Shimano Evolve Windproof Autumn/Winter Outfit Review

Rain, wind, and cool (not to say cold) temperatures are the daily lot of all avid cyclists for almost half the year. The Shimano Evolve windproof apparel range is designed to meet the needs of those who ride in almost all weather conditions, providing performance and comfort, as we experienced in recent weeks in November and December.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: 3bikes.fr / All rights reserved

Beyond bike frames, Shimano of course offers drivetrain groupsets at all price points for road, mountain biking, gravel, cyclocross, or 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 apparel, the Shimano Evolve range for autumn and winter (but also early spring depending on the region) plays in the same league as the biggest brands in the field. The products are technical, well-designed for their functions, sometimes very well-cut or at least adapted to the target audience, but the prices are not cheap.

Perfectly suited to the conditions most often encountered in Northern and Western France from late October to early April (wind, cool temperatures, and humidity), the Evolve range of clothing mainly consists of the windproof bib tights (189.99 €), the windproof jersey (139.99 €), and the windproof jacket (179.99 €). These are complemented by a Breath Hyper base layer (64.99 €), but also, depending on conditions, a Thermal skullcap (19.99 €), high wool socks (19.99 €), Windbreak Thermal Reflective gloves (39.99 €), and S1100R H2O shoe covers (39.95 €).

We will quickly pass over these last accessories because their usefulness, depending on the temperature and actual conditions, depends too much on individual sensitivity. For our part, we wear the skullcap below 5°C, but prefer a fabric cap under the helmet for slightly higher temperatures. While 5°C, especially with a bit of humidity, is already a borderline temperature for the Windbreak gloves. But there are of course other accessories that correspond to specific needs in Shimano’s wide range of apparel.

We will give a special mention, however, to the Breath Hyper base layer, which has the advantage of being wearable from -5°C up to 15°C, and which perfectly complements any other upper layer, whether it’s the Evolve windproof jersey or jacket, or other types of products. This base layer is soft and comfortable, it clings to the skin without being tight, it extends low enough in the back to keep the kidneys warm, and it dries very quickly. A long central strip in the back, slightly thinner, allows heat to escape. It’s a Must Have for your wardrobe, whose only small flaw concerns the stand-up collar, which in our opinion could go up a little higher to keep the neck warm.

A technical jersey

Let’s start with the most appealing element, and rightly so: the Evolve windproof jersey. This jersey proves to be very technical thanks to the materials used and their assembly. Moreover, while we refer to it as a jersey here, others might consider this type of product a jacket. For our part, we consider it an intermediate between a traditional long-sleeved jersey and a fitted jacket. Its operating temperature range, in our opinion, is from 6 to 7°C perceived temperature, up to about 15°C, but on condition of riding at a good pace. It stands out in any case by two essential characteristics: stretchy windproof fabrics with a water-repellent coating on the front, and a very fitted cut.

Wearing the Evolve windproof jersey, you feel supported without being constricted, you have the impression of remaining aerodynamic since the garment doesn’t flap, and you feel protected from the cold thanks to the cut that strongly limits air entry. The jersey is light (244 g in size S), and it withstands short showers or Breton drizzle with the water-repellent fabric on the front of the torso and the front of the sleeves. With only the Breath Hyper base layer, if it proves a bit insufficient in the heart of winter or in cold rain, it can accompany us on all sporty rides in autumn and very early spring. Its price of 139 € is also not excessive, for one of the best jerseys of its type we have ever tested.

A perfectly finished and functional jacket, but a bit loose

While the Evolve windproof jersey has a “racer” fit, the jacket of the same name, logically thicker and intended for colder temperatures, is looser. But this is a double-edged sword. Out of habit, we certainly prefer tight-fitting clothing to limit air entry, and this jacket is no exception. While the collar allows for a good seal around the neck to limit cold entry at that level, the shoulders and sleeves flap a bit in the wind. This is on the one hand less aerodynamic (it’s quite noticeable on the same route compared to the Evolve jersey) but on the other hand, you always feel a small draft penetrating between the base layer and the jacket, probably due to the micro-perforations in the back.

Nevertheless, even if we prefer to wear the jacket with only one base layer, those who are more sensitive to cold can easily add a third light layer, depending on the temperature. The fact remains that the Evolve windproof jacket is offered with a removable and packable windproof bib that adds significant value to the product. It’s a kind of “apron” that easily attaches with a magnet system and a dedicated tab at the top of the jacket, allowing an additional layer of protection to be slipped on the front, especially around the stomach. It’s practical and effective, even if we would have liked this bib to go higher to properly cover the upper bronchi and trachea. If the temperature rises a bit during the ride and provided you haven’t sweated too much, the system can be easily removed and slipped into a pocket. Clean and effective against dry cold.

Tested precisely in temperatures around 0°C, the Evolve windproof jacket proved comfortable, although less sporty than the jersey for the reasons mentioned above. And in the case of a sustained pace (and avoiding dawdling), the Breath Hyper base layer is still sufficient. The recommended operating temperature range for the jacket is 0 to 5°C.

On the other hand, caught in a heavy downpour of cold rain around 3 or 4°C, the jacket’s water-repellent coating didn’t last very long. And the jacket’s amplitude at the shoulders and sleeves, even though they are long enough, tended to accentuate the sensation of wet cold, due to the fabric flapping on the arms. In short, we would have preferred it much more fitted, like some competing models.

Long tights ready for all conditions

Even more extreme than the jacket, the Evolve windproof long tights are designed to protect you in temperatures from -10 to 0°C. This is again a highly technical product, but the protection it offers requires some concessions on freedom of movement.

So of course, we’re not talking about comfort per se. From that point of view, the Evolve tights treat you to a thick and ergonomic chamois pad, designed to manage moisture and dampen vibrations. We also note the presence of a double zipper at the lower abdomen, to facilitate pee stops without completely undressing. Because the tights go quite high on the stomach, with a windproof double layer that retains warmth to protect the intestines, which can be sensitive for some during a ride in very cold weather.

But these thermal bib shorts are especially distinguished by a double layer on the front of the thigh (and down to below the knee) as well as on the inside of the leg to prevent numb fingers/toes from cold. And for once, they really keep you warm, whether in dry cold or even in damp cold, where you really feel the benefit of the extra protection.

This double layer, however, brings a certain rigidity to the product, which makes it less flexible to accompany movements. And without going so far as to do stretches in these tights, even pedaling is not as free as with thin tights, and even less so than bare legs. Moreover, the folds left around the knee demonstrate the relative rigidity of the second layer.

It is therefore a pair of bib shorts for very difficult conditions, where timed performance is no longer a priority. However, it will allow you to ride longer without suffering too much from the cold or road spray on your leg muscles.

These Evolve windproof long tights are not necessarily, in our opinion, the most appropriate to be worn with the Evolve jersey, or even with the jacket, which have higher recommended operating temperatures. But within the complete range of Shimano apparel, whether for spring/summer or autumn/winter, you have the choice to combine different elements, always technically designed to meet all possible conditions.

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