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11 comments
I have a pair of Rapha Pro Team that whilst not waterproof are very good in the cold. I bought them in their Archive Sale. They are listed as water repellent and I think are DWR treated, which worked for a while, but in a downpour you'll get wet, but should stay warm. I suspect it may be the same for Castelli Nano, Sportful NoRain, etc. And if someone tells me that they are better I'll buy some immediately. Was thinking of getting the Assos 3/4 Sturmbahnfuhrer leggings as I ride a lot in winter...
Morvelo Stormshield 3/4s have been good for me. The only thing that annoys slightly is the elasticated cuff on my calf is not treated with a water resistant treatment so that ends up a bit cold and wet when the rest is warm and drier.
I'd treat myself to full length tights but I generally prefer tights with no pads worn over bibshorts and Morvelo only does tights with pads.
I've been using Castelli Nanoflex tights for a few years and been very pleased with them.
I found the Sportful ones really long in the leg - to the point of keeping my toes warm!
Look. You can't make a mistake with Assos or Castelli, albeit at a price. Look at what is discounted. I always start with the rough estimate how much I want to pay and then seek for my usual suspects: Assos (eBay or Swissiconic), Morvelo, Isadore, Castelli, Stolen Goat and this always gets benchmarked to DHB stuff (which is generally pretty damn good), depending what is discounted at a daily level (sometimes).
Good option could even be investing in good leg warmers (Castelli and Assos) and use your bibs (this is what I've done).
I'm going to go against the grain slightly here and say that I did not find the Sportful Fiandre bibs to be particularly good. The stitching around the crotch failed after a few months and I never got on with the grippy bits around the bottom of the legs which made them a pain to put on.
For the depths of a harsh Scottish winter last year, I bought the Lusso 2-Zero Repel Thermal bibs which I paired with Castelli nanoflex leg warmers. That combination got me through one of the worst winters on record and Lusso regularly get good reviews on here and other websites for both quality and value.
This year I've also added a pair of Castelli Omloop bibs which are slightly longer in the leg (I'm a smidge over 6 feet and they come to just above the knee) and are made of a similar nanoflex material to the leg warmers. I've had them on a couple of times because morning temperatures have already dipped towards zero and they've been great.
If this winter looks to be as bad as last year then I think I'd probably invest in a pair of Lusso longs and ditch the bibs plus leg warmers approach. Good quality, decent value and British made.
I was after some of Stolen Goat's Orkaan tights but they've sold out of the core sizes. I've got one of their Orkaan jerseys and Sportful Fiandre armwarmers - the former are still really water resistant (I wouldn't say fully waterproof) after several years, but the Sportful things were a pale imitation from the start. If it's tipping down, I'll wear a waterproof. Otherwise, just the Stolen Goat stuff. It's not fully windproof either, which suits me as I overheat in windproof Castelli Gabba/Perfetto. To hedge my bets, I sometimes take a pertex jacket which does keep the wind out and helps keep the rain out some more, so I end up with a mostly dry torso and wettish arms. Stolen Goat tights for me when they get some more in stock.
You want a tight with some sort of DWR (durable water repellency) treatment such as Sportful's NoRain or Castelli's Nano Flex. They'll provide a decent level of water resistance and will keep you drier longer than regular tights.
These look pretty good for the money https://road.cc/content/review/172392-funkier-s-984w-winter-aqua-repelle...
And I'm a fan of the Sportful NoRain tights, which have just been updated this winter (review coming soon) https://road.cc/content/review/169787-sportful-fiandre-norain-bibtights
The Assos LL.MILLETIGHTS_S7 tights are very good and have a water-resistant treatment, but they are very pricey. Depends what your budget is really. (Remember that GCN is paid to say nice things about its brand sponsors...)
The Sportfu NoRain do look pretty good so I'll look forward to the review.
This was while he was working at Cycling Weekly although no doubt there may be a similar conflict of interest as you've pointed out. See below
https://youtu.be/_yTnkZO6SI8
Stolen Goat, although it looks like they might have changed the material they use since I bought mine a couple of years back.
Castelli sorpasso. Not water resistant, but still warm even when wet, and an excellent pad. I’ve ridden in them comfortably through winter for a few years now.
I've absolutely loved my Sportful Fiandre No Rain Bibs. The water repelency has started to fade a touch with ages, but then when caught in the rain in 'normal' bibs, it makes a remarkable difference. Warm, windproof and with a comfy pad (for me anyway).
Mine are the version that had the extra layer over the arse/lower back which really made a difference in avoiding soggy chamois in bad weather. Looking at the new versions its difficult to tell whether this is still a feature. The Pro versions with the extra insulation/windproofing on the knees is definately worth it tho as this is closest to the originals.