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US technology brand Polartec is known for advanced advanced technical fabrics. Found in a growing range of cycling kit this winter, they’re guaranteed to keep you warm and dry on the ride

Belting rain and freezing temperatures: both have the potential to spoil a good ride. But while we can’t control the elements, we can protect ourselves from their effects.

Polartec’s range of fabrics – a mainstay of the outdoors world and now found in an ever-expanding collection of cycling brands’ winter kit – will insulate you from the seasonal chills, help you regulate your core temperature, and wick away your sweat, letting you concentrate on the sheer joy of riding.

Cold and clammy? Not any more… Making sure your kit contains the best fabric tech is one of the most worthwhile investments you’ll make this winter. Here’s our guide to Polartec’s materials, and the kit to look out for.

• Find out more at www.polartec.com

Polartec Power Grid is a fleece fabric made from a patented grid construction, which strengthens the performance efficiency of the fabric. Thanks to the grid-like structure, warm air is trapped in the channels, boosting warmth while remaining perfectly breathable.

It also means bulk and weight is kept to a minimum, since there’s less fabric. In brief, it’s a minimalist design that maximises performance.

Find it in: The MAAP Thermal Base Layer LS Tee (£70) uses Power Grid fabric to provide versatile warmth and advanced thermoregulation. Employing Polartec’s fabric has created a quick-drying winter essential with breathability, moisture wicking qualities and comfort at its heart.

Polartec Alpha was developed for the US Special Forces, who required a supreme insulation system for use in wildly varying temperatures and the start-stop conditions of combat.

With fibres woven to a core, it’s very breathable and is able to provide consistent warmth whether you’re on a hard climb or cruising downhill.  In short, Alpha will reduce the need to constantly shed layers.

Find it in: Altura’s Endurance Blast jacket (£125) uses Alpha in its frontal torso, arms and kidney areas for peerless thermoregulation (and at a particularly enticing price), while Santini has created a pair of Alpha Under Gloves (£44) from this highly advanced, ultralight fabric, to provide extra warmth under your winter gloves. And yes, they’re as warm as they look!

Polartec Power Wool combines the performance qualities of both wool and synthetic yarns in an advanced knit construction in which there’s no blending or glueing, just clever knitting.

A soft, odour-reducing merino inner sits next to the skin whilst the outer uses a highly durable synthetic yarn, creating a fabric that protects yet feels great next to skin.

Find it in: The phenomenal Santini Vega Grido Men’s Bib Tights (£229) use Power Wool fabric for their upper, stitched-in bib section, to transfer moisture out while enhancing heat regulation. This warm, comfortable fabric is the crowning glory of these exceptional, full-coverage cold weather bib tights. Seriously, once you’ve worn a combined big tights/base layer combo you’ll never go back to wearing two separate items.

Polartec’s new Power Shield Pro is a versatile three-layer softshell fabric that delivers exceptional comfort while fending off the elements.

The water-resistant, four-way stretch fabric keeps rain at bay while its microporous membrane releases excess heat and prevents the build-up of moisture inside.

Find it in: Pas Normal Studios has used Power Shield Pro to its fullest in the Men’s Essential Thermal Jacket (£340). Designed and tested in the demanding conditions of the Scandinavian winter (yes, that’s even more extreme than the depths of a British winter), this jacket combines excellent freedom of movement and flexibility with top-notch breathability, warmth and water repellence.

Polartec NeoShell is the world’s most breathable waterproof fabric technology. It combines the strength and durability of a weather-protective fabric with dynamic air exchange qualities to provide you with a fabric fit for the foulest of weather. And crucially, unlike some rain-ready fabrics, it doesn’t sacrifice moisture management for a high waterproof rating. 

Find it in: The Santini Guard Neo Shell Jacket (£240) is a slim-fitting rain jacket benefitting from Polartec’s three-layer membrane shell structure to provide the optimal level of waterproofing for a performance road bike garment. Factor in the jacket’s taped internal seams and waterproof zippers, and you have something you can rely upon to keep the worst of winter at arm’s length.

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