This article was produced in association with ASSOS
Thermal energy is a measure of the total energy in a body or a system, expressed in heat. The more heat there is in a system, the more energy there is. As autumn rolls through the northern hemisphere, and then winter, thermal energy is of keen interest to the cyclist. We need to think of the heat in our own system as the weather cools – spending energy on keeping warm means we have less to spend on the righteous business of getting from A to B, which is what we all want to do; at the same time, riding generates heat and so it’s important not to be too warm.
The ASSOS Mille GT Hashoogi winter jacket is designed to put riders right in the sweet spot of being warm enough without being too warm on long training and leisure rides in the colder months of the year. It’s cut from lightweight, aerodynamic, breathable composites – softshell textiles across the chest and shoulders for effective thermoregulation – and ASSOS have evolved their airblock EVO membranes to provide an optimal mix of protection, elasticity and comfort. The collar construction features a different fabric from the rest of the jacket – brushed, not membrane, to improve breathability. It also allows the rider to optimise their layering, accommodating, if necessary, the use of a neck warmer.
The sleeves feature two fabrics: membrane on the front, where protection from the cold wind is necessary; brushed fabric on the back of the sleeve for more flexibility and comfort, with a better fit. The brushed fabric also features on the back of the jacket for the same reasons. Complete bodymapping makes the Mille GT Hashoogi winter jacket fit just right either in a speedy tuck, or in a more off-season-ride-appropriate upright position. The fit is more of a comfortable embrace than a tight hug, so the rider can focus all their energy on expressing themselves fully through their pedalling and riding.
The jacket is not only practical in cold weather. We all know what milder autumn and winter weather sometimes brings – a warmer atmosphere holds more energy and pulls in more water, which manifests itself as a double whammy of soaking for the cyclist: first in the form of rain, and second in the form of roadspray. The airblock membrane material on the front and shoulders resists the roadspray as well as the windchill.
The Storm Blue colour scheme is photographed here, but the jacket is also available in Alchemy Purple, plus Torpedo Grey and Black Series for when your mood matches the colour of the sky. It’s easy to feel a lull in one’s psychological energy during the winter months; however, adding this piece of kit to your off-season cycling wardrobe will have the opposite effect: giving the confidence to know that your thermal energy will be on point and that long rides will be comfortable, fast and warm, without being too warm.
