Van Rysel Winter Road Cycling Jacket Endurance review: More pockets than you could know what to do with, plus great performance for the price

Decathlon had come in by storm in 2024 with the sponsorship of the Decathlon AG2R cycling team, and with that it has updated its Van Rysel range of both bikes and kit. You won’t find the Van Rysel Winter Road Cycling Jacket Endurance being used by the professional riders in any races, but it’s another item showcasing the brand’s expanding offering of impressively practical and effective kit, with a price tag that's equally impressive. 

The Van Rysel Winter Road Cycling Jacket Endurance is a training kit item, designed to be worn in wintery conditions where the weather is cold, and or damp, though it isn't a dedicated waterproof cycling jacket. Van Rysel doesn't give a specific usable temperature range, but the presence of windproof membrane, water resistant coating, and fleece lining suggest a range of 0-10˚C.  It is certainly equipped similarly to other winter cycling jackets, however at £69.99, it undercuts many of them while featuring very similar technical specifications.

Design and specifications

The main bulk of the Van Rysel Winter Road Cycling Jacket is a mix of elastane and polyester, very much like most cycling garments. However a nice feature from Van Rysel is the use of 79% recycled polyester, which not only reuses material, but also reduces the carbon footprint by at least 16% according to the brand. This material is also windproof, while a durable water repellent (DWR) coating has been applied so it can resist water from showers and road spray. This is a PFAS free (non-flourinated) coating with the EU ban on production of items using these chemicals.

Internally the jacket uses a brushed fleece finish to provide the insulation across most of the fabric panels. The back of the shoulders and front of the sleeves however use a grid fleece structure, which allows a bit more air to be trapped to provide additional insulation, similarly to how a drysuit works for diving. Air is a fantastic insulator after all.

There are other additional features and accessories beyond the materials thought to boost weather protection. At the rear of the jacket, it uses an adjustable dropped hem for additional shielding. This hem can be buttoned in place, or dropped down to protect your rear from road spray. There is also a large reflective panel across the rear hem, with further reflective detailing on around the arms and the logo on the chest.

Pockets is the main area where this jacket differentiates itself from the competition. In total, there are 10 pockets (yes, 10!). There are the standard three cargo pockets on the rear of the jacket, while two small additional side pockets are placed either side of those. There is a zip up valuable pocket both sides of this as well, plus a large open cargo net at the rear. Finally, two zip pockets on the front of the jacket provide the final storage solutions. All the zips feature an extended pull tab to make it easier to use them while riding or wearing winter gloves. 

Sizing options start from Small and go up to 2XL. Size medium was what I tested and fitted well on my 190cm frame, which does raise questions about how broad the size range is if I am one size up from the smallest. Colour options are smoked black, caramel brown, army green, and burgundy red.

Performance

Putting the Van Rysel Winter Road Cycling Jacket on, the fit actually worked very well for me. I’ve seen some comments that the arms are quite tight, and I would say it does certainly fit more like a jersey than a jacket on mine. However, I like a secure fit, and in the size medium it was both comfortable and also long enough on the arms. 

The elasticated cuffs help with this and also preventing cold air from travelling up the sleeves. The body itself is also well fitted, with the length being good on my 190cm frame, while the neck could be zipped up fully without being too tight, which is an issue I often have with jackets. When riding however, there is a tendency for the front fabric to bunch up a bit, especially in a more aggressive/aero road cycling position. It was still present when riding gravel, but not quite as much.

Winter weather performance wise, I was very impressed with this jacket. Testing conditions have been on the cool and wet side, with lots of rain and low single figure temperatures. At no point have I felt chilly in this jacket, even when riding in -6˚C and snow. Paired with a lighter or heavier base layer, it has been brilliantly warm across these conditions. 

The DWR treatment is also effective in showers or against road spray. However, persistent rain or snow did lead to some water ingress, but the insulation was so good that my overall temperature was not negatively impacted. The adjustable dropped hem is another interesting feature designed to aid weather proofing. I honestly didn’t notice much of a difference with it down or buttoned up. It is water resistant to prevent getting a soggy or filthy rear, but when using it off-road in the mud, it didn’t make much of a difference. In more persistent rain on the road I can see it being a neat additional feature though, and the option to fold it up may reduce some fabric flapping at higher speeds.

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Rear flap buttoned up

Rear flap let down

Features that I did really end up loving though were the copious amount of pockets. Quite frankly, 10 pockets should be more than anyone needs to use on most rides. However I found myself finding uses for them. The saying goes that if there is space we will fill it, so whereas I normally find three pockets enough, I found myself liking having ten at my disposal. 

The three rear pockets are much the same as any others available, while two zip pockets for valuables gives more options for keys or money storage. The two side pockets ended up being great for stashing rubbish from food, and because you’re not piling up that rubbish on items you may want to remove, you don’t have the issue of accidentally pulling out that rubbish when you grab a packable waterproof.

The large rear net also ended up handy for putting said packable jacket or gloves. It features a single middle attachment point which limits flapping in the wind, and makes it easy to stash or grab larger items from. Finally the two front pockets were actually pretty handy for things like bars or keys, anything you want more specific access to rather than a lucky dip rummage of the rear pockets. 

My only gripe is actually something I quite like when taken in the round. All the zips have a long tab to make them easy to pull while wearing winter gloves. However, on the front these tabs do flap around a lot when riding, causing a bit of distraction.

There are a couple of other areas where this jacket doesn’t perform as well either. There are reflective strips across the jacket, and while the rear is large and central making it very effective, the others are less so. The chest logo is not large, so as far as front facing reflection goes it’s not great. Strips across the arm do help with this, but they are on the left side. This is fine in Europe, but in the UK it would be prudent to have them on the right as well. 

This jacket is also not the most breathable. Even with a mesh base layer underneath, I found that in temperatures closer to 10˚C is was very stuffy. The rear panels don’t feature any more breathable materials as is often found in higher end winter jackets. This means better insulation when not moving anywhere, but when exerting yourself up a climb for example, it can get too warm. 

A way around this is often a dual-zip, opening at the bottom allowing for a large exhaust of warm air with reduced fabric flapping. With a single zip this means just opening the front and turning the jacket into a slight parachute. It’s a small gripe, but it is something I generally look for in a winter jacket.

Value

And so we reach the star of the show with this jacket, the value. For a winter cycling jacket with this level of insulation, windproofing, and DWR effectiveness, price points will often be £150-200. The Van Rysel comes in at £69.99, less than half that.

The Van Rysel Winter Road Cycling Jacket Endurance really is exceptionally good value for what it offers. There are jackets with additional features, such as the previously mentioned dual zip or more breathable fabric panels at the rear for breathability. However, they will all cost at least double what the Van Rysel does, so you have to ask if those small additions are really make or break for you.

In terms of maintaining warmth in the coldest conditions it does exceptionally well for the price. There are warmer jackets out there, and there are certainly jackets out there that keep you as warm whilst maintaining breathability, but they all cost nearly £200 or more. The fit is a bit more relaxed here too, but to get a better fit again will cost more. 

For winter gravel riding the Van Rysel is actually pretty ideal too, especially with the huge array of pockets and storage options, not just because it performs well, but also if you trash it as is far more likely when riding off-road, it won't have cost you quite so much.

Verdict

With great levels of insulation and highly effective weatherproofing, the Van Rysel Winter Road Cycling Jacket really is a great piece of kit. Add to that the vast array of storage options and some neat practical features and it becomes a very strong contender. It’s not the most breathable in warmer conditions though, or when riding at a high intensity, and the fit is certainly more on the relaxed side and perhaps better suited for gravel riding.

However, if you want a jacket that will be great in freezing conditions, and you want a huge amount of storage solutions, then this is a great option regardless of price. The low price that potentially makes this better value for money than any other winter cycling jacket is an additional bonus.