Velocio cycling apparel – a review
If you’re a regular visitor to this blog, you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of Velocio cycling apparel and so I’m always happy to write a Velocio product review. If you know me well, or if you’ve worked alongside me, you’ll also know that I like to speak my mind so you can be sure that this product review will be my honest opinion. I will admit upfront that I received these items for free, but I have not received any payment for this review beyond keeping the cycling clothing.
It all started when my friend told me a few months back that my favourite winter bib tights were wearing thin and had several ‘bald’ patches at the back. The tights she was referring to were a pair of Velocio winter tights I have been wearing since I received them for another review some eight years ago. Since 2015 I’d worn them through seven winter seasons, during which time I wore them about once a week for three or four months. So, I felt I’d got value, or would have if I’d paid for them!
I raced home from my ride and contacted the good people at Velocio who happily agreed to send me a few new items to test. These included Women’s Thermal Bib Tights, Women’s Alpha Merino Air Jacket, Women’s Concept Merino Long Sleeve, and Women’s Merino Mesh LS Base Layer.
The thing that struck me straight away was the overall quality of the garments. The product features, fabrics and colours have changed over the past eight years, but you can tell straight away that they have been designed and manufactured thoughtfully and purposefully. Velocio has changed ownership in the past few years and I’m happy to say that the new owners have maintained the quality level.
I’m not going to detail every little feature here, you can read the product features on the Velocio website, but I am going to tell you how each of them feels on the bike and my overall impression. I hope you find it useful.
Women’s Thermal Bib Tights
The first thing I noticed was how light these bib tights felt compared to some other winter tights I have in my draw, but lightness didn’t equate to coldness. They are warm and cosy once you get them on. They are a little hard to pull on the first time but once they are on, they feel firm and comfortable.
On the bike, they kept me warm even on my coldest morning (BTW a cold morning for me is about 4 degrees Celsius). A few extra things that impressed me are the ‘fly free’ feature that allows you to pull them down to go to the loo without taking all your gear off, and the reflective panels at the bottom on the legs at the rear.
The chamois is also great. It feels comfortable both on and off the bike. Not too thick, not too thin, just right. And this a minor thing, but it’s grey in colour, rather than pink or red like a lot of women’s cycling knicks and tights. To me, it’s reflective of the amount of time that goes into their product development, and the amount of thought their product development team puts in.
Women’s Alpha Merino Air Jacket
Like the tights, this jacket is completely different from the one I tested seven years ago, but in a good way. I love the colour, feel and look of the jacket and the use of Merino wool. I think Merino wool (that was developed by the early sheep farmers in Australia) is a great material for cycling kit. It’s lightweight but still very warm.
The jacket has some great features that were well thought out. On the inside of the front is a fleecy liner which I’m sure contributes to its toasty warmth. The cuffs are made of a different fabric and hug my wrists so no cold air gets in. And the fabric panels are different on the front and rear (although they are the same colour so appear the same) giving wind protection at the front and breathability at the rear. I also like how the rear is a bit longer than the front, so it doesn’t ride up on the bike.
Women’s Concept Merino Long Sleeve
Keeping with the merino wool theme I also tested a long sleeve jersey. I wore it on a coolish morning (around 10 degrees Celsius) with a long sleeve base layer under it and it was snug and cosy, but not too hot. I have been guilty in the past of wearing too much cycling clothing and overheating but I’ve learnt not to do that, and this long sleeve jersey is ideal for me.
My only minor criticism would be that it is relatively transparent which I assume is part of the lightweight nature of the fabric, but it gave me an ‘exposed’ feeling. It is quite short which I’m sure is a deliberate design feature, but I prefer my jerseys just a little bit longer. And I’m a fairly short person so anyone taller than me would notice the short length even more than me.
Women’s Merino Mesh LS Base Layer
I’m a huge fan of cycling base layers. I wear them all year round and have a draw that is overflowing with sleeveless, short-sleeve sleeve and long-sleeve versions. In winter I love to wear long-sleeved base layers to keep me warm even on very cold mornings. This new Velocio merino wool base layer will take pride of place for many winters to come. It fits well, feels good and keeps me warm. What more could you want?
My fandom for the Velocio brand continues. I do realise it’s not the cheapest cycling kit you can buy, but I believe that it represents value for money. It’s obvious that Velocio spends time on product development, getting each garment just right and testing it until they are completely satisfied.