Altura All Roads Men’s Lightweight Cycling Jacket review

Altura bills the All Roads Men's Lightweight Cycling Jacket as an "easy to wear casual style jacket".

Its fit is comfortable and it proved breathable during testing, although there were some notable flaws.

It’s made for cycling, but does the casual style element of the design detract from performance on the bike?

Altura All Roads Men’s Cycling Jacket specs and performance

Altura’s Night Vision jacket has long been a staple of UK riders, one famed for its water-thwarting abilities.

The thinner All Roads, however, is only billed as water resistant.

It’s pretty limited in wet conditions: my jumper underneath was soaked during a 10-minute commute in a January shower, despite the presence of a Durable Water Resistant (DWR) finish.

Although not claimed to be totally waterproof, the essence of a cycling jacket with a water-resistant finish is to protect you from the elements. Here, it doesn’t impress.

However, the jacket sits nicely on the body, and the extras – including two zipped pockets and a stashable hood – make it worthy of that All Roads title.

Breathability is impressive thanks to the lean mix of polyester and elastane fabric, but there are more protective, windproof combinations in existence than this elastane and polyester blend.

The two zipped side pockets, both sizeable enough for a roving buffet, are easy to undo on the move.

I wouldn’t trust a phone in them during a shower, however, so I’d recommend taking a waterproof phone case in addition.

There’s also an open rear compartment for easy access, which enables the All Roads to be stashed into a moderately sized ball. It’s probably too big and heavy for extended storage in the pocket of a jersey pocket, but it’ll fit easily into a frame bag or cycling backpack.

The peaked hood can be rolled up neatly and secured with two hoops, and it’ll sit under the rear side of a bike helmet if needed.

Elasticated internal cuffs are a neat touch for blocking draughts and adding further comfort, as is the classy full-length zipper garage.

The zipper, meanwhile, is easy to undo on the move with one hand, unlike many fully waterproof options, which can be quite stiff.

Reflective details on the rear and sleeves lend the All Roads some commuting appeal. I’ve happily worn the jacket hiking and, with the dropped tail being excessively long, to the pub, supermarket and on the school run.

Altura All Roads Men’s Cycling Jacket bottom line

Overall, though, I’m struggling to find concrete reasons for recommending the All Roads purely for cycling.

It feels more like a casual and comfortable outdoors jacket that can cope with the occasional road or gravel ride in dry spring and early autumn conditions.

In short, although it has its plus points, Altura has far more focused wind and water resistors in its catalogue than the All Roads.