The first weekend of October my buddy Olav and I went to Sauerland in Germany. I had the opportunity to test a new set of cycling apparel from Isadore. In only three days we rode just over 400 kilometers. It was dry weather, the temperatures balanced between freezing point in the early mornings (on Saturday we left around 7.45AM for a 200KM ride with 3,000 climbing meters) and ~20°C in the afternoon.
This is probably the most challenging weather for any cyclist. You don’t want to bring too much clothing on a long day of riding, but certainly you don’t want to get cold either. So the question for me was what to wear: above my merino sleeve-less base layer should I opt for the short sleeve Signature cycling jersey 2.0 (€140, delivered in the color combo cabernet/sycamore) with arm warmers and Alternative gilet OR the long sleeve Signature jersey (€160, in the colour ruby wine) with the same Alternative gilet. I choose the latter option.
Bib cycling shorts
The bib that I wore was the Climber’s bib (see my previous review). I combined this fantastic bib with the Thermoroubaix knee warmers (€49). These knee warmers were too short for me: although I normally wear size M, Isadore’s knee warmers in size M felt not long enough. I rather have them a bit longer. Especially the upper-knee part. I also struggled with right and left. To me it felt like the perforated part should support the hamstrings, not the quadriceps. Basically as shown on their website.
Isadore’s logo is shown perfectly on the outside of my left leg, but on the inside it said ‘right’. So I was confused. It might have to do with a production failure. The silicon grippers worked well however next time I’d probably opt for the more elastic merino wool knee warmers or eco-knit warmers. I assume they’re a bit longer.
Cycling jersey
My choice of clothing for the upper body definitely happened to be close to perfect. The long sleeve Signature jersey is perfect for temperatures between -5°C and +10°C. It’s made out of 53% polyester, 44% merino wool and 3% lycra. It sits pretty comfortably – both on shoulders and wrists. My size was a medium. On the back you’ll find 3 large pockets, including a zipped side pocket. I find these zipper pockets really handy to store money, bank cards or even bars. A nice feature is the breast pocket on the inside.
Together with the Alternative gilet (which design is so sick…I was really stoked), it will give the rider a very wide range of temperatures to ride in. It’s featherlight, but blocks the wind and cold perfectly. It’s fully made of recycled polyester. The insets are made of reflective holographic material and are super cool. When getting warm first partly unzip with the two-way zippers. If still too hot fully unzip and let is sit on your shoulders. Super handy when riding in mountainous areas with a lot of climbing and descending. For just over €100 I think this is a great investment.
Arm warmers
In Sauerland it was too cold in the mornings to ride my short sleeve jersey with arm warmers. So I did that the week after in Holland. The arm warmers fit perfectly (size M). Just the right length. The silicon grippers keep the warmers on their position. The nylon is a perfect protection against rain and wind. The short sleeve Signature jersey on the other hand, in a very stylish cabernet/sycamore colour set has nicely designed ribbed sleeves, has a full zip and is made out of one third merino wool, less than two thirds polyester and a bit of lycra. Like most of the Isadore jerseys, it also has a zip pocket on the right side of the back pockets.
I almost forget to mention the Climber’s casquette. It comes in one size, so not quite sure if it fits everyone perfectly, but I really like Isadore’s caps. Little bit elastic, and just right on the ears. Front flap not too short…but I guess only for the riders that love to ride with caps.
Summary
Isadore offers high quality cycling clothing for a very competitive price. Still one of my favorite choices.
The author is 1.81 m and 72 kg, all clothes in size M.
