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soukesports graphene l/s fleece jersey, lightweight windproof gilet, winter bibtights and padded winter gloves
time was when scarcely a week passed without yet another cycle clothing company appearing on the metaphorical shop floor. and though at the crossover of the last two decades, cycling in the uk had acquired a popularity and profile not seen since the late 19th century, it would have been hard to deny that it remained a distinctly minority sport. it is still the same today, though it's likely that the minority has grown just a tad in the interim. since those halcyon days of yore, several of those apparel purveyors have gone the way of the dodo. some of them undoubtedly deserved their fate; many were copyists, some were simply attempting to jump on the bandwagon; only the tough survived.
the big boys were never going anywhere: assos, rapha, castelli, santini, endura etc., i will spare the departed any further embarrassment. yet it seems there are still those who view the cycling market as an opportunity, not necessarily to displace any of the foregoing, but perhaps to join the merry throng. china-based souke sports are one amongst the few, a marque featured on the post almost exactly one year ago. those previous offerings were well made, but perhaps slightly misdirected when it came to seasonal appropriateness, so i was more than willing to take a second look at this winter's offerings, recently sent from china.
this time around i received a maroon, fleece-lined, graphene, long-sleeve jersey, a contrasting, yet complementary lightweight gilet, a pair of fleece-lined bibtights and a pair of water-resistant winter gloves.
according to souke, the construction of the jersey does, in fact, include 26% graphene, ostensibly allied with the fleece lining to offer enhanced thermal insulation. not a property i was aware graphene provided, though the souke website also states that graphene has important anti-bacterial properties. with this jersey, i was impressed in a way i wasn't expecting; i had intimated to souke that a medium size would be the most appropriate, but i was sent a size small. and though it proved an exactingly close fit, it did actually fit in a way that others would describe as race-fit. sadly, that's rarely a description often applied to yours truly, but the jersey fitted more comfortably than expected.
the sleeves were immaculately adjudged for length, and the jersey's fleecy constitution made for insulated comfort and joy. the usual three rear pockets comfortably swallowed all that i stuffed within them. they're augmented by a fourth, zipped security pocket. if i have a criticism, it's that the collar could have been a smidgeon taller for an autumn/winter garment.
over the course of my bike rides, even though we're in the midst of an uncommonly mild hebridean autumn, the jersey's breathability was most welcome, as was the comfort provided by what i had presupposed was a jersey too small (i'm 5'10" with a 38" chest. if you prefer a more relaxed fit, i'd suggest upsizing.)
the bibtights (also size small) were a superb fit, aided and abetted by ankle zips, something seen less and less these days, but a factor that eases both fitting and removing. they include a wide, reflective hem, along with thigh mounted souke logos. the bibs are of a mesh construction and the internal pad, which felt a smidgeon bulky when first worn, transformed into that mythical magic carpet ride in the saddle. these are every bit as good as anything on the market today.
the fly in the ointment, so to speak, was the lightweight gilet which i had chosen in orange in order to improve my visibility on grey islay days. not only does this garment include three, smallish rear pockets, but stuffs into the centre of the three to pack away when not in use. unfortunately, the size small gilet seems to have been woefully undersized. though i had been concerned that the small-sized jersey may have been a tad restrictive to wear, fitting the gilet on top of the jersey proved almost impossible.
i did manage to wear it briefly, but when the rear jersey pockets were filled with mini-pump, tyre-jack, digital camera and spare gloves, it was impossible to connect the full length front zip. thus, if permabulating the countryside and finding it a bit chilly, donning the gilet would hardly be an easy option without transferring everything from one set of pockets to another. that would surely indicate that, were you to buy a souke long-sleeve jersey, it would make sense to upsize when choosing the gilet to ensure it fits. from my point of view, it was a bit of a shame, because the gilet is well designed, well made, unbelievably lightweight but too small to fit over a similarly sized jersey.
and surprisingly enough, the, padded gloves, also supplied at size small, fitted quite comfortably, allowing not only the prestidigitation to change gear, but made to allow operation of bar-mounted, touch-screen gps devices. the whole range of clothing described above is very economically priced, from the £116 jersey and similarly priced bibtights, to the £63 gilet. souke sports are currently offering all three of the above at £268, a saving of £27. the gloves too are well priced at £18.
lastly, though i'm happy to recommend the quality and constitution of all four products, one aspect has me quite confused. i believe i'd be correct in assuming that though the phrase 'keep pedalling' is probably a corporate maxim (it's highlighted on the back of the jersey), yet it concerns me that this, and other so-called inspirational phrases, are included in a subtle backgound pattern across the torso and sleeves of the jersey. and to make matters worse, all these phrases are in a mishmash of typefaces. in my opinion, this is completely unnecessary, only serving to cheapen the jersey's profile. we're cyclists, we really don't need this call to arms all over our cycle jerseys.
that said, this is very good cycling apparel at excellent prices.
monday 14 november 2022
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