Winter riding demands the very best from kit, needing to keep us warm (but not too warm), dry, and protected. Finding a jacket that can do all of those things is often a challenge, with some level of trade off compromising comfort. This isn’t the case with the Assos Uma GT Winter Jacket Evo, which, despite its lightweight and streamlined design, holds its own as one of the best winter cycling jackets.
I tested both the Uma GT Winter Jacket Evo and the Assos Uma Ultraz Winter Jacket Evo jackets, both part of the Uma range for long distance, deep winter comfort (complimenting the men’s Mille range). As both are described as the perfect winter jacket and priced similarly (the Ultraz is £300), what exactly is the difference between the two, and which one is better for your style of riding?
Assos likes creating very specific jackets for very specific uses, and while the Ultraz is designed for ultra cold, deep winter applications, the GT is much more for everyday usage. The GT is still a three layer softshell with a PU bonded membrane, so will cope with most of the daily winter weather you’ll likely (willingly) want to ride in over the cold season.
I tested the Uma GT Winter Jacket Evo across both autumn and winter, off-road and on, in (mostly) wind and rain, though with a few lovely cold mornings peppered in. This jacket copes with them all exceptionally, elbowing its way into the mainstay of my winter wardrobe and making the cut in our buyer’s guide.
Design and aesthetics
The Assos Uma GT Winter Jacket Evo suffers from some of the sizing issues that I found in the Assos Ultraz Winter Jacket Evo; namely that, despite its calculator suggesting I am a small based on my height, weight and age, I’d probably have preferred a medium in this jacket. Assos don’t seem to provide a size guide for additional scrutiny, so it’s quite hard to guess the fit on certain parts of your body.
However, there are slight differences in terms of the structure of the jacket that makes the GT Winter jacket, in my opinion, a much more comfortable wear. Firstly, this is an incredibly low bulk design, eschewing the double layer sleeves and selecting a medium weight Neos fabric on the front rather than the heavier ‘ultra’ version, making it much more streamlined. It’s almost 200g lighter than the Ultraz, comprising 16 patterns rather than the Ultraz’s 27, making it far more simplistic and for me consequently, much more comfortable. The GT perhaps doesn’t quite have the all-season, deep winter range of the Ultraz - I certainly felt the cold quicker in the GT - but the trade off is that it can act as a reasonably comfortable mid layer too, making it much more versatile.
Secondly, though Assos describes the GT jacket as a ‘regular fit’, I’d take that with a very generous pinch of salt; It’s the most fitted regular I have ever come across in my life, but the fit is actually incredibly flattering. The torso felt a bit longer in the GT than it did in the Ultraz (one of my main criticisms) and so stayed put, and the curves seemed to mould much better to my body shape than the Ultraz did. This is definitely a close, form fitted jacket, and like in the Ultraz I still struggled to get more than a base layer and jersey beneath it, though, thanks to the high levels of insulation, you’re unlikely to find that too much of a problem except on some of the coldest of days.
As with the Ultraz, Assos hasn't skimped on the quality of work on this jacket. The craftsmanship is superb, and you can feel that in your hands right away; it’s a durable jacket that will last for a very long time. The choice of 51% Nylon Polyamide will mean the jacket will retain its shape too over the course of its lifetime, and will likely last longer as a consequence. Even the stitching feels clever and durable, with no annoying seams poking you in the side.
My favourite part of the jacket are the pockets, which provide ample room for all manner of snacks and bottles and valuables. Assos has given us three on the back and a very small inner pocket for keys. Sitting on the back of the garment like you’d find on a jersey, the pockets are incredibly well made, structured, with a sort of double stitching over the top that partially sealed the pockets once the jacket was on. I love having stuff quickly available to me on a ride, I don’t want to faff about with zips, especially in the winter.
I chose the Bolgheri red colourway for this test, wanting something bright and colourful. I wasn’t disappointed. Using a Nylon Polyamide, the colour is extremely vivid, almost glowing a rich pinkish red in the sunlight. As with the Ultraz, I was a bit disappointed that ASSOS has only kept the bright colours on the front panels, opting for black with two reflective strips on the pockets on the back, which I felt made the jacket slightly less visible than I was hoping for. However, the reflective detailing was welcomed, something that isn’t always guaranteed on jackets.
Performance
This is a jacket that is going to carry you through from autumn right into winter, capable of offering a comfortable ride even in single digits (if we’re talking celsius, of course). It’s not quite warm enough, I don’t think, to take you into the minus degrees on its own. It is, however, still an exceptionally warm jacket, and I’d argue it's probably going to be suitable for most everyday rides for most people. If you’re a bit more harcore or are finding yourself out in the nastiest of winter weather, you’re likely going to want the Ultraz.
My first ride in the Assos Uma GT Winter Jacket Evo was on a bright, ice-sharp, crystal clear winter day over a local Welsh hill. It was one of the first hard frosts of the year and it was bitterly cold, with temperatures hovering at about 3 degrees at the bottom of the hill and closing in on 1 degrees at the top of the very windswept peak. I was testing out the new Liv Devote Advanced Pro, an elite racing gravel bike that I wanted to put through its paces, so selected the GT jacket as I had assumed it would keep me warm enough without overheating, protect me from much of the wind and with low bulk, be minimal and lightweight enough to not be annoying.
I was correct on all counts, almost totally forgetting I was wearing the jacket by the end of the ride. I didn’t have any issues with it rolling up, rubbing in the wrong places or impeding my movement, and I stayed at a perfectly comfortable temperature the whole way around the ride. From the moment I put it on, I was warm, and despite some of the brutal hills I was powering up, I didn’t ever get damp or clammy.
Breathability is ensured through the mix of fabrics across the jacket, working similarly to the Endura Pro SL Primaloft, which allows excess heat to be dumped out of the back of the jacket through thinner RX fabric that also lines the sides and underarms. Unlike the Endura though, the back is segmented into three, with two panels of lightweight fleece, and a middle section in a thinner technical weave. The combination of these three panels adds a touch more insulation for colder weather while channelling out any excess heat. It’s a clever and highly effective method, meaning that I never felt too hot or too cold in this jacket, even when trying out a few harder sessions.
Though the GT doesn’t have the double layer arms like the Ultraz, the waterproofing is still pretty impressive. Even in fairly consistent and heavier showers, the rain didn’t penetrate through on the front and chest, though as the wind changed direction I could feel the back beginning to become a little bit damp as time in the saddle wore on. It’s not the kind of jacket I’d take with me to the mountains, but then I don’t think it is built to do that anyway.
The droptail is fairly minimal, so if you’re going to ride without mudguards (like yours truly), don’t expect any additional protection. I actually think this minimal tail is what contributed to a better fit on me, however, as there was no thick elastic pulling the jacket into a weird shape. Off-road, this minimal drop tail was perfect, allowing me to move effectively without being too restrictive.
Verdict
Out of the two Assos jackets I have tested this season, I’d say the GT is definitely my favourite. The Ultraz is the jacket you go for if you want something heavy duty that can carry you through some of the nastiest weather, but it’s quite a serious jacket and not the comfiest, which for me has an impact on how likely it is that i’ll throw it on.
The GT however is much lighter, fits far better and is a much easier jacket to wear, while still competing very well against the Ultraz in terms of insulation, breathability, wind and water proofing. For everyday riding, for commuting or going out at the weekend on a club ride, this is the jacket I want to wear. It looks incredible, and I can pretty much forget about it, regardless of what the weather is doing and what I’m planning on my rides. It’s a hardwearing, durable jacket that is enjoyable to wear, and at £225 (hardly a cheap jacket), I think it is worth it.
