Test from the winter outfit Sportful Fiandre Warm Jacket and Fiandre Bibtight

Sportful offers a wide range of products, including clothing designed to cope with harsh conditions, such as those in the Fiandre category (like Flanders, to set the tone…). And within this category, the brand distinguishes several jackets and tights intended for different climatic conditions. The Fiandre Warm Jacket and the Fiandre Bibtight tights are designed for cold and wet conditions, such as we can experience in the heart of winter in our latitudes. Our opinion after several hundred kilometers of test intensive.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©3bikes.fr

Even though our winters are generally milder than in previous decades, there are still periods with several consecutive days of difficult conditions, whether with dry cold and temperatures felt around -3 to -5°, or with more humid conditions around 2 to 5° (below, you have to get your skis out). Riding in these conditions is never easy, but clothing has evolved significantly over the last ten years and for most manufacturers. Sportful is one of the leading brands in the field, often at the forefront when it comes to launching clothing with new materials. Let us recall that the brand was born in the heart of the Dolomites, and that it first distinguished itself in Nordic skiing before becoming a reference in cycling.

A jacket with Gore-Tex Infinium

The Fiandre Warm Jacket is designed with Gore-Tex Infinium technology, a completely windproof and particularly water-resistant fabric. To ensure protection and breathability, Sportful has worked on the cut of the jacket, with a slightly lighter fabric and an opening in the back, as well as with vents on the front, which can be adapted with an easily accessible zip, to close completely or allow completely or partially an additional air intake. The collar rises high to limit the infiltration of cold air, and the sleeves are long enough to be superimposed with long gloves. Note that on the back part of the collar, there is a small additional collar with a thinner fabric and more adaptable to the folds, intended to follow the natural movements of the neck and to avoid again the unpleasant infiltrations likely to propagate along the spine.

As for the fit, we are on something in between the jacket Total Comfort, And the Fiandre Pro, much more fitted, but which is not designed to support an additional layer between the underwear and the jacket. With the Fiandre Warm, it is possible to ride sportily down to -2 or -3° with only a long-sleeved technical undergarment, but those who are more sensitive to the cold will have room to add an additional jersey. We specify "technical underwear" because with this type of jacket in the event of temperature variations - a long climb or a spell in the sun - you always sweat a little. The advantagetagand technical underwear means that moisture will be wicked away very quickly, which will prevent you from getting cold on the next descent or if conditions get dark.

The Fiandre Warm jacket is available in six sizes and six colours, and those who don't like black will be served with a fluorescent yellow option and four options with modern and relatively visible colors, such as this "natural leather" color model. The jacket has discreet reflective logos on the chest and the middle of the back pockets, as well as the traditional red stripe common to the entire Fiandre range. It is sold between €149 and €239 depending on the various promotions found directly on the Sportful website.

A lined tights

As for the Fiandre Bibtight tights, the Italian brand has adopted the Polartech Neoshell membrane on certain parts (on the calves and up to the knees) to ensure moisture protection that remains stretchy. On the thighs, a thicker fabric with a water-repellent treatment helps to cope with showers. At the knees, there is a thinner fabric to facilitate movement, but with a Polartech lining, which offers great protection without affecting the quality of pedaling. On the other hand, there are some folds, more unsightly than really annoying.

A thinner fabric is preferred on the upper part, to ensure a comfortable layering of the back and straps, and even the belt with underwear and a jacket. At the bottom of the leg, there is an opening with a waterproof zip, which allows the tights to be placed over the shoe covers, so as to limit water entry on the feet at the ankles.

The synthetic insert, finally, is the TC Pro from Sportful, a fairly thick base with high-density honeycomb foam on the back of the seat, medium density on the front, and low density on the sides. This is a high-end model that allows you to stay in the saddle for long hours while limiting friction. The Fiandre Bibtight tights are the most technical and most expensive model in the Sportful range, sold for €189,90.

With this outfit, we are on a very high level of protection, not excessively aerodynamic as we have seen, but technical enough to tackle training sessions in truly wintery conditions, and without the need to overload yourself with extra layers.

On route, cold and humidity are repelled

Testated down to -2° with fog and humidity, the Sportful outfit did not disappoint in terms of protection against the elements. We were also able to venture out in slightly milder temperatures but with some freezing showers, to see how relatively waterproof the jacket is.

The fabric holds up well to showers, and you don't feel water seeping directly through the sleeves, front or back. It is only after several dozen minutes that the water finally seeps in, but rather by streaming down the neck, or by contact of the gloves on the bottom of the sleeves, and especially of the tights, at the kidneys. However, the very fine and stretchy fabric of the back of the tights and the straps is also very insulating. It does not soak up water, and so you do not feel completely soaked even if your buttocks are. The tights are water-repellent at the thighs, but there again, you end up getting wet in pouring rain. The fact remains that The windproof fabric greatly limits the feeling of wind chill, even when wet.

Overall, the Sportful Fiandre Warm/Bibtight is more comfortable in dry conditions, but when conditions deteriorate it really delivers, at least compared to anything else of its type on the market. Ideally, the jacket ensures royal comfort at a temperature of 3° without rain, providing just the right amount of protection against the cold, without causing overheating during exercise, and without giving you the impression of not being able to breathe. Below 0°, however, you will feel a slight coolness along your back or at shoulder level if you tend to drag yourself around. routeBasically, it encourages you to ride a little briskly so as not to get cold.

As for the tights, they obviously offer many technical aspects related to protection and comfort on the saddle. The wind protection at thigh level is very noticeable, but on the other hand the fabric is thick and slightly restrictive. You feel less free when pedaling than with thinner tights. This is therefore not the model we would choose for the most intense sessions, while the Fiandre Warm jacket allows you to train effectively when the thermometer displays between 0 and 5°.

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