Autumn/Winter Special: Ekoi Aerocomp Thermal Suit Review

Paul Horta-Hopkins

If you think winter riding is all club runs and cafe stops, then the Ekoi Aerocomp Thermal Suit may not be for you!

The Ekoi Aerocomp Thermal Suit is an attempt to get away from the bulky, multiple layers you would normally be riding in during the colder months. I’ve been riding around in Ekoi’s suit and found it to be comfortable, warm and with the kind of big, bold graphics that get you noticed. Not an outfit for the shrinking violets or classic wool lovers out there!

The Ekoi Aerocomp Thermal Suit, perfectly normal clothing on the bike, maybe not suitable for the pub?

Manufactured from MITI’s Lombardia fabric, the Aerocomp Thermal Suit has a smooth, satin-like outer. Inside the fabric has a soft brushed finish, helping to trap air and keep you warm. The chamois is one of Ekoi’s own and features some impressively thick padding. All zips are YKK quality and the main zip has a decent sized fob, which is easy to use with gloves.

Decent sized zip fob is easy to use with gloves. The tall collar can be a little tight

Fit on the Ekoi website is described as “Second skin look (slim fit)”. And they’re not wrong. The Aerocomp Thermal Suit leaves little to the imagination; like all skinsuits you’ll want to be in racing trim, or prepared to take a lot of leg-pulling! To give you an idea of the fit I ordered a size Medium; I’m 172cm (5’8″), weigh 64 kg(141lbs), waist 81cm (32″), chest 89cm (35″) and 79cm (31″) inside leg.

The legs have a zip closure and silicone bands to keep them in place

I found the fit to be good, with a little room for growth in the arm and leg length. You could squeeze an inch or two more on the body, before things started to get too stretched. The only tight point was the neck. The collar is nice and high and does an excellent job at keeping draughts at bay, but if I didn’t pull the top half of the suit up at the start of a ride, it began to feel constrictive after a couple of hours.

The Aerocomp boasts some impressively thick padding, making for a plush ride

The Aerocomp Thermal Suit is an excellent item for fast rides in cold weather. If you’re riding a late season sportive, time-trial, or any fast ride, then layers of thick, flapping clothing aren’t going to help. Ekoi’s Aerocomp makes you feel fast. There’s something about putting on a skinsuit that makes every ride a possible PB. I rode the Aerocomp in temperatures down to 5°C and as long as I was working, it felt warm. If you intend stopping for any length of time I would recommend taking along an extra layer.

The top of the skinsuit is a like a jacket and the bottom edge makes pee stops easier, for the boys

Features on the Ekoi Aerocomp are fairly limited and consist of a pair of rear pockets, that are fine for the usual tools, gels and a lightweight jacket. The suit has one nice feature, that will be appreciated on chilly mornings and that is the ability to take a ‘natural break’ without having to strip off! The top half isn’t joined all the way round to the bottom half of the suit. At the front is a full length zip, turning the front half into a jacket. This leaves an opening between the top of the waist and the jacket, through which a gentleman can relieve himself; very handy.

The new Ekoi Aerocomp 2 has new graphics and uses a windproof fabric

So there you have it, the Ekoi Aerocomp Thermal Suit. Perfect for fast rides when the weather is dry and chilly. I was testing the original Aerocomp Suit, but this has been updated and the new Aerocomp 2 uses a new Lombardia fabric that is windproof, making it even warmer. I’ll endeavour to get hold of the new version to see how it differs.

Ekoi

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