Alé Winter Clothing Collection for 2023

The days are getting shorter and the leaves are falling, time to take a look at the Alé Winter Clothing Collection.

It seems like only yesterday we were looking at their spring/summer collection and the Alé Winter Clothing Collection has already arrived. Alé’s focus is on protection, comfort, visibility and colour. The collection consists of jerseys, bib-tights, jackets, underwear, and accessories. Alé say these will “allow cyclists to ride, with style and visibility, from the first cold spells to late winter. “

The Alé Winter Clothing Collection has been split into six families: R-EV1, KlimatikTM, PR-S, PR-E, Pragma and Offroad. We’ve listed just some of the items from each range.

R-EV1

The R-EV1 range offers the best of Alé’s textile technology available today. Within the range you’ll find technical elements, raw cut finishes, reflective details and technical Polartec fabrics. R-EV1 clothing covers all the winter essentials, from wind protection to water resistance, from thermal insulation to breathability. Some examples of the R-EV1 range are the Future Warm Jacket, – which we are reviewing – for cold winter rides in changeable conditions.

Then there is the Riparo jacket, Alé describe this as “formidably protective piece of kit“! Designed for high intensity rides in sub-zero temperatures, it uses Polartec® Alpha®. This fabric is used for its active insulation and ultra-high breathability. There’s also a DWR treatment to the outer fabric, allowing you to keep training as the rain falls. As with all the R-EV1 range the cut is a “form-following, performance-focused fit”, with “just the right amount of freedom of movement”.

The Defence jacket is more of a Spring/Autumn item of clothing. Available in a short or long-sleeved version, it’s designed to keep you warm, but not too warm, on days when the weather doesn’t know what to do! The light-weight, stretchy Polartec® Wind Block fabric is fast drying and will help keep your core warm.

KlimatikTM

Alé says the KlimatikTM range “offers the best possible protection against all types of weather”. This is the range for when you have to ride and the weather’s not great. The description goes on to say “this highly technical line offers a real protective shield against wind and rain, guaranteeing thermal insulation and breathability”.

While the K-Tornado 2.0 fits like a jersey, it offers the same protection as a heavier jacket. It has a three layer EVENT fabric and a full DWR treatment. Despite it’s light weight it offers “excellent thermal insulation even in wet conditions.” This could make it more of a ‘long-season’ item, something you could use autumn to spring. It’s also used on the World Tour by Groupama FDJ and Team Bahrain Victorious.

New to the KlimatikTM range is the Thunderstorm Jacket. With a name like that you won’t be surprised to hear that it’s designed for extreme rain and wind. Constructed from Event DVstorm with heat-taped seams and DWR treatment, Alé say it ensures “total waterproofness.” With stretch-mapping at strategic points the fit should be good. “This shell is Team Bahrain Victorious’ ally for the most adverse days.”

PR-S

The PR-S range is derived directly from collaborations with Alé’s World Tour teams. You get high performance kit, with some Alé style! Ideal for any type of riding or racing, you’ll find body-mapping fit, an aerodynamic cut, breathability and protective features in PR-S.

The men’s Link and women’s Web jacket are for training on very cold or windy days. The Event DVstretch Exagon membrane on the front of the jacket protects you from the cold. Meanwhile the inner thermal fabric, which has a 3D hexagonal structure, moves moisture away from your skin. The Web jacket has an extra inner ‘bodice’ that allows you to fine-tune your temperature when riding.

PR-E

PRE-E stands for Pro Racing Experience. This range has a “mix of creativity and technical solutions” and is for “cyclists who in addition to technicality seek colour, fantasy and style.” Some of the range also uses recycled yarn in the fabrics, something we are seeing more of.

The men’s Web sits in the PR-E range, unlike the women’s. While it has a Windtex membrane in its three layer make up and a hydrophilic fleece inner layer: it lacks the DWR treatment of the women’s Web jacket. This makes for a warm, windproof jacket for cold, dry conditions.

The women’s Byte jersey is similar to the men’s Web jacket in that it combines a WIndtex front with a fleece inner. The inner fleece has a wave like structure that helps trap your body heat for those cold winter rides.

Pragma

The Pragma range include smart, hard-wearing items, that can be worn in a wide range of temperatures and for any type of cycling. The Fondo 2.0 and Fondo Plus jackets are both thermal and windproof. Designed for high-intensity training in sub-zero temperatures, they both use three layer W-Wind 3L Soft 330 with a Windtex membrane. Again Alé’s body mapping cut creates a fit that improves breathability and performance

Offroad

The Offroad range is dedicated to gravel and Mtb; it’s functional, comfortable, and protective. New to the range is the Cargo vest, which is described as a “versatile, urban-style waistcoat”. The front and back panels are made of a Primaloft thermal wadding, this retains body heat even when damp. The bottom part of the vest is made from a windproof bonded fabric. Using this fabric reduces its bulk, useful when in the drops. The vest is given a DWR treatment, which will help shrug off any light rain and it has rear cargo pockets.

We’ll see if we can get some of the Alé Winter Clothing Collection and try them out on our Sussex roads as the evenings draw in. Look out for future reviews and head over to the Alé website to see more.