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Kreis CMYK Nachtschatten Regenshutz Jersey

6
£125.00

VERDICT:

6
10
A good alternative windproof jersey, but has a very narrow range of usage conditions
Weight: 
304g
Contact: 
www.kreiscycling.com/

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KREIS is essentially a company that produces designs to sit on top of the Czech made Kalas kit. I've been testing their winter jacket at the same time and was pretty impressed with it - so I was hoping for big things from the Regenshutz jersey.

Marketing this jersey as a water-resistant racing jersey puts KREIS's offering right into the firing of a certain Castelli offering known as the Gabba. I like any cycle product that challenges the trend so was eager to find out what we had in store.

On to the jersey itself. The skin tight lycra sleeves are a nice touch, and extend a good distance down my biceps which I liked a lot. I spent all of my time with trusty Underarmour base layer underneath the jersey. The baselayer you choose - if you do wear one - has to be either short sleeve or skintight otherwise it looks a bit odd protruding from the tight sleeves.

At the back, the pockets were nice and deep for storing all spares and food I would need. There is also a good flap that folds out to protect your bum a bit more from the dreaded rear wheel spray (if you ride without mudguards that is). A mild annoyance with the flap was that there is no storage pouch or pocket under the jersey to fold it away into if you don't want to use it, and it tended to flap out again a few kilometers down the road.

I also found the main zipper slightly disappointing. It was very small, and not smooth to engage, leading me to constantly feeling like it could break over a longer testing period.

With its layered, membrane construction I found the wind proofing of the jersey actually very impressive, and warmth in my core was always pretty good. But with none of that same construction on the sleeves, my arms got cold quickly. In order to stay warm you'll need to be going rather fast.

The neck of the jersey was nice and high, and again kept my core warmth in. I found this to be an odd contrast with the short sleeves. Breathability and water resistance were about as good as I expected for a jersey of this spec and price, on drizzly days it kept me relatively dry. However in much heavier rain than that - you will be getting wet.

Moving on to the design and look of the jersey, I like it. I like to stand out every once in a while and there's no doubt that this garment makes you very conspicuous. However if you like to blend into the peloton a bit, I don't think that bright purple will be for you.

As with the CMYK Nachschatten winter jacket I tested, this was a size 4 - correlating roughly to a size large in other cycling clothing. And like the jacket, the Regenshutz came up perhaps just a bit too big for me.

This is one of two bits of KRIES kit that I have had to test this Winter. And I have to admit, the Regenshutz jersey saw a bit less action than the other piece, just because it is suited to such a specific set of weather - and riding - conditions. Having said that, if you are planning on doing a lot of racing in cruddy weather or cyclocross racing, then this jersey is certainly worth a look before immediately heading down the Gabba road.

Verdict

A good alternative windproof jersey, but has a very narrow range of usage conditions

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Kreis CMYK Nachtschatten Regenshutz Jersey

Size tested: Size 4, Purple

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?

Kalas - the base design for KRIES - say:

"A revolutionary innovation in cycle wear development. Created in close-fitting cut and from water-resistant membrane material this jersey [is] designed for chilly and rainy weather [and] will ensure a maximum protection and comfort without losing any speed."

I found this to be an accurate description - but you have to be riding in pretty much those exact conditions to get the most out of the Regenschultz.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10

Generally good apart from a lack of flap to store the "bottom spray protector" (yes that is the technical term).

Rate the product for performance:
 
6/10

Performs well in the conditions described by Kalas.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

That zip didn't feel smooth. Having said that it never malfunctioned. It just never filled me with hope.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10

Plenty comfortable, if a bit of an odd feeling of tight sleeves mixed with heavier duty torso.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Expensive , yes, but if you do a lot of hard training and racing in the rain, I can see it being worth it.

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

It performed very well when going hard in rainy and cold conditions.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The wind proofing really was impressive on the torso.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The thin sleeves just felt a bit odd compared to the warmth of the rest of the jersey.

Did you enjoy using the product? While it involved getting out in the rain (not always enjoyable), it did make my wet experiences better. So yes, I suppose.

Would you consider buying the product? Not personally.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? If they raced cyclo-cross or in the wet a lot. So pretty much any racer in the UK.

Overall rating: 6/10

About the tester

Age: 21  Height: 182cm  Weight: 73kg

I usually ride: On-One Carbon Whippet Single Speed MTB/Kinesis Pro6  My best bike is: Scott CR1 Pro

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

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

 

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5 comments

Avatar
severs1966 | 9 years ago
0 likes

"Regenschutz" isn't it? Shurely?

Avatar
userfriendly replied to severs1966 | 9 years ago
0 likes
severs1966 wrote:

"Regenschutz" isn't it? Shurely?

It is, yes. But then you lot wouldn't stand a chance of even approximating a reasonably close pronunciation of it.  10  3

Avatar
nowasps | 9 years ago
0 likes

So tempting in fact, you couldn't resist.

Can we have a comprehensive list of hues fit for riders of bikes?

Avatar
Leviathan | 9 years ago
0 likes

It is always tempting to jump in early on a product review thread and say something cheap and cheeky about the appearance of an item, but the fact is most people who want performance out of a garment know that there are plenty of stylish options in the market no matter how good this performs. So when a garment fails on an immediate sartorial assessment we have a so-called 'none starter' here. Purple is fit for The Joker not cyclists.

Avatar
rjw | 9 years ago
0 likes

I've had one of these for a few months, and it was probably my most used bit of kit this spring. Pretty much perfect for cooler weather when worn with a thin sleeveless base layer, adding a pair of Castelli Nanoflex arm warmers as necessary.

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