Velocio Alpha Zero jacket review: The last word in warmth for winter riding

Supremely well insulated, waterproof enough to shrug off rain, and with enough room for substantial mid layers. With this on the market, what's stopping you riding now?

A white man in a royal blue winter cycling jacket stands against a white wall
(Image: © Will Jones)

Cyclingnews Verdict

The ultimate cosy jacket for riding in very cold and damp conditions. Warm in itself, but with ample room for some serious layers underneath too, and extremely comfortable, but too hot for any intense efforts.

Pros

  • +

    Extremely warm

  • +

    Roomy enough for plenty of layers

  • +

    Never constricting

  • +

    Can shrug off water well

Cons

  • -

    Not very aero

  • -

    Can easily overheat with intense efforts

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

My schedule of testing the best winter cycling jackets is coming to a close, but it’s definitely finishing on a high with a flurry of excellent options. I’ve recently finished reviewing the Assos Equipe R Habu winter jacket, and while it’s utterly marvellous for most of the riding I do, I appreciate that it doesn’t necessarily tick the box for those of you who are after the warmest setup possible at the expense of all else. 

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Testing scorecard and notes
AttributesNotesRating
FitRoomy without being overly baggy, which is no mean feat. Not for the aero bunch, but perfect for layering8/10
ProtectionMore waterproof than most winter jackets, and so warm it's more than you could ever need with the right layers underneath.10/10
FeaturesYou get three pockets and a double zip, but nit much more than that. 7/10
BreathabilityNot its strong suit, and it can get quite toasty on hard or extended efforts. 7/10
ValueFor staying warm above all else it does represent decent value, but in the round the lack of features knock it down a touch. 8/10
Overall ratingRow 5 - Cell 1 40/50 (80%)
Will Jones
Senior Tech Writer

Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.

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