

Having finished my last couple of rides with the sleeves on my current windproof rolled up, the timing of this review is pretty much spot on! Looks decent value too, but then BTwin stuff almost always is.

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