The cold weather came to stay a couple months back, and I’ve been riding in winter clothing ever since. My usual kit (Specialized full zip winter jersey and winter bibs) has been expanded to now include a full zip winter jersey, bibs, and pants from Funkier.
To be honest, Funkier was a brand I had never heard of before. I had no idea what to expect of the clothing, but when I unboxed the kit I was not disappointed. Head past the jump for a full review.
First, a little more on Funkier the brand. Funkier is an Israeli brand that was founded in 1990. They specialize in cycling apparel, with their product line covering jerseys, bibs, shorts, baggies, winter jerseys, jackets, rain jackets, vests, tri suites and their newly introduced shoes. All products are designed, developed, and tested in Israel, then manufactured in China for cost savings. While the brand is touted as a market leader in Israel, and has had recent global success, they are in the process of expanding into the United States and have established a US office in Florida.
Winter Long Sleeve Jersey:
This is a full zip winter jersey made using microfleece fabric, and it includes their Quickdry coating. More on Quickdry from Funkier,
“Clothing treated with QUICK DRY Active Protection offer maximum wear comfort for all activities. Through the special fabric structure of the material, body generated moisture and vapor from inside the garment is allowed to quickly escape outward. Garments with this protection offer the highest level of wear comfort in all types of activities. Comfort and ease of movement.”
The jersey also includes three rear pocks, along with a zippered, waterproof pocket in the rear center. All the pockets are easily accessible. The zippered rear pocket is plenty big enough to hold my keys, identification, and money.
Now for the important part. Is it warm? Yes. Very. This jersey, with a winter base layer, is good down to about 38 degrees without a shell. Add a decent windproof / waterproof shell and you are good to go down to about 28 degrees (the coldest I have used it in yet). It ventilates fairly well, and I don’t find myself overheating in it. On a side note, I have started running (training to next years cross season) and this is what I have been wearing. It works well for this too. I ran the other night when it was 28 degrees and a bit windy with only this jersey and an Under Armour non-winter compression base layer. I never got to warm, nor was I ever to cold.
At 6’2 and 199 lbs, I usually go for a XL, and sizing on this particular XL is just right for me. The fit is formfitting in a tight but not to tight kind of way. And, the sleeves are just the right length so that they don’t slide up when bent over in the drops. They also have elastic at the ends to help keep them in place.
The waist has a rubberized strip running it’s circumference. This works well to keep the bottom from riding up, but I do occasionally find myself having to pull it down just a bit.
The only complaint I have is a minor one. I would prefer the neck to come up just a bit higher, and include a zipper garage.
Cost: $59.95 direct from Funkier via their online shop.
Winter Tights:
I almost never wear tights, as I much prefer riding in bibs. These showed up in the box however, so I thought I’d give them a whirl. The XL fit well, and with my 33” inseam I did not find the pants to be too short. At the ankle there is a zipper making it easier to get them on and off, and on the inside you will find a rubberized strip to help hold them in place.
The multi panel construction has quality stitching, and I really like the grey thread used. It’s very visually appealing. The dark purple coloring on the patches that include the logo give these pants a bit of a downhill ski look.
The waist comes up high enough so that it doesn’t roll over while in the drops. This is something that my other pair of tights does often, and I hate it. Hence the fact that I ride bibs.
Now onto the most important part, the chamois. It has quickly become a favorite of mine. The match between my back side, this chamois, and my Specialized Toupee saddle was magical. The material is a tad bit thicker than what I have on my Specialized winter bibs, and it is fairly dense padding. Here is what Funkier has to say about their C7 chamois:
“Antibacterial extra smooth and light fabric for maximum moisture transference. Full sublimation print innovative design, allowing breathability and a silky feel, yet adding to the groove. High density foam inserts. 4 way stretch for high freedom of movement. Anatomically shaped and designed for the ultimate riding experience. Suitable for both – MOUNTAIN and ROAD biking for long distance rides”
These microfleece lined tights are good down to about 35 degrees on their own, and with a pair of rain pants over them, you should be good down to 25 degrees. Keep in mind however, I really like riding in the cold, so my idea of acceptable temperatures may be a bit off from others.
While I don’t normally ride tights such as these, I am glad I have them at my disposal, and they have / will see more saddle time that I had anticipated.
Cost: $89.95
Winter Bibs:
As stated, I prefer bibs, and these microfleece winter bibs from Funkier are among the most comfortable I have worn. My size XL, as with the tights, fits perfectly. It is snug, but not to tight. The zipper comes up fairly high on the my chest to help keep you toasty warm on cold days. The stitching is of the same quality as the tights, and now that I am several washes in and nothing has fallen apart, I’d say these are going to hold up just fine for a few seasons.
The bottom of the legs have zippers with reflective piping, as well as an inner rubber strip to help keep them in place. However, they also have stirrups to keep the legs from riding up. Not everyone may be a fan of these, but they look easy enough to hack off with scissors should you prefer to go without. I was a bit apprehensive about them myself, but I don’t even notice them when wearing my winter shoes. These are good down to about 35 as well on their own. The microfleece lined fabric does not block wind, however, it is fairly breathable.
According to Funkier’s site, the chamois used in the bibs is not the same as the C7 model they use in their winter tights. It is listed as their B7 model. I am hard pressed to tell a difference. From what I can tell the shape is identical, but the padding is every so slightly less dense on the B7. I still find it very comfortable under my posterior.
Cost: $89.95
To sum this all up, the clothing from Funkier is a winter winner in my book. The fabrics keep me warm, yet are somewhat breathable, the garments are durable, and the chamois are very comfortable.