Customer product test: Assos sV.blitzFeder

Many thanks to Simon (he of the bigger bike fleet than our entire shop....) for this review. Full marks for also testing the product in different countries and at different altitudes!
I warmly welcome as many contributions as possible and hope we can all benefit from our collective experiences.



It is of the SV. blitzfefer, which is an ultra-light 'gilet' that folds up into its own little pocket. I loved it and recommended it to as many riders as I could as its small size meant there was no opportunity cost for always having it on you, especially when doing epic rides when the conditions can be so variable.


Barry,

Hope all is well. Here is a contribution to your customer reviews project.

I bought this Assos blitzfeder vest from you in June. I have used it pretty extensively since then. In the Summer, it has been great for those cold morning starts because you can stuff it in your pocket when it warms up. I used it this Sunday, when it was a pretty chilly November morning, over the top of a standard long sleeve top to provide a bit of insulation. Again, absolutely fine.

It breathes really well, much better than most other shells. So you do not "boil in the bag". I think you can use it in a wide variety of temperatures, probably from 5 degrees to 25 degrees. It really is very versatile, and it genuinely packs away to nothing. You can always have it with you.

On the downside, it will provide only a modicum of rain protection, and (because it is so light) it is really difficult to put on when you are on the move. But this is just splitting hairs. Of course it is expensive for so little material, but you have to accept that with Assos. You are buying the best.


To show the vest in full use, here is a picture of me this "summer" on the climb from Tirano to Livigno on the Swiss/Italian border. It started off at 20 degrees at the foot of the climb, before the heavens opened.




The road became a stream. Temperatures plummeted as we neared the 2000m mark. The vest was the only extra clothing I had with me. It was fine on the way up, due to the climbing effort over the best part of 25km. I was cold on the way down, but by then I was truly soaked.

You can see from the photo that I was joined by Gesink and Barredo from Rabobank on a pre-Tour training ride. I say "joined" in the loosest sense - because while this picture gives the optical illusion that I am pulling away from them, the reality is that they absolutely rocketed past me and left me for dead!

Rgds
Simon