off-road.cc

Sweden's VOID is one of many brands now aiming to combine style and function in high-performance cycling wear and their Armour Jersey strikes a balance between protection from the elements and breathability for the colder months. It's expensive but versatile and works well.

• Review: VOID Cycling Armour Bib Shorts
• Buyer's Guide to Winter Kit
• Five tips to make winter cycling easier

The jersey provides excellent protection without letting you overheat or get overly clammy inside. Coming from me, this means quite a lot as I usually hate membrane based fabrics – this uses a 190 gsm main fabric with a microporous membrane (similar to Windstopper) – as I find they simply can’t deal with the amount of sweat I produce.

Underarm venting stops you getting sweaty

This is no doubt helped by the mesh underarm panels that help vent excess heat and of course you can regulate your warmth with the full-length zipper. The fabric is also water-resistant enough not to require a waterproof in all but the worst conditions.

As far as cold weather riding gear goes this is excellent. It will see you through most conditions you will encounter, and provides a very versatile “action layer.” The fact that it blocks out wind completely means I have been wearing just a Brynje vest and long-sleeve base layer underneath. I might also add a gilet outside on some days.

Windproof material provides good protection from the elements

Whilst I did find I cooled down quickly when stopped, it’s not too much effort to add an extra layer. It has met its limits in freezing cold, blasting Scottish winds – but then I’m not hugely surprised about that. A thin material like this is never going to provide a huge deal of insulation and depends on the heat you generate when moving to keep you warm.

The standard three pockets at the back are very deep which means you can stuff them and be sure that things will be held securely. My only gripe is that they can be a little hard to get into sometimes – a slightly looser opening would help. The zipped pocket is nice to have for valuables and though I have used the earphone hole in the right pocket it would be nice if the pocket was backed with a more waterproof material as my phone seems to get a bit sweaty when kept in it.

Deep pockets hold things securely

Construction on this jersey is impeccable, though in typical fashion I did manage to crash spectacularly on my first outing and put a hole in the elbow. Whilst I’ve been testing the rather understated black colours, there’s also a rather louder 'Sunset' colour that should make you more visible on the winter roads.

At £135 pricing is high but this is a high-quality garment with a well thought out design and performance to match. I have been wearing the Armour kit on a very regular basis finding it incredibly comfortable and versatile for my winter riding.

You might also like:

• Review: Lapierre XR 729 - confidently handling cross-country race full sus machine
• Five mountain biking myths that just aren't true