Tag: ODLO

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Apparel Featured Reviews

Odlo Endurance Short Gloves

Odlo Endurance Short Gloves

Odlo Endurance Short GlovesOdlo was founded more than 70 years ago by the simply brilliantly monikered Odd Roar Lofterød. Reputedly his motto was ‘always make sure you’re one step ahead’, and, with the company still turning out commendably high spec apparel, it remains easy to fit the pronouncement with the product. Such is the case with the Odlo Endurance Short Gloves…

 

Attention to detail is something of a hallmark to Odlo – the towelling rub patch is larger than on many gloves, always useful for dabbing sweat and snot (who said cycling was sophisticated?), the Velcro closure tabs are rubberised for easy grip and duel loops on two of the fingers make for quick and easy fitting or removal. The gel pads are perfectly positioned too – one at the base of the fingers to moderate road vibration through the handlebars and reduce the likelihood of stress injuries and one over the lower pad of the thumb that helps protect the radial nerve and improve grip.

 

Although constructed from 100% manmade fabrics (50% polyurethane, 31% polyamide, 13% polyester and 6% elastane for stretch) the palms have a more luxurious suede/leather feel; however these do cause something of a sweat buildup in the tradeoff between padding thickness and wicking properties. This is alleviated, to an extent, by triple mesh panels on the back of the glove, which are bonded rather than stitched to further add to the comfort level.

 

Available all the way from XS to XXL sizes, finding the right fit should be easy enough and despite a few loose threads around the fingers, which caused us some initial concern (but amounted to nothing), there remains a great deal to recommend about the Odlo Endurance Gloves.

 

RRP is £35, with further details on the Odlo Endurance Short Gloves and other products see odlo.com

 

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Apparel Featured Reviews

Odlo Evolution Cool T-Shirt

Odlo Evolution Cool T-Shirt

Odlo Evolution Cool T-ShirtJust like the Columbia Total Zero T-Shirt (see review here) the Odlo Evolution Cool T-Shirt is not a dedicated cycling jersey – so no lumber pockets, rubberised hems and the like – but with Odlo responsible for supplying some impressive cycling apparel elsewhere and with the Evolution promising good thermal control Cyclo thought it more than worth a look…

 

Constructed from 100% man-made fibres (79% Polyester, 21% Polyamide) the Evolution is incredibly lightweight with thinner, meshed sections between the shoulder blades and under arm for venting. The fit is necessarily snug so that moisture (sweat) can be wicked away and this it does with impressive effectiveness even under test at near 30degrees.

 

Despite the close, almost second-skin feel the comfort level is good with a combination of ergonomic fit and 3D circular knitting tech (the same system used for the tubular construction of Buff Headwear), which removes the need for side seams. Unfortunately this is slightly let down by quite bulky arm seams, which we found gave some discomfort across the top of the shoulders once wicking sweat – something exacerbated by the fact that we were wearing a Camelbak for hydration during the test rides. Additionally there was a tendency for the top to ‘ride up’ at the back; a constant reminder that the Odlo Evolution Cool T-Shirt isn’t specifically designed for the bike.

 

This is undoubtedly a well-made piece of kit and for warm recreational rides, possibly for commutes too, it works effectively in terms of both wicking and breathability. Arguably there’s a place for this almost year-round too – as a thermal base you could find yourself layering with this right through the shoulder season months. But when it comes to pure temperature control the Columbia Total Zero T-Shirt is the hands-down winner…

 

The Odlo Evolution Cool T-Shirt has a RRP of £35.00 and is available in sizes S-XL and three colours: blue, white and black. For further information see odlo.com

 

For our review of the Odlo Trail Jacket see here and for the Odlo Swiss Power Jeresy here.

 

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Apparel Reviews

The Odlo Trail Jacket

The Odlo Trail Jacket

The Odlo Trail JacketWhen it comes to cycling jackets there seem to be as many options, permutations and styles as there are routes and roads to ride – but the Odlo Trail Jacket, a full-zipped high-collar, is distinctive enough to stand out amongst the crowd in more ways than one. Odlo have been around since the 1940s and hailing from Norway, a country not noted for its balmy weather, you would expect them to know a thing or two about keeping their customers warm. And so it is with the Odlo Trail Jacket.

 

The fine mesh material (the whole jacket is 100% polyester) does an excellent job of venting yet keeping chill at bay even at speed on the bike; the front inner panels have a softer almost fleecy-quality that further help to keep wind in check, whilst the cuffs and waistband, although not elasticated, are snug enough to help here too.

 

The fit is close yet comfortable – available in S to XL – but doesn’t feel constrictive in the least, always a bonus given the near-straightjacket qualities of some jackets we’ve tried over the years. The full-length zip is really the only snagging point we found; it features a good-on-paper ‘parking garage’ at both the top and bottom to keep the zipper in place, but this proved more than a little fiddly to negotiate, particularly in the saddle and especially one-handed. No such problem with the zipped (non-‘garaged’) rear pocket – generous in size and easily accessed.

 

That small main zip gripe aside the Odlo Trail Jacket was a pleasure to ride in – the styling is bold, verging on the brash but, so long as you don’t mind the fully emblazoned look (we rather liked it), then it’s a pleasure to wear. Arguably more a BMX, MTB or trail jacket (as the name implies) – perhaps because the styling has a slightly punk/skate attitude – there’s nothing to stop you wearing this on the road – and indeed much to recommend you do.  Odlo founder Odd Roar Lofterød apparently lived by the legend ‘always make sure you’re one step ahead’ – we rather like that. We rather like his name and jackets too.

 

Online prices seem to vary wildly – ranging from around £80 to well over £100 – so it clearly pays to shop around; odlo.com features a comprehensive store locator if you prefer shopping in the real world.

 

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Apparel Reviews

Odlo SwissPower Jersey

Odlo SwissPower Jersey

ODLO Scott SwissPower Jersey reviewFounded in the mid-1940s by the brilliantly monikered Odd Roar Lofterød, whose motto was ‘always make sure you’re one step ahead’, Odlo know a thing or two about producing technical apparel. With a solid reputation for innovative design and production the Odlo SwissPower jersey landed on Cyclo’s desk with a bundle of high expectations.

 

A stand-up collar jersey with full-length zip for that bare chest ventilated look, the top, though obviously suitable for road riding, bares the busy design of the Scott-SwissPower mountian bike and cyclocross team. For more than a decade, the Swisspower development team has worked with Switzerland’s up-and-coming mountain bike riders and, under the guidance of Thomas Frischknecht and Andi Seeli, yhey have won seven world championship titles, 10 European titles and a host of other MTB accolades. Naturally owning the jersey won’t, in itself, make you ride like a champion, but stylish looks and robust construction make for an excellent start.

 

Technically brilliant it wicks sweat well and sits incredibly comfortably with rubberised taped seams at the rear waist to ensure it doesn’t ride up when you ride out. Three pretty generous back pockets for a wealth of power bars and gels could be improved only slightly by the addition perhaps of a zipped valuables pocket, the lack of which is probably testament to the fact that it was designed for a team unlikely to need such niceties.

 

If you’re in the market for a great quality warmer weather jersey that’s relatively gentle on the wallet (online prices from around the £50 mark) and you like the fully-logoed look, then the ODLO SwissPower is hard to beat. Perhaps take a leaf out of Lofterød’s book and make sure you’re ‘…one step ahead’.