HUUB CORE FULL SLEEVE

£164.99 Another innovation from the multisport specialists

This tri-suit (or du-suit!) from Huub is made instantly striking for its long sleeves, the first all-in-one tri-suit we’ve worn with a full-length sleeve design (Chinese brand Kooplus also offer a budget £47 tri version and there are plenty of pure cycling speedsuits from the likes of Castelli).

We’ve long persisted and faffed around with base layers or lightweight jackets for duathlon and colder tri races yet the Full Sleeve provides the simple answer, aiming to prevent early-season chills on the arms but with enough cooling for the final discipline.

Our key test in this was a DIY duathlon (we’ll be using it at April’s Storm the Castle duathlon in Ludlow as well) and here its performance was stellar, preventing chills on the run and thwarting wind on the bike. The material also beaded any rain and was quick to dry. Breathability is noteworthy as well, due to the strategic placement of vents on the spine, shoulders and back.

We tested the vested version of the Core suit last issue and the pad is ample for the 40km standard duathlon distance in the saddle, but we’d prefer the side pockets to be slightly lower for easier access to our nutrition when on the move. The grippers are satisfactory but no more than that.

They might not quite have been the first company to debut a longsleeve design, but the Full Sleeve is evidence of Huub once again being a major brand to continually push new ideas, and for that we can only applaud them.