Gore C3 £139.99

Hardcore doesn’t come much harder than these Gores, with their temperature range of between 5°C and -15°C. Gore’s Windstopper fabric forms the whole of the tights — whole leg coverage is rare, with most other tights keeping windproofing to the front only. The ankles use the longest zips we’ve seen: at 22cm, they’re useful if you want to sock it to the UCI man and don illegal knee-highs in the winter.

Gore’s Windstopper Cup insert protects against wind chill and there’s a pitstop system with a zip that enables the tights to be mostly separated from the bibs.

The Windstopper fabric has a limited stretch. They do have pre-shaped knees, but there’s a small amount of resistance that takes some getting used to. We also found the long, stretchy bib combined with the weight of the tights meant they ended up about 4cm away from groin.

However, despite the baggy crotch, there’s nothing else on the market that compares with this level of thermal insulation at this price.

Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL www.gorewear.com