Howies

The Howies Brenin jacket has left me somewhat torn. Objectively £100 is a lot to pay for a featherweight polyester shell that feels as if it will rip come the first skirmish with a vindictive bramble. On the flip side, it's been the most comfortable jacket I've ever used, with superb moisture management that keeps tempo with increasingly spirited efforts.

Designed to be a do-it-all backpack for commuters and leisure cyclists, the Roadsign bag from Howies isn't intended as an all-singing, all-dancing technical rucksack. It looks good and it serves a purpose, while adhering to Howies cool image at the same time.

This 100% merino wool base layer provides loads of natural warmth and it's environmentally sound too.

The Jethro is made from 215g Zque (see below) merino which is a fairly heavyweight for a base layer. To give that some context, Howies' NBL Classic base layer is 190g while the NBL Light that we reviewed recently is 150g.

This merino wool base layer from Howies provides plenty of warmth and comfort when worn underneath a long-sleeve jersey for winter riding, or under a short-sleeve jersey in milder conditions.

The NBL Light is made from 100% merino that, as the name suggests, is pretty lightweight; it's 150g/m2 whereas Howies' NBL Classic is 190g if you want more insulation. This NBL Light will still keep you warm in cold winter weather, the fibres holding a whole lot of heat around your body.