Assos iJ.tiburu_evo7 jacket

When it's too mild for a winter jacket but too chilly for a short sleeve jersey, the Assos iJ.tiburu_evo7 long-sleeve jacket is a really good pick. It's luxuriously soft against the skin, has an excellent fit and provides ideal insulation for spring and early summer riding. It does, however, lack the wind and rain protection of a growing number of long-sleeve jerseys.

Assos has years of experience when it comes to textile design and putting together the right mix of materials into a garment, and this shows in the iJ.tiburu_evo7. There are 14 panels using four different fabrics, but the takeaway is just how seamlessly it all blends together, creating a supremely comfortable long-sleeve top.

The majority of the jersey is made from a fleecy RX fabric with a lighter weight RXQ fabric for the back panels, providing more insulation and protection where it's most needed and extra breathability out back. The brushed fleece fabric is lovely next to the skin, it really feels like you're pulling on a premium garment and that feeling continues when you hit the road. It's simply a lovely top to ride in.

Even though it's listed as a jacket, it has the fit and feel of a jersey. It's best viewed as a long-sleeve jersey as well, a step up from a jersey and arm warmer combination for those brisk rides when it's unlikely you'll be peeling away the warmers.

It's a warm and insulating jacket, ideal for spring and autumn, and even summer as well. It's great at this time of year: early morning spring rides are perfect with just a short-sleeve base layer underneath it provides adequate insulation to keep the nip of the cold air at bay. I've paired it with a long-sleeve Assos skinFoil base layer and it's coped with temperatures nudging uncomfortably close to zero.

It can cope with a reasonably high-temperature range well into the mid-teens. You can tailor the base layer to add more insulation or adapt it for mild rides, where the excellent breathability ensures you don't rapidly get uncomfortably hot when it warms up during a long ride.

The only real downside is when the weather gets crazy and unpredictable, the iJ.tiburu_evo7 doesn't offer the same level of protection from the elements as tops made from wind- and water-resistant fabrics such as Gore's Windstopper and Sportful's Fiandre. That makes it less useful for the constantly shifting weather that makes riding in the UK so tricky to dress for.

For a jersey designed primarily for spring and autumn use, when the weather is at its most unpredictable, this could be a key factor for some people. So you might have to consider taking an emergency gilet or lightweight shell if the weather is looking a bit iffy.

As you'd expect from a company with a background in racing and high-performance, the jersey is tailored to provide a close fit. The jersey hugs every contour of the body but there's no tightness in the shoulders or arms and neither is there any excess material to flap in the wind. The aero game is strong with this one.

Assos clothing normally comes up rather small, but I found the sizing good. It's worth paying particularly close attention to the sizing guide or better still popping into your nearest Assos stockist to check the sizing. There's a good length to the arms with no sign of the cuffs coming short at the wrists, even on the size small tested, and the high collar provides a snug feeling without being overly tight when the full-length zip is done right up.

To prevent loaded pockets sagging down Assos has developed what it calls a rear stabiliser panel with reduced vertical stretch in the fabric to keep everything nicely in place. It works. Even loading the pockets with enough food for a 200km ride doesn't see the pockets sagging unduly. The addition of a zipped pocket is a nice thing, a safe place to stash the house keys. Reflective details add a bit of extra visibility for late evening rides.

I'm impressed with the iJ.tiburu_evo7. It's insanely comfortable with a great fit, good understated looks with the bold colour panel design, nice attention to details, and adequate insulation on colder rides. The lack of serious wind and rain protection is the only thing going against it, and limits its usefulness for the a lot of typical British weather compared to jerseys made from windproof and water-resistant fabrics.

New for 2017 are the addition of three new colours, reOrange, blackSeries and voltYellow.

Verdict

Warm, comfortable and great fitting jacket but lacks bad weather protection