A few months back Twin Six was kind enough to send me some of their winter apparel for review. I’ve been using their summer gear for months now and love it–I even bought some more of the stuff with my own dough. I was excited to try some real winter cycling clothes instead of my usual just-add-arm-and-leg-warmers method of winter dress.
The Deluxe Long Sleeve Jersey ($90 MSRP)
The Deluxe is Twin Six’s standard-issue, no-fills long sleeve jersey. The jersey is black and grey and features a full length zipper, three pockets on the back, and is made in the USA from ‘fleeced fabric’. What does that mean? It means it’s soft and fuzzy on the inside, which is nice.
I’ll be honest–I’m not a long sleeve jersey fan in general. Nothing against them, it’s just that I’m really hot natured and where I live it’s rarely cold enough for me to want long sleeves. That’s partly why it’s taken me so long to get this review written: most of my time spent in this jersey has been cold morning commutes on the road bike, or cold night rides, when it’s too dark to get a decent picture of a black and grey jersey. I finally got to wear it in the daylight at the February edition of the Snake, where temperatures never rose above freezing and we were snowed, sleeted, and rained on. I really only got cold on the long descents, which is pretty amazing considering that I wasn’t wearing anything other than the jersey and bibs (no base layer or outer layers).
I really like this jersey. The sleeves fit me just right; loose enough to easily move around, not so loose they’re flapping in the breeze. The fabric is warm, but it is also very breatheable. Just like the other Twin Six jerseys I’ve worn, the pockets are deep enough to hold long objects (like a mini pump) even when bouncing down a rough trail.
Thermal Bib Knickers ($115 MSRP)
The Twin Six Thermal Bib Knickers are 3/4 length bib shorts that feature a fleeced fabric similar to the Deluxe jersey. The fleece lining is used throughout the shorts; even the straps are lined. Second only to my wind and waterproof winter shoes, the bib knickers are my favorite piece of winter cycling clothing that I own. Any time temperatures drop below 60°F I wear them–they’re never too hot, and I haven’t gotten cold in them yet either. I much prefer the 3/4 length bibs to wearing regular shorts and knee warmers. There is no elastic band on my thigh, and no worries about them sagging or bunching up. They use the same high quality, super comfortable chamois as the regular Twin Six bibs.
The bad news? Looks like they’ve already sold out of this season’s production run as they’re no longer listed on the Twin Six website. But, some dealers may still have them, and if you can find them, I HIGHLY recommend them. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait ’til next year.
Special thanks to Twin Six for providing the jersey and bibs for review, and Regularjoe Photography for the picture.
