Winter cycling clothing: What winter jackets and trousers for road and gravel bikes need to be able to do

Regardless of brand and price, there are a lot of details to look out for in both jackets and trousers. We have taken a look at the current generation of cycling clothing from manufacturers and show you the most important details from head (collar) to toe (trouser leg cuffs).

The collar

The collar of a winter jacket should be cut as high as possible and fit snugly around the neck, providing an effective barrier against draughts without rubbing the neck. How the zip is positioned at the top is also important. Most manufacturers offer two solutions here: Either the zip is hidden in a small fabric grommet (zip garage) or it is padded against chafing at the neck with a backed fabric panel.

The sleeves

The width, length and shape of the cuffs are crucial for the sleeves. They should cover the wrists at full length and fit as tightly as possible to protect against cold draughts. Soft cuffs improve comfort. Particularly clever are asymmetrically shaped cuffs that are longer on the outside than on the inside and thus optimally cover the wrists even when the hand is stretched out at the brake levers. If you have strong arms that fill the sleeves completely, you should choose a size larger, as the lack of an insulating layer of air means that body heat is released more quickly.

The back pockets

When it comes to back pockets, it's not just the size that matters, but also the handling. Two factors are decisive here: firstly, the openings should be large enough so that the pockets can be easily loaded and unloaded even with large hands and gloves. Secondly, it depends on how high the bags are positioned. If they are positioned very high, it is difficult to reach them by hand during the journey. The elasticity of the bag material is also important. Very tight material holds the contents of the bag very well, but offers less volume with the same external dimensions. If you want to transport a lot, you should pay attention to this. Small pockets with zips for items such as house keys or smartphones are clever.

The Confederation

The waistband of a jacket plays a supporting, or rather, a holding role. It has the demanding task of keeping the jacket under tension so that it doesn't slide up a little with every turn of the pedals. The waistband has to fulfil this task both with loaded and unloaded pockets. To achieve this, the waistband should be as wide as possible - especially at the back - and equipped with an adhesive gel print. In addition, the back section must be long enough to sufficiently cover the bum when the cyclist is bent over. With very short-cut jackets, even a perfectly made waistband will not work.

The braces

Braces should keep the trousers tight, but not too tight, just tight enough so that the trousers do not slip and the pad is always held in position. It is important that the entire width of the braces rests on the trousers without cutting into the flesh, pinching or rolling up. Models made from monoelastic material that is around five centimetres wide do this best. Where they end at the front is not so important, but at the back their panels should divide on the left and right just below the neck and run centrally over the shoulders. For women, there are special mono straps, for example from Assos, which run centrally at the front and are connected to the so-called trouser box with a clip fastener and therefore do not press on the chest. An alternative to the classic trousers with straps is the strapless waistband trousers, which, however, hold the trousers in place less well and do not keep the kidneys warm.

Knees and final waistband

Cycling shorts with seamless trouser legs fit best around the legs. However, this only works if the trousers are made from a single elasticated material and are not equipped with a windproof or water-repellent membrane. This is not the case with the example trousers shown here. So if you can't do without seams, it's worth taking a closer look at the seams.

Take the knee area, for example: there should be no seams in the area of the kneecap and the hollow of the knee, as this is where the movement takes place and chafing is most likely to occur. Bulging seams in the seat pad area are also annoying, especially those on the inside. Seams in the lower leg area are usually unproblematic and are only annoying if winter shoes with a high shaft are worn. Zips at the leg ends make it easier to put the trousers on, but can also rub in the shoe shaft. If you have the opportunity, you should try out your favourite combination of shoes and trousers before you buy.