MAAP Apex Deep Winter Tight review: Seriously effective cold weather warmth

If you've read any of my other cycling kit reviews lately it may have become apparent that I've been putting the hours in to test winter kit. This has meant spending many a mile in the cold seeing how winter kit performs when it has too. 

The MAAP Apex Deep Winter Bibtights are the Australian brand's heavyweight offering to combat the winter cold and are priced at £295 / $390 sitting at the more expensive end of the bib tight price range, although you may be able to find them cheaper online from various retailers. The Apex is the bigger brother to the lighter-weight Team Evo Thermal bib tight. 

The Apex tights are heavier weight bibtights designed at withstanding the worst the winter can throw at them. They have a rough temperature guide range from MAAP of -10C/14F-10C/50F. MAAP describe them as being for the committed cyclist who doesn't let the weather get in the way of their training or riding. The Apex is a similar bib tight to the Rapha Pro Team Winter which you can find in our best winter bib tights guide. 

Design and Aesthetics 

The Apex tights are constructed from a Polyester / Polyamide / Elastane Mix and use a mixture of different panels that vary in weight and thickness in specific areas. 

The tights use two different materials in their construction. The rear of the tights, including all of the lower legs (just below the knee) and the upper front section, feature a soft and internally fleecy fabric which is lightweight and stretchy. From the knees upward this changes to a heavier fleece which isn't quite as plush but does have a windproof and DWR (durable water repellent) treated layer of fabric on the outside which offers extra protection. This material makes a light rustling noise to the touch signalling its windproof and waterproofing capabilities and mentally somehow makes me feel better equipped to face the elements. 

There are multiple panels and seams pulling the tights together with the legs featuring at least five different panels. This added complexity in construction could also be one of the factors in the high retail price point. 

Three-centimetre wide elastic ankle grippers are sewn onto the bottom of each leg. This is a very similar material to the bib straps themselves, which are four and a half centimetres wide each. A thin mesh section joins the bib straps until nearly the base of the wearers neck. 

The chamois is the (deep breath) proprietary anatomically designed 3D thermo moulded multi-layer chamois. It's not a super thick unit, but is firm and does feature some anatomic relief channels in the centre. It's also black in colour if you are interested. I'm always eager for some reason to see the colour of a chamois on new shorts or bibs. 

Aesthetics-wise, the Apex are a stylish pair of bibtights, which is encouraging if you are spending the best part of £300. My navy pair looked really good and the bold MAAP logos in white stand out and look smart. There are two of these on the outside of each thigh and a smaller MAAP logo on the left-hand calf. The bib straps are also embossed with the same colour MAAP logos. 

Performance 

The Apex tights are a quality, cold weather-specific pair of bibtights and perform as such. Getting them on is easy, not quite the effortless procedure you experience when pulling on the Rapha Pro Team Training tights, however. The ankle grippers are a little on the snug side but an extra pull will see them over your feet without drama. 

My size small pair in Navy fitted me well without any unwanted bagginess or loose sections anywhere. You do get a few wrinkles here and there but this I feel comes from the heavier-weight windproof fabric which isn't going to sit as smoothly as a lighter-weight fleece would. Said wrinkles do tend to be at certain anatomical areas such as around the knees or quads and aren't just there from a poor design or fit. 

I did find if I didn't get everything quite lined up correctly or when setting off a bit of pull and tightness at the rear of the knees, which can be a distraction at times. This seemed to sort itself out after a few miles of riding and I didn't consider it further once I'd got into each ride. This is the sort of problem that would wind me up if it was persistent or constantly niggling so it's safe to say it wasn't much of an issue. 

With regard to the tight's main job which is keeping the wearer warm on cold rides, they do a brilliant job. You will be warm in the Apex tights down to freezing temperatures and below. My most recent ride in them was between 6C/42F - 8C/46F and towards the end of the ride I was feeling slightly too warm in them. De-kitting at home revealed slightly sweaty quads too. Much warmer than this and the Apex may be a little too good at their job; they are definitely heavy-duty tights for cold weather. If you're heading out regularly in single-digit temperatures these tights won't let you down. 

Chamois fit and comfort is a personal one, but I didn't have any problems with the MAAP chamois. It kept me comfortable on every ride. 

Aftercare wise, as mentioned in my MAAP Thermal base layer review the tights will be supported by the 12-month warranty and MAAP 40% off crash replacement policy.

Verdict 

The Apex winter bibtights are expensive but in return, you're getting a stylish and very capable pair of winter bib tight that will deal with the worst the winter can throw at it whilst keeping you looking good. 

If you do splash the cash you won't be let down, but these are definitely a pair for the very coldest days. If you run hot, or only deal with temperatures close to freeing very infrequently, then perhaps look to a slightly less extreme set.