Sparx Long Sleeve Winter Cycling Thermal Skinsuit Pro Team Bicycle Suit Bike Racing Suit Cycle Kit 3D Pad

I love cycling, but I do not love cycling in winter weather and low temps. To get over my dislike of cool weather biking, I ordered a bunch of cold weather gear, including this thermal skinsuit by Sparx.

Bottom-line, this product runs small and you should consider ordering a size up. I would also recommend ordering your size and then the next one up to see which fits best.

I’m 5’10” and ~190lbs, so, definitely not the svelte cyclist. My XL size Sparx skinsuit feels tight, and most cycling gear is, but a little tighter than I would like.

Performance on rides has been excellent. The skinsuit does keep me warm—enough that I frequently have to partially unzip on rides to vent. I also sweat a lot on rides, and especially so with this suit.

I can’t say that my views on winter riding has improved much since wearing the Sparx skinsuit, but, it’s viable, at least.

I have a confession. I have not worn this on my bicycle. However, I have worn it for a 200 mile ride on my motorcycle as a base layer. A week later I had an accident, so i have not had a chance to wear it on my bicycle due to a few broken ribs. The review below is based on my experience wile wearing it on my ride.

There was a chill to the air in the morning I decided to wear this winter jersey under my gear. My gear is very breathable, so the jersey was the warmest thing I was wearing. Riding to the trail was a bit cooler than I would have liked, but I was going about 3X the speed I typically bicycle. I would imagine that it would be much more comfortable at 25 MPH (40kph). As the day went on I heated up, but I never got wet or sticky. The Jersey was great at wicking away moisture.

The saddle pad was comfortable, not too bulky, and did not bunch at all. Everything on the inside was soft, and there were no hot spots from the ride. I will update in the next few weeks once I’m able to get on the bicycle and get better information.

So I bought the most ridiculous graphics on the Jersey for visibility. I love the yellow, but the yellow on black graphics did not come through very well. See the 2nd picture. The sail boat and Anchors came through fine, but the Sailboat and the Aloha!! were a little smudgy. The pineapple barely came through. The black on Yellow graphics turned out great. This did not affect the functionality of the jersey, and I did not rate the Jersey lower because of it.

Funny thing about the cut. If you wear pants over the jersey, the yellow in the back is tapered and makes it look like you’re wearing a g string onesie. Without overpants it is fine.

In short, very comfortable, great fit, great wicking, and comfortable pad. Look forward to riding in a few weeks.

Edit: Ribs are healed and I wore this on a road ride up the mountain. The pads held up great, and it kept me warm on the brisk 60 degree f day. The thickness of the material worked great. It kept me warm and wicked the sweat away when it started to warm up. The pad worked great for protecting my sensitive areas.

That point on the back of the jersey still makes me giggle.

If you’re used to skin suits, this will take very little adapting to. It’s heavier than a pure Lycra suit given the blend of fabrics used which optimize thermal retention and sweat dissipation. I was very impressed with the stitching and paneling, very professionally done. When I tried it on, fit like a glove and the warm fleece like material started warming me up. On the outside, it feels like Lycra and is relatively smooth. But, and it makes sense, the blend of both materials makes this overall suit relatively heavy. Now it would be equal to layering, so I am impressed, here you have 1 suit, probably with an under layer upper, will prove great for winter riding. Basically, I will use this for limited rides well under 2 hours, since winter for me, below 50 degrees and above 40 degrees, is when I go out. I used to race in the 80s up in New England, and would go out in all kinds of winter weather , teens were normal and 30 was beach weather 🤣. Now that I am in my early 60s and taking care of my heart and health, I have no need to submit myself to such harsh temperatures and I live in the South Central U.S., where teens are infrequent. I hope this helps you in your purchase; the sizing chart, by the way, is very accurate. Also, skin suits are not easy to get into, until you use them a number of times, so don’t be alarmed if you’re a first timer to these things, just be honest with your sizing and adhere to the provided charts when ordering; don’t cheat😉

I use this on a motorcycle with a balaclava when I’m doing cold weather riding. Having this as my underlayer dramatically helps me to stay warm. I pair it with some heated socks and heated gloves and you can stay nice and toasty for long periods of time even in sub 50 degree weather at 60mph. Would also be great for skiing, hunting, or any other activity when you’re spending longer periods of time in the cold.