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Altura Podium Elite Thermo Long Sleeve Jersey

8
£79.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Well-designed and well-made three-season jersey with a sensible price tag
Weight: 
365g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Altura Podium Elite Thermo Long Sleeve Jersey is one of the warmest non-windproof tops I've worn, and thanks to a close race fit it's the perfect companion for those hard cool-weather training rides and early/late season sportives.

The Elite Thermo is great for those rides where it's a bit parky but you don't really need the full monty of a waterproof or windproof jacket – early morning/late evening jaunts at this time of year, or those crisp, still days of autumn and winter.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The whole jersey is fleece-lined, which traps body heat and keeps you warm, while the front panels and top of the arms use a slightly thicker material, giving a bit of protection from road spray and light drizzle as well as helping to keep cold air out.

Altura Podium Elite Thermo Long sleeve Jersey - hem.jpg

It's all very similar to the Altura Podium Elite Thermo Shield Jacket I recently reviewed, but a lightweight version – as in, it doesn't quite offer the same protection as the windproof jacket.

The rear panels are thinner, which allows body heat to escape, and it all works pretty well because you can work hard without being overcome with perspiration.

Altura Podium Elite Thermo Long sleeve Jersey - back.jpg

The jersey is probably best suited to temperatures from, say, 2-3°C up to about 12 or so, which is a pretty good range.

The fit is great, close to the chest and stomach without being full racer tight, and the size chart on Altura's website is a good representation of what you'll get. A dropped tail gives plenty of lower back protection when crouched in the drops, and the front is also curved upwards towards the zip to prevent bunching at the midriff.

Altura Podium Elite Thermo Long sleeve Jersey - riding.jpg

Decent length sleeves don't bunch or feel like they are being pulled tight when riding in various positions, plus the narrow cuffs will easily fit inside a pair of winter gloves.

Round the back you'll find a total of six pockets, where three are in the traditional position with one extra either side. They are all a decent depth and hold things like a mini-pump securely. That's only five... Aha, but on the rear of the centre pocket you'll find a zipped valuables holder, ideal for the likes of some cash or a bank card and all but the largest of phones.

Altura Podium Elite Thermo Long sleeve Jersey - pocket.jpg
Altura Podium Elite Thermo Long sleeve Jersey - sid epockets.jpg

Price-wise, at £79.99 it compares well with the competition – it's £20 cheaper than this £100 offering from Chapeau, though pricier than the high scoring Pearl Izumi Elite Thermal. (Though there is a much cheaper option in BTwin's £29.99 LS jersey.)

> Buyer's Guide: The best summer cycling jerseys

I'd still recommend the Altura: as an all-round package it is very good, especially when you take into account the construction and overall feel.

Verdict

Well-designed and well-made three-season jersey with a sensible price tag

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Altura Podium Elite Thermo Long Sleeve Jersey

Size tested: Medium

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?

Altura says: "Comfort, performance and styling combined in this aggressive thermal jersey."

A well-thought-out design with material that it is versatile enough to be used throughout autumn, winter and spring.

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

*Altura Thermo™ technology using thermosuede fabrics delivers body warming insulation and warmth, to maintain core thermoregulation, keeping you warm, dry and comfortable

*Altura ErgoFit™ 3D patterning engineered for a more comfortable riding position

* 5 rear pockets with an additional zippered pocket

* Integrated silicon grip detailing delivers enhanced fit

* Strategically located retroreflective trims for increased visibility

* Internal media port

* Spray protection back pocket

* Fitted

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
8/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
8/10

The sizing was bang on in relation to the chart.

Rate the product for weight:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

The Thermo jersey saw a lot of off-road action on dirty, wet gravel tracks but the high-vis yellow panels washed up each time without staining.

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

The jersey covers a lot of conditions: cold winter days, fresh, chilly mornings and prolonged drizzle.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The racy fit.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

I'd prefer a few more yellow panels on the rear.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

The Thermo jersey is a really decent bit of kit in terms of the fit, the material choice and the way it looks, and 80 quid is a pretty decent price for the amount of use you'll get out of it each year.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 38  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: Kinesis Aithien

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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