My review of the DHB ASV Windslam Roubaix cycling Jersey.
DHB ASV Windslam Roubaix long sleeved cycling jersey
[taq_review]
View this product at Wiggle. (at the time of writing it’s on sale, down from £70 to £45)
For the last three winter seasons I’ve used an older, cheaper dhb Windslam jersey. It’s quite useful to be able to make a comparison between that older, simpler item and this newer, more expensive and higher-tech garment. To be honest, that older jersey is feeling a bit tired now but it’s served me well for over three years. It’s nice to have some new gear to ride in.
ASV Design
You could argue that hi-tech sports clothing, with all it’s waterproof breathable, wicking, stretchy compression fit super powers, shouldn’t need to look good. It’s got enough on its plate to function well. But hey ho, it’s a competitive market and there are Italians involved. This gear has to look stylish too.
This dhb item has been designed as part of a coordinated range, so you can look great, in gear that performs brilliantly, without people calling you a team kit plonker. Ok I changed that last word. This is a family show.
Top Class Materials
The ASV jersey is made from pretty complicated stuff. The blurb on the Wiggle site mentions ultra warm Italian Roubaix and something called WindTex. It’s probably all true.
There’s a thickness to it, and whilst it’s not heavy, it feels substantial. It’s not a thin, flimsy item at all. You know it’s going to keep you warm. The outside surface of this jacket has a smoothness to it that not only makes you think it’s going to be more aerodynamic, it probably is.
I discovered that it’s naturally quite good at being showerproof too.
Internally, the sleeves and body are lined with a micro fleece Roubaix layer. It’s like being inside a sports teddy bear.
Comparison with my older, cheaper dhb jersey: the most noticeable difference is the older jacket only had the windproof Roubaix fabric on the outside of the sleeves. This wasn’t the best design. If you were riding on the hoods or in the drops, the inner parts of your arms would feel the wind chill as the fabric was considerably thinner. This made it necessary to wear a long sleeved base layer top in colder weather.
With the new ASV jersey, the thermal Roubaix lining and wind proofing covers the whole of the sleeves, so the improvement is massive.
Collar detail. There’s probably a technical term for what they’ve done with the collar, but I’m not a tailor so excuse my inept vocabulary. The red part of the collar is a softer material, and tubular, so as to be seamless. It’s not intrusive at all, like the way some poorly designed garments can stick into you. This almost cossets you.
Smart Fit
When I first tried the new dhb jersey on, I was conscious that the shoulders felt a little odd, as though the garment was holding my shoulders slightly forward from the position they would naturally rest in (when standing up, for example). This is actually a clever piece of tailoring to ensure that when you’re in the riding position the jacket feels just right, and totally natural. A “normal” jacket would feel stretched and restrictive when leaning forward on the bike, pulling at the shoulders. This has been cleverly engineered to feel relaxed in that position.
In terms of sizing, as I usually find with the dhb range, the charts on the Wiggle website are spot on and there’s no need to order one size up, as you do with other manufactures.
Just get the one the chart says will fit you. It will.
Proper Sleeve length
In comparison to my older dhb jersey, this new ASV version has longer sleeves. The added length makes a difference especially when it’s cold and you want to make sure no cold air is going to sneak in at the wrists. The cuffs are also much better designed for this than the older jacket, which I’m now looking upon with thoughts of relegation to the “last resort basket”, only to be used if I’ve forgotten to wash the new one.
It’s also got some thoughtfully placed strips of reflective material on the forearms to help with visibility from the from and sides.
Big pockets!
Overall length is just right for me. I often feel that jerseys can sometimes feel a little short. This DHB jersey is longer at the rear, like any quality cycling jersey and has three excellent pockets that feel longer than the pockets I’ve got on other jerseys. One also has an outer zip section for added security for your keys/money etc.
Road testing the DHB ASV Windslam Roubaix long sleeve cycling jersey
I’ve had this garment about 6 weeks before I committed my thoughts to paper / screen / whatever. I didn’t want to just slap my initial thoughts online just to tick the box that I’d completed the review. I’ve used this jersey on nearly a dozen rides, in a good range of weather conditions, with and without additional layers.
I don’t know about you, but it can sometimes be really tricky to gauge what to wear for a ride, depending on the weather. It’s so easy to end up too hot, and nobody ever wants to be too cold. This jersey, I must admit, took some getting used to, simply because it is very warm.
Toasty in the rain at 2° C
One of my first rides with this kit was a sunday club run. The weather forecast got it wrong, and what should have been a dry but cold morning turned into a cloudburst, with strong winds, all at a chilly 2° C. This followed some very mild weather so by contrast, it felt really cold. Initially I was impressed with the way the water was just bouncing off the fabric, but after a while of course, the inevitable happened and water soaked in. However, all credit to the micro-fleece teddy bears, the jersey kept me warm without wishing that I had an additional rain jacket.
My next ride was a commute, on which I use a little backpack to carry some work stuff. This naturally reduces air flow on your back and sweat builds up. I’m usually aware of this, but the first time I took the jersey off after my commute, I was surprised to feel how wet the back of the jersey was. Not surprised that I’d been sweating, but surprised that I hadn’t noticed any discomfort whatsoever.
Riding into the wind, the jersey provides excellent protection, unlike my older, earlier dhb long sleeve jersey which wasn’t fully lined on the arms. This one is, and the difference is amazing.
There have been a few rides where I’ve got a bit hot in this jersey, but the weather has been unseasonably mild for much of the autumn and into the winter. Now that I’ve got some experience with it, I would say that it is fine as a single garment (no baselayer, no outer jacket or gilet) down to about 5 ° C, as long as you’re working hard on the bike to keep warm. With a baselayer underneath, I would ride in sub zero temperatures with just those two top layers. I’ve learned that if it’s above about 15° C, I don’t wear this jersey, as I just get too hot.
To summarise, it’s a remarkably comfortable and functional autumn, winter jersey. Perfect for looking good on the bike on those colder days.
Get one!
But don’t take my word for it, go and check out the product listing on Wiggle and read the customer reviews there too. Lots of people saying good things!
Looks good.
I usually ride in good weather but of course anything can happen.
Worth considering.
Hi Alan,
It seems to tick all the boxes, warmth, comfort and price point. However, it fails, in my opinion because it is predominantly black.
When is the cycle clothing industry going stop trying to dress us up like Ninjas?
Cyclists need to be seen, little patches of colour and small reflective strips help but a dark shape doesn’t really stand out enough for other road users to be aware.
A good point Max. There seems to be a general willingness to sacrifice some safety for the purposes of fashion. I use an amazing rear light and psychologically, tend to rely on that. Having said that, I do also use a fluorescent Altura night vision jacket with lots of reflective strips, and I think drivers give me more space when I wear it.
Hi, is this item more of a jersey or a jacket? On cold days, do you think that a jacket would be needed over this jersey, or could this be worn on its own with just a baselayer?
Hi Paul,
They call it a jersey but it’s more like a jacket. It’s thicker and warmer. I’ve worn a jacket over this and wished I hadn’t – too hot! I would only wear a rain jacket over it, or a baselayer under it, if the temperature was around freezing. Above 6,7C nothing else is necessary.YMMV!
Great top, I got one at the beginning of December, waterproofing works for light showers. I agree about keeping you warm, anything above 15 can get a bit much!