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souke sports lightweight long-sleeve jersey, bib-tights and cycling jacket
souke sports cycle wear, a brand of which i was previously ignorant, is based predominantly in china, where they own the factory in which all their cycle-clothing is manufactured. the service centre is based in london, but they also distributue to the eu, to north america and to australia. and before i begin, i should offer an explanation to the folks at souke who were kind enough to send the above noted garments.
i have frequently seen photographs in the cycling press, where a jacket (for example) under review from one brand, is paired with shorts or tights from a competing brand, something i've always found to be a tad counter-productive. if i am offered a garment for review of which i possess no others from the same source, i either pair it with unmarked clothing, or photoshop out the logo, so as not to offer a conflicting statement.
having had no previous contact with souke sports, i had no matching items in the cycling wardrobe. thus, given the time of year, i requested a long jersey, bibtights and a water resistant jacket to offer a co-ordinated front when snapping photographs to accompany this review. i state this here, lest the fine folks at souke think me a rather demanding reviewer, solely concentrated on acquiring ever more cycling apparel.
and having requested all three items listed above, they arrived in a matter of days in a fedex package plastered with chinese characters, the receipt of which offered perhaps more questions than answers. before i dig deeper, i should point out that not only are all the garments well made, they are stunningly well priced, ranging from the water resistant, insulated jacket at only £34.56, to the bibtights at £75, and the long-sleeve jersey at £79.65. how they can offer the jacket at that price is completely beyond me.
if i might start with the long-sleeve jersey, not necessarily a colourway i would have chosen myself, but one that looked a lot better in 'real-life' than on the website. let me frame the second day of my review period as one that began with 70kph winds, temperatures of five degrees, which, with windchill, was marginally above zero. weather conditions such as these were the very reason i requested a long-sleeve jersey. however, this particular jersey is fabricated from flyweight material, with no collar to speak of and mesh panels on the lower portion of the sleeves. this is not the sort of jersey you'd wear in winter temperatures.
which has me wondering at just who this jersey is aimed? you might wear such a jersey in summer, for an early morning ride, but it's hopelessly inappropriate for a british winter. that said, the fit (medium-size), is darned near perfect, with sleeves of generous length, full-length zip and a close fit on the torso. it is well worth the price, but certainly not for winter. and that's an accusation that must alo be aimed at the bibtights. once again, the fit was impeccable (size small reviewed), with bib straps that were very comfortable and a chamois pad that offered comparable comfort to the best on the market.
however, this is the time of year when bibtights have replaced bib-threequarters, in order to keep those chris hoy thighs nice and cosy, protected from the elements. unfortunately, the souke sports bibtights are completely unlined, presenting essentially, long shorts. i'm at a loss as to when these would be worn, for even cold summer days rarely demand bibtights, and when such leggings become de rigeur due to a drop in temperature, i'd consider some form of thermal lining to be compulsory.
thankfully, cold legs are rarely life-threatening, so riding in temperatures marginally above zero, while wearing thin lycra bibtights is only mildly challenging. where this particular pair do shine, however, is the incorporation of reflective bands around the ankles, coupled with ankle zips, a feature that few others seem to offer these days. it's a lot easier to put them on and off over winter socks, and definitely a plus in my estimation.
the cold weather that had me question the lack of heft in the jersey, was cheerfully mitigated by the thermally lined jacket, which offers a commendably high collar, a full-length zip, three rear pockets and two front handwarmer pockets, a rare feature on race-style jackets these days. despite the inclement weather featured during the review period, i have not managed to get the jacket particularly wet; the light showers i experienced were shrugged off with aplomb, but i'd be keen to try it in more persistent precipitation. the three rear pockets are deep and cavernous, while the thermal lining effectively blocks the wind and even allowed me to wear the long-sleeve jersey underneath without undue freezing. unfortunately the jacket does not feature a hang-loop at the collar, which would have been a nice touch.
however, souke's house of cards seemingly has a tendency to remain a tad shaky. using their size chart, i ordered a medium jersey and, not unnaturally, a medium size jacket. it's a size matching that has worked with pretty much every apparel manufacturer since i began reviewing. sadly, the medium-size souke jacket is a smidgeon on the large side; i have a notion i could possibly have opted for the small size, highlighting something of an inconsistency. and even within the latter, this jacket suffers from a problem that used to feature on jackets and jerseys from another well-known cycle apparel provider: baggy chest.
though the general fit of the jacket is good, with well-sized sleeves, which sport an inner lycra cuff to keep out untoward draughts, and notable quality construction, the chest area has what my mother would have referred to as a bumfle.
however, despite my many criticisms, the souke sports clothing was very comfortable over several hours of riding, even in such inclement temperatures, and even matching such a lightweight jersey with the thermal jacket, turned out to be quite practical. the bibtights, however, definitely need a thermal linng to offer any pragmatism in uk weather. and i still have no idea how they manage to sell the jacket at such a low price. there is great promise here; with a few tweaks, souke sports cycle clothing could well become more common in the sunday pelotons.
monday 6 december 2021
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