The Hoy Vulpine Fortress is a really good windproof and water-resistant jersey in an excellent cut, and the arm warmers, which use the same fabric, are equally impressive performers.
I love the cut of the Fortress jersey. It's slim without any bagginess. If you're a chunkier build than me and you're concerned that this might mean it's a tight fit, you probably don't need to worry because the polyester/polyurethane fabric is super-stretchy across its width. That's one of the beauties of this jersey (and, to be fair, of many other jerseys of a similar ilk from other brands) – you get protection from the weather in a sporty, aero cut.
> Buy this online here
The dropped tail is excellent too. It's long enough to keep your bum covered and silicone print on the inside of the gripper meant it always stayed properly in place throughout testing, whether I was sitting in the saddle or standing up. It's the most successful tail design of any jersey of this kind that I've tried.
Grippers inside the sleeves are similarly effective whether working against your skin or the top of the arm warmers.
The neck is tall and close fitting. I have the medium sized jersey and the collar has a 14 inch (35.6cm) circumference (if you wanted to check that against one of your existing jerseys). It's lined with a microfleece fabric so it feels comfortable.
Although it's lightweight, the Fortress is considerably warmer than a standard jersey in dry weather by dint of being windproof, but it's in wet conditions that it really scores. The fabric keeps out spray from the road and can deal with anything up to quite hard showers as long as they don't go on for too long. As with other foul weather jerseys, water can get in through the untaped seams over a period of time, but sometimes that's a better option than carrying and sticking on a flappy and perhaps less breathable waterproof jacket.
Speaking of breathability, sweat vapour is able to escape through the fabric, although I've used other jerseys that are more capable in this regard. Hoy Vulpine has perforated the reflective panels on top of the shoulders and on the tail so as not to compromise the performance there.
In terms of temperature range, I'd say the Fortress is suitable for about 8°C up to 15°C or so.
> Buyer's Guide: The best winter cycling jerseys
The three rear cargo pockets have elasticated tops to help keep the contents in place, and there's a zipped outer pocket for your valuables back there too.
The leading sections of the arm warmers are made from the same water resistant fabric, while the panel along the underside is a brushed back Roubaix. They use the same grippers as the jersey and stay in place perfectly.
When looking at value we rate a product according to its RRP, and at £140, although not cheap, the Fortress set is good value. It's nearly £100 cheaper now – and a steal. Don't dither, though – the medium in mandarin is already sold out...
Verdict
Windproof and water resistant jersey in an excellent fit, with added arm warmers and now at an excellent price
Make and model: HOY Vulpine Mens Fortress Jersey and Arm Warmers
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Hoy Vulpine describes this as: "Weather resistant racing cycling jersey & arm warmers, for fast riding in bad weather.
"Extremely comfortable aero rain and wind resistant jersey, provided with complimentary arm warmers. Large perforated reflective patches, a long tail and high neck provide superb detailing. Spring & autumn high tempo riding made simpler."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Hoy Vulpine lists these qualities:
THERMAL
Super soft, fleece lined softshell fabric keeps the wind and cold out.
WATER RESISTANT
Highly water resistant fabric outer shell beads rain off, keeping you dry and warm.
REFLECTIVITY
Large shoulder & rear reflective panels, perforated for breathability. Reflective logos.
[It's only the collar lining that you could call fleece lined]
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Both the jersey and the arm warmers are well made, the zips are from YKK and the grippers are good.
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
9/10
Rate the product for sizing:
8/10
Rate the product for weight:
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
8/10
Rate the product for value:
7/10
At £140 this package was good value. Get it at (currently) £49 and it's exceptional.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Simple. These go into the machine on a cool wash.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
It's very good at keeping wind and water out.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The fabric's ability to keep water out and the fit.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
There's nothing grating about the performance.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your score
At its RRP of £140 this jersey and arm warmers set scores an 8; at its current sale price of £49 I'd be tempted to give it a 10.
Age: 43 Height: 190cm Weight: 75kg
I usually ride: My best bike is:
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding
Add new comment
1 comments
Just be aware of the pockets and their ability to hold anything of very little size/weight.
The first jersey I had ripped/holed at the bartack/stitching and the material became striated/damaged.
This was after 2 uses and about 5 hours in total riding.
The "suggestion" from Vulpine was that the pockets were overloaded.
4 gels in the left pocket, a Lezyne wallet containing a smart phone and a pouched multi tool in the middle and an Altura Copton wind jacket in the right pocket... all of these items are carried comfortably in any other jersey (even those with smaller dimension pockets than this jersey).
It was replaced with a new jersey and arm warmers (sans the green musette that I also sent back)
But, replacement took an absolute age to get sorted out. I appreciate they are a small(ish) company with limited resources/headcount and do not have any real issue with that.
The rest of the jersey/warmers as regards performance in the cold/wet and certainly the visibility touches could not be faulted. Maybe I was just unlucky with my initial experience of the garment.