The FWE Coldharbour Thermal Padded Bib Tights are warm and well priced winter tights that perform above their RRP.
Although this winter has, by and large, been significantly warmer than what we’d normally expect, good bib tights will be one of the key bits of kit in any UK cyclist’s wardrobe. Evans Cycles launched their own clothing brand, FWE, back in October and these tights are part of the debut autumn/winter collection. The ‘Coldharbour’ part of the name, if you were wondering, refers to Coldharbour in Surrey – one of the highest and coldest points in the south east, with the road climbing through the forest to the village of the same name.
One of the most important requirements of any item of winter clothing is warmth and, thanks to the fleecy lining on the Coldharbour tights, they offer plenty of warmth down to four degrees – the coldest temperature I experienced during testing.
The fleece-lined Roubaix fabric doesn’t offer anything in the way of windproofing or waterproofing, but you wouldn’t necessarily expect that on a set of £60 tights, and they’re warm for typical single-figure UK winter conditions. They’re not going to keep you dry in torrential rain, nor will they block out icy 30mph winds, but the fleece lining means you don’t end up with frozen legs, unless the conditions are comparable to most cyclist’s idea of hell – when it’s cold, windy and rainy. Something more specialist might be in order then.
