Test of a winter outfit Alé

With this winter set consisting of the K-Tour tights and the Riparo jacket, accompanied by the Blizzard gloves, Alé offers an outfit capable of withstanding a harsh winter while pedaling in the best possible comfort.
Here is the verdict after outings carried out under different weather conditions.

Text: Olivier Dulaurent – ​​Photos: 3bikes.fr, Alé Cycling

Alé is not the most well-known of textile brands and yet, this Italian structure offers a range of quality, varied, classy and technical. It supplies in particular the outfits of the professional team Bahrain Victorius.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the brand's beginnings date back more than 30 years and Alé highlights its bias towards the feminine side of its history with its presence in several women's teams, the fact of having been among the precursors to take into account the morphology of women and finally having 90% women among its employees.

Regarding le test Here, the goal was to come up with an outfit that was truly versatile for winter, that is to say, one that would work for a wide range of temperatures and intensities. For this, the Riparo jacket equipped with a windproof membrane and the famous Polartec Alpha (vaguely resembling synthetic sheep's wool) was selected.

Riparo Jacket

Alé announces that the Riparo jacket has been designed to keep the body warm during high-intensity outings in negative temperatures or strong winds. Insulating and breathable, the Riparo jacket – or “shelter” in Italian – would thus be the best choice for high-intensity outings, intervals in varied conditions, climbs, descents, low temperatures and changing conditions. With its internal material in Polartec Alpha, this thermoregulating fabric known for its insulation and high breathability, it must accompany the cyclist as the effort intensifies.

Designed to actively insulate, Polartec Alpha combines the ability to regulate body temperature by trapping heat against a hydrophobic exterior, meaning it releases excess body heat and moisture and dries quickly before the rider feels clammy.

On the outside, a windproof fabric treated with a durable water-repellent finish provides protection from the elements.

Note that the cut is intended to be close to the body and a little originality, the zipped pocket is located on the chest and not at the back. The pockets are deliberately deep, to take everything you need this season. Available in two colors, the black jacket here testFortunately, it offers reflective details to be more visible at a time of year that is sometimes complicated in this regard.

K-Tour Tights
These tights, both thermal (fleece brushed) and elastic, are designed for riding on potentially wet days in a not-too-harsh winter. The cut is ergonomic and should therefore adapt to the body like a second skin. The front and back sections are structured to adhere to the body during the ride. The DWR treatment protects against light rain and splashes of the route while maintaining good breathability.

Blizzard Gloves
These gloves are made with a three-layer waterproof fabric (specific to Alé) as well as thermal padding and a soft fleece lining, making it suitable for cold and wet conditions. To better grip the handlebar while allowing optimal compatibility with smartphones, the gloves have a palm made of suede-like material. In addition, the reworked fit and reduced seams have been designed to prevent rain from penetrating. They have a soft Velcro closure on the wrist, suede loops also for easy removal and reflective inserts for better visibility on the back of the hand.

On route

From the first turns of the wheels, The overall comfort of the K-Tour tights is felt and is particularly appreciable. There is no excess material, no area on the legs that "pulls" or chamois leather that is not in contact with the perineum: all these characteristics, which seem obvious for quality tights, are not always present. Here, the different panels play their role to the full to better "marry" the contours of the legs.

Over the kilometers, while praising the points mentioned above, It is the comfort of the seat that is felt, even on longer outings, up to 4 hours and more. In terms of the feeling of the different winter temperatures, starting at around 4-5°C, the start of the outing seems to indicate a slight sensation of excessive cold on the thighs, but this returns to normal after a few kilometers.

However, For cyclists who are particularly sensitive to the cold in this area, it would be preferable to opt for a model with a membrane on the front of the tights. At Alé, the Clima Warm Plus model with its windproof membrane seems ideal for this (but it has not been teste). In the face of a rain shower, the K-Tour tights meet their specifications without the cyclist feeling too cold, but in the event of high intensity, this is insufficient (but this is not the specifications) as testand during a memorable outing.

When putting on the Riparo jacket, she seems to show first of all a slight sensation of lack of flexibility at the shoulders, standing straight, almost making one believe that it would have been necessary testan extra size (size M, for 1m90 / 72 kg). But this is especially noticeable before getting on the bike. Once in the cycling position, everything falls back into place, although users with a very athletic upper body would be encouraged to take a size larger than usual.

On the feeling while riding, and for a person who is neither particularly chilly nor particularly resistant to the cold, 5 or 6°C is certainly the upper limit of optimal use of the jacket. Indeed, the Polartec Alpha material combined with a windproof membrane on the front plays its role to the full here. Including from the first minutes when this phase – which corresponds to the warm-up – sometimes requires being a little cool to be comfortable for the rest of the outing. The jacket is therefore very effective and comfortable to combat any type of temperature, down to -3°C without any worries. (not test(and below this temperature) with a simple long-sleeved underlayer.

Corollary of this resistance to cold, It is important not to wear layers underneath the jacket, as this could limit its ability to wick away perspiration. So, thermal underwear (but no more!) will suffice because very quickly, the cyclist will have the sensation of pedaling in a cocoon that his energy expenditure is enough to heat.

This leads to specifying that for dry, milder weather (from 5/6°C and a fortiori beyond) and a very high intensity of the outing, the jacket is almost too hot and then the evacuation of sweat is no longer optimal. It is for this reason that on the one hand, it is especially important not to "exaggerate" in the choice of the underlayer and on the other hand, it is necessary to keep the use of the jacket to really cold conditions. Therefore, it is for demanding and variable weather conditions (wind, even alternating rain and dry weather) associated with medium to high intensity that the jacket is most effective.

In use, the large pockets are very appreciable, with enough space to take a real raincoat, an extra pair of gloves without forgetting the supplies and the inevitable smartphone (which even fits in the pocket on the chest).

As for the gloves, they offer a particularly well-made cut, and they fit normally. They are very cold hardy and ideally chosen for temperatures ranging from -3°C or lower (depending on its level of cold resistance) to 5°C (but not beyond). They are resistant to downpours and even to more intense rain.

The feeling of comfort provided in the fairly intense cold is therefore excellent. This can cause a good sweating in the hands. A technique that I usually use to do intensities while avoiding excessively wetting the gloves - and prolonging their effectiveness against the cold - is to remove them during a fast climb or a section with significant commitment. In these conditions, the gloves have found their limits. Indeed, no problem taking them off but when putting them back on, the thermal fabric becomes too detached from the membrane and tends to move, a phenomenon largely accentuated by the fact that the gloves tend to become impregnated with a slight humidity due to the effort. It then becomes very complicated to put them back on.
The solution was found: you must not remove your gloves during the outing, which in my case means keeping them on for sessions actually carried out in the cold.

Ultimately
The Alé outfit is characterized by its very distinctive aesthetic and classy side. It also proves to be particularly comfortable for riding in the cold. In terms of efficiency, it seems that the ideal operating window for the shorts is for higher temperatures than that of the jacket and gloves. To talk about temperature range, the tights are ideal for 5 to 12°C while the jacket and gloves have proven their efficiency below 5°C. Beyond that, you should reserve the use of these two products for quieter sessions… or wear another set.

But when the thermometer drops really low, The Riparo jacket shines with its resistance to the cold, imbuing the cyclist with a comfortable bubble. You will simply have to agree to pay the high price for this product, while the tights are more reasonable in this respect.

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