Assos Mille GT Jacket Spring/Fall

The Assos Mille GT Jacket Spring Fall is a cracking choice for riding hard in the cooler seasons, where changeable weather is the norm. With beautifully engineered technical features, it doesn't put a foot wrong. Just be aware that it expects you to work, and keep working.

• Pros: Excellent thermal regulation – almost to a fault, technical features, warranty
• Cons: Signature Assos price

Assos of Switzerland has the tagline 'sponsor yourself'. It isn't afraid to price accordingly pro, and you pretty much get what you pay for. Anecdotally, the gear lasts and lasts – friends have Assos kit that's over a decade old, that's ridden hard year in, year out. But longevity wouldn't amount to a hill of beans if it weren't comfortable and functional to boot. Fortunately, in the Mille GT Spring Fall jacket, it's nailed both.

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The Mille GT Spring Fall is classed as a jacket, not a jersey. At the front the triple-layer high-vis chest panel (other colours are available – with a blue panel and, for £170, black-fronted) is rated at 10,000mm of water head – i.e. waterproof, and it's windproof too.

Around the stomach, shoulders and front of the arms is a thermal brushed fabric, while across the back and under the arms a lighter, non-thermal fabric aids cooling and sweat loss. There's no DWR-treatment, mind – if it's going to rain for prolonged periods you'll be needing an actual waterproof. 

Technical features abound. The full-length zip features a flap and garage at the top, the hem has a dual-stretch multi-angle design that keeps things snug when bent over, with the obligatory silicone grippers at the back, and there are reflective accents down each side.

The 1.5in cuffs are strongly elasticated to keep the long sleeves put under your gloves, and the pockets feature Assos' 'triple ramp' retention flaps.

These are a simple idea but work so well. You slide whatever – a pump, a tool roll, a phone – into the pocket, then the flap that's sewn into the jersey side goes over the top, preventing your stuff being ejected. Very simple.

Assos offers a three-month no-quibble return on any fault you may find, and a free one-year crash repair or replace policy. Just as well, because if you trash a £165 jacket on your first outing you're likely going to be more worried about your wallet than any injuries.

I reviewed the Mille GT Spring Fall in a Scottish autumn, with temperatures varying between 5 and 12 degrees, mixed wind and sun, and a bit of rain. Safe to say, 'Spring Fall' pretty much covered there. I run pretty cold, and need to keep my forearms toasty to ward off Reynaud's Syndrome in my hands when circulation shuts down no matter how thick the gloves. The Mille GT paired with a 100gsm merino long-sleeve layer did the job, so long as I kept working at 80% of max heart rate.

I could feel the fleece insulating my forearms and biceps at the same time moisture was evaporating from the rear of my arms and back. Over many hours I never felt cold, nor hot – rather, always aware my temperature was just right to push on fast. Certainly if I'd been bimbling along I'd have needed something warmer, but this appears to be Assos' market – people who want to go hard pretty much the whole ride. The totally windproof and waterproof front panel occasionally got zipped down a bit on longer climbs, but never felt sweaty, nor did the stomach area.

Pairing the Mille GT with a thin, pocketable windstop jacket over the top upped the insulation enough to comfortably ride in low single digit temperatures while maintaining breathability. Clearly overkill on the front waterproof panel, but for me keeping hands working through warm arms is critical.

I reviewed a size Medium, which was bang on for my 75kg/6ft tall/38in chest with long arms (and bang on with Assos' fit chart). The arm fit in particular was a very pleasant surprise; I'm used to cuts being an inch or two short which is definitely not what you want in a spring or autumn jacket, when you're likely to be layering long-cuffed gloves. (It's not me in the photos, by the way.)

> Buyer's Guide: 23 of the best winter cycling jackets

The £150 Endura Pro SL Thermal Windproof is of a similar ilk, not a total waterproof but good for cooler days out with a bit of a sprinkle not posing a problem. Steve did note the short arms being an issue, mind, something Assos has sorted to ensure no gaps between gloves and sleeves.

> How to dress for cycling in autumn

Yes, it's a lot of cash for a mixed-up chameleon of a product like the Mille GT Spring Fall. It's too technical/pricey to replace a single-fabric jersey, and layering under a proper 100 per cent waterproof jacket seems overkill. And if it starts to pour or gets seriously cold you'll be soaked or freezing after a while. It's best regarded as Baby Bear's porridge for the written-on-the-tin non-torrential Spring Fall season days, offering protection where it counts from rain, spray and wind while you fang along at a rate of knots among the green shoots or the falling leaves.

Verdict

Properly technical jacket for going fast in changeable conditions while remaining cool