SHIMANO EVOLVE Fall/WINTER/WINTER OUTER TEST

Rain, wind and freshness (not to say cold) are the daily lot of all assiduous cyclists for almost half of the year.The range of Shimano Evolve windbreaker clothes is designed to meet the needs of those who ride almost all time, providing performance and comfort as we have been able to realize in recent weeks in November and December.

By Guillaume Judas - Photos: 3bikes.fr / Dr.

Apart from bicycle frames, Shimano of course offers transmission groups at all levels of range for the road, mountain biking, gravel, cyclo-cross or the track, but can also equip the cyclist from head to toe.Shimano shoes have been among the most renowned for almost 30 years.In terms of clothing equipment, the range for fall and winter (but also the beginning of spring according to the region) Shimano Evolve plays in the same courtyard as the biggest brands in the field.The products are technical, well studied for their functions, sometimes very well cut or in any case adapted to the targeted public, but the prices are not given.

Perfectly adapted to the conditions that we meet most often in the north and west of France from the end of October until the beginning of April (wind, freshness and humidity), the clothes of the Evolve range are mainly made up of the tightsLong with windbreaker straps (€ 189.99), windbreaker jersey (€ 139.99) and the windbreaker jacket (€ 179.99).These are seconded by a hyper basket breast underwear (€ 64.99), but also depending on the conditions of a thermal sub-cask cap (€ 19.99), high woolen socks (€ 19.99), reflective thermal Windbreak gloves (€ 39.99) and S1100R H2O chaussure (€ 39.95).

We will quickly pass on these last accessories because their interest according to the temperature and real conditions depends too much on the sensitivity of each.For our part, we wear the hat below 5 ° C, but prefer a canvas cap under the helmet for slightly higher temperatures.While 5 ° C, especially with a little humidity, it is an already limited temperature for Windbreak gloves.But there are of course other accessories that correspond to specific needs in the wide range of Shimano clothing.

We will give a special mention nevertheless for the hyper basket breast underwear, which has the advantage of being able to wear -5 ° C up to 15 ° C, and which perfectly seconds any other upper layer, that itFor example, it is the swimsuit or the EVOLVE windbreaker jacket, but also other types of products.This underwear is soft and comfortable, it sticks to the skin but without tightening, it descends low enough behind the back to keep the kidneys warm, and it dries very quickly.A long central strip in the slightly thicker back allows you to evacuate heat.It is a must have to own in the wardrobe, whose only small defect concerns the upright collar, which could in our opinion go back a little bit higher to hold the neck warm.

A technical jersey

Let's start with the most attractive element, and rightly so: the Evolve windbreaker jersey.This proves to be very technical thanks to the materials used and their assembly.Besides, if we talk about jersey here, others could consider this type of product as a jacket.For our part, we consider it as an intermediary between a traditional long sleeve jersey and an adjusted jacket.Its range of use is in our opinion from 6 to 7 ° C in temperature felt, up to about 15 ° C, but on the condition of driving at good speed.In any case, it is distinguished by two essential characteristics: extensible wind-winding fabrics with a waterproof coating on the front, and a very adjusted cut.

By wearing the Evolve windbreaker jersey, you feel kept without being stuck, it feels like remaining aerodynamic since the garment does not float, and you feel protected from freshness thanks to the cut which strongly limits the entries'air.The jersey is light (244 g in size S), and it supports short showers or the Breton bruine with the spanning fabric on the front of the torso and the front of the sleeves.With only the hyper Banking underwear, if it turns out to be a little just in the heart of winter or in the cold rain, it can accompany us for all sports outings in autumn and at the very beginning of spring.Its price of € 139 is not more excessive, for one of the best jerseys of this type that we have ever tested.

A perfectly finished and functional jacket but a little loose

If the Evolve windbreaker jersey is "runner" at the cutting level, the jacket of the same name, therefore logically thicker and intended for colder temperatures is wider.But it’s double -edged.By habit, surely, we prefer tight clothes to limit air entries, and this jacket is no exception to the rule.If the collar allows you to close the neck well and limit the entrance to the cold at this level, the shoulders and the sleeves beat a little in the wind.It is on the one hand less aerodynamic (it is quite sensitive on the same route compared to the Evolve jersey) but one on the other hand always feels a small current of air penetrating between the underwear and the jacket, withoutdoubt because of the micro-actions on the back.

Nevertheless, even if we prefer to wear the jacket with a single underwear, the most cautious will be able to add a third light layer without worry, depending on the temperature.The fact remains that the Evolve windbreaker jacket is offered with a removable and compactable windbreaker that adds significant capital gain to the product.It is a kind of "apron" which is easily fixed by a magnet system with a dedicated tab at the top of the jacket, and which makes it possible to slide an additional layer of protection on the front, especially at the levelbelly.It is practical and effective, even if we would have liked that this breastplate goes higher to cover the top of the bronchi and the trachea.In the event that the temperature rises a little during exit and on the condition of not having sweated too much, the system is easily removed to slip into the pocket.Clean and effective against dry cold.

Tested precisely under temperatures around 0 ° C, the Evolve wind-winding jacket has proven to be comfortable, although less sporty than the jersey for the reasons mentioned above.And in the case of a sustained pace (and avoiding dragging on the way), the hyper breaststowment underwear is still enough.The temperature range of the jacket is also recommended from 0 to 5 ° C.

On the other hand, taken by a strong downpour of cold rain around 3 or 4 ° C, the waterproofing coating of the jacket did not resist very long.And the amplitude of the jacket at the shoulder or sleeves, even if these are long as it should be, tended to accentuate the feeling of wet cold, because of the flashing of the fabric on the arms.In short, we would have preferred it much more adjusted, like some models of competition.

A long sticky advertised for all the conditions

Even more extreme than the jacket, the long tights Evolve windbreaker is designed to protect you under temperatures from -10 to 0 ° C.This is again a hyper technical product, but the protections it offers forces to make some concessions on freedom of movement.

So of course, we are not talking about comfort proper.From this point of view, the Evolve tights treats you with a thick and ergonomic chamois, designed to manage humidity and alleviate vibrations.We also note the presence of a double zipper at the lower belly, in order to facilitate pee stops without completely undressing.Because the tights rises high enough on the stomach, with a lined wind-cutter part and which keeps heat to protect the intestines, fragile in some in the case of a cold output.

But this thermal wader is distinguished above all by a double layer on the front of the thigh (and upwards of the knee) as well as inside the leg to avoid the bites of the cold.And suddenly, it holds really hot, whether by a dry cold or even under a damp cold, where you really feel the contribution of additional protection.

This double layer, however, brings a certain rigidity to the product, which makes it less flexible to accompany the movements.And without going so far as to stretch with this tights, the pedaling itself is not as free as with a fine tights, and even less as bare legs.Moreover, the folds left around the knee demonstrates the relative rigidity of the second layer.

It is therefore a throb for very difficult conditions, where chronometric performance is no longer a priority.On the other hand, it will allow to drive longer without suffering too much from the cold or the projections of the road on the musculature of the legs.

This long tights Evolve windbreaker is not necessarily the most suitable for being worn with the Evolve jersey, or even with the jacket, which have higher recommended temperatures of use.But within the full range of Shimano clothing, whether for spring/summer or fall/winter, you have the choice to associate different elements, always designed with technicality to meet all possible conditions.

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