I’ve been a fan of Komraid’s excellent cycling kit for a little while, owning both the “Jammer” and “Menton” kits. But even with the available matching arm warmers and gilets, their jerseys and shorts are not designed for the depths of winter (either that or I need to MTFU).
So I was really pleased when I heard that Komraid was working on a kit for the British winter: a development of their already-popular ‘Splinter’ design (itself a take on the iconic Swedish ‘M90’ camouflage pattern).
I suspect mine was the very first order placed when they finally announced the availability of the “Splinter Mork” winter cycling jacket and knee warmers a few weeks ago.
Aesthetics
Visually, I really like the combination of the grey camo with flouro yellow accents – camo and hi-viz at the same time! Reminds me of a certain kit I designed for a training camp in 2017….! I’m a big fan of giving motorists as little excuse not to notice me as possible, especially when the weather turns nasty, so the well-placed flouro accents on the sleeves, chest, back and collar of the jacket (£129) are a great idea and look really smart in my opinion.
The knee warmers (£34) carry over the M90-style camo design and replicate the flouro yellow accents on the front, under the knee. They match the jacket nicely (although I’d like to have seen some yellow on the back as well, for added visibility/safety).
Matching shorts (£99) are also available, but I have not yet purchased these. Assuming they are the same quality as the other two pairs of Komraid shorts I own, they will be very comfortable and hard-wearing. One of the things I like about the jacket and the knee warmers is that they work just fine with a plain pair of black shorts.
Fit & Performance
I went for the small size jacket and it fits me near-pefectly. The arms are nice and tight (my preference, I hate baggy kit!) and the jacket fits nicely across my chest (36”) and shoulders.
The jacket is fleece-lined on both the body and the arms, and is incredibly warm as a result (much warmer than my Morvelo winter attack jersey/jacket). Although I’ve yet to ride the kit in properly foul weather, it feels like the spray guard at the back of the jacket will do a decent job. The jacket feels like it does a good job of keeping out the wind chill.
The knee warmers are also fleece-lined and very warm (I was/am surprised that Komraid has not offered a full bib tight for proper cold rides) which should be good for Autumn and Spring. I’m still not sure I’ll be riding in just shorts and knee warmers on the coldest of winter mornings, though.
Conclusion
At £129 for the jacket and £34 for the knee warmers, this is premium-price cycling kit. But it’s worth it. The jacket is one of the best I’ve tested (warmer than my usual Morvelo go-to and less bulky than my Velotec winter jackets) – I’d be surprised if I ever needed more than a long-sleeve base layer underneath it (just as well in my case, as that’s all there is room for!). The knee warmers will keep the knee joints and quads/hams warm on most days, although it will take a braver soul than me to rely on just these and shorts when the mercury drops below 5-6 degrees C.
Hopefully the new Splinter Mork has proven popular for Komraid and they are encouraged to expand their winter range as a result.
For more information and to see the Komraid range, visit: www.komraid.cc.
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