Bontrager Specter Thermal Long Sleeve Jersey

Sitting in Bontrager's mid-range clothing line, Specter, the Thermal Long Sleeve Jersey is unbelievably warm for such a slight piece of apparel. It's cut close too, so you get the added bonus of aerodynamics for those fast rides, and all for a sensible price.

Bontrager has used its Profila Thermal fabric for the majority of the jersey. It's 100 per cent polyester backed with a fleecy finish designed to trap in your body heat. It works well, so well in fact that the Specter, for me, was most comfortable around the 5°C mark paired with a baselayer.

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The material itself is soft to the touch and should you wear it next to the skin you certainly won't be disappointed with its comfort.

If you are climbing or really getting the hammer down the Specter can get a little overwhelmed. As it's fully zipped at the front you can achieve some venting, but even so if you do a get a bit hot and sweaty you remain warm even when stopped. It dries out quickly too.

The fit is pretty traditional: a dropped tail, plenty of length in the arms, with close-fitting cuffs and a reasonably high neck to stop draughts.

Aimed at the performance rider, it's designed to fit best on the bike. The tail is held in place with a silicone gripper and elasticated hem and you certainly don't feel it moving at all once you are in the saddle.

Sizing is spot on to Bontrager's online size guide, the US medium/ EU large garment tested here fitted exactly as I expected it to, snug without being tight anywhere.

Details like a small zip cover at the neck to stop anything digging into your skin and the internal earphone cable routing add up to a decent level of kit for its £79.99 price tag.

At the rear you find the usual three-pocket arrangement with the outer ones getting a slight slope at the top to aid access when on the bike. They are reasonably deep and don't sag much either.

For dark riding there is a token reflective strip on one of those pockets, but it's on those gloomy winter days where the Specter – this version at least (it also comes in black) – really stands out. The fluoro yellow is bright and covers the majority of the body but without making it look like a piece of safety equipment. Some might be put off by the Trek branding though, if you don't ride one of its bikes.

> Check out our guide to the best winter cycling jerseys here

Overall I think the Specter is a great piece of winter kit. It has all the attributes of a high performance race jersey without the eye-watering price. At a penny under 80 quid it is really good value for money. It's one of the warmest jerseys I've ever worn too.

Verdict

Toasty warm, lightweight winter race jersey with added high-vis safety features