..........................................................................................................................................................................................................

velobici cobalto thermal jersey and thermal bibshorts

since the original government lockdown in march of this year, the daily travail for many has revolved around the insistance that non-essential offices remain closed. disappointingly, despite asking those in a position to know just what constitutes a 'non-essential' office, the answer remains as elusive as ever. does the non-essential component refer to its non-essentiality to the general public, or to the business of which the office forms a part? though throughout those months, i have been able to continue walking to work each day (it's very difficult to produce and print a newspaper from the bedroom), but the premises have remained closed to the public.

however, at the point when furlough was orginally designed to end in october, the decision was taken to open once again, though with restricted hours.

so the office population has increased in size once again; the two of us who 'held the fort', so to speak, during the various lockdowns and levels implications, are now having to get used to having less space and more company. we're also having to get used to an office that tends to err on the side of excessive heat. or at least, one of us is. for, in order to keep the public at bay, and socially distanced from the staff, the only access point is the front porch, entailing a closing of the doors to the two adjacent offices. no more does a cooling breeze enter the room when the front door opens.

however, as i am constantly reminded 'it's just as well we're all different', meaning no specific agreement on what constitutes a comfortably heated office. the obvious solution, now that you point it out, would simply be to remove my christmas jumper while at work. i did think of that. but the iniquitous part of the equation is stepping outside at lunchtime, when even relatively mild days can feel chilly in comparison to the convector switch on the storage heater.

it's a conundrum that seems only to have ever more complex variables when time comes to get out on the bike. i have long paid attention to the advice imparted many years past, to the effect that, if you're comfortably warm within the first five kilometres, you're overdressed. equating with this dictum obviously assumes that i have sufficient grasp on the ambient temperature, to make an informed decision regarding the apparel du jour. and lately, it has become necessary to factor in a two degree drop in temperature between the east side of loch indaal and the west (where debbie's is).

to prevent any others suffering from a similar dilemma, might i heartily recommend the cobalto kit from leicester's velobici. the full set comprises both men's and women's options consisting of a thermal long-sleeve jersey, thermal bibshorts and a thermal baselayer. chris puttnam kindly sent an l/s jersey and bibshorts for review, coincidentally first worn in ideal conditions. according to my garmin, the temperature down uiskentuie strand was a cool 6.5 degrees, lowered to nearer 3 degrees with windchill.

the 'cobalto' moniker comes from the colour of the jersey, a hue not shared by the nonetheless pleasant grey of the bibshorts. the jersey sleeves are of a well-judged length, sufficient to ease over the cuffs of a pair of thermal gloves. the front of the jersey ends in an inverted 'v' shape, tapering from the zip downwards to allow for an extended tail at the rear. velobici are unique in offsetting the the three rear pockets, the rightmost of which extends round the jersey side panel. this means any item you may require to access quickly while riding comes more easily to hand. despite filling all three pockets with more cargo than was truly necessary, the offset pockets felt perfectly balanced throughout.

the raised, luxurious collar had need of being accessorised with a richard sachs buff, due to the covid face-mask restrictions in place at debbies, but in terms of thermality, the collar would have easily sufficed alone. the large, embroidered 'vb' logo on the left chest and 'cobalto' on the right sleeve are nice touches, while the breathable, windproof and water-resistant fabric creates a gloriously expensive feel to proceedings. despite an increase in windspeed during the second part of the ride and a definable lowering of temperature, my core remained expressably cosy.

when the mercury drops to single-digits, i'm a bit reticent to ride in bibshorts alone, but when the number is midway between one and ten, kneewarmers are compulsory. however, other than gloves, those were the only accessories required.

velobici's cobalto thermal bibshorts are amongst the finest in which i have ever had the privilege to ride. in similar fashion to the jersey cossetting of the torso, they are probably amongst the greatest luxuries to which you can treat those chris hoy thighs. and unlike the majority of bibs, those on the cobaltos appear to spring from the shorts as one piece, offering an unheralded level of comfort. there is a wide back panel, protecting from unwanted chills, only separating between the shoulder blades as they head for your shoulders. the curve on the front makes taking a comfort break more than comfortable, while the leg length is ideal for a pair of shorts designed to keep you cosy. the black hemmed leg grippers keep them right where they're supposed to be, without exerting any tangible pressure.

in the northern hemisphere at least, the temperatures can only head in one direction. as i write this, scotland's west coast is under a snow and ice warning (both unlikely on islay, but you never know), when it would be foolish to head out on saturday or sunday morning without dressing in thermal garmentage. i have yet to augment velobici's cobalto kit with an outer jacket, needed when riding through galeforce driven rain, but i doubt it will be too long before i have such an opportunity. however, in my experience, performance clothing of this quality, continues to perform under almost any conditions thrown in its direction.

very impressive.

velobici's british-made long-sleeve cobalto thermal jersey is available in sizes 1 to 7 (xxs to xxl - size 4 reviewed) at a cost of £200. the cobalto bibshorts are available in the same sizes (size 4 reviewed), at £190.

velobici cobalt thermal clothing

wednesday 2 december 2020