Assos Mille GT Winter Jacket

Tell us what the jacket is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

It is a high performance jacket aimed at people who don't mind spending a bit more to get top performance.

Assos says, "As our price-point winter jacket, this piece employs all of our signature engineering and fabric knowledge. At its core we've employed our tech-savvy NEOS Medium fabric on the chest panels. Engineered by our in-house team, this 3-layer thermal soft-shell has been crafted to hit winter out of the park–whether there's wind, rain, a biting frost, or storms.

"To ensure you don't overheat, we've strategically deployed its lighter sibling on the shoulders, outer arms and dorsal of this jacket–locations that benefit from the lower weight. Rounding off this jacket in pursuit of an ergonomic fit and improved breathability, we've employed our race-proven RX fabric on the back and underarms of this jacket.

"Sticking to ASSOS tradition, this piece is predominately black, which has proven a wise choice to combat dirty winter roads. Naturally we've included selected reflective elements to make sure you're seen on the darkest days. Continuing the design theme of the MILLE GT collection we've included the MILLEgriffe on the underarms of the jacket to give it a little 'pop' from the crowd and remind you that ASSOS is with you on every kilometer of those all-important winter rides."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the jacket?

From Assos:

NEOS MEDIUM: Our in-house developed tri-layer thermo soft-shell constructed with a bonded PU membrane. Water-repellent and close fitting, this tech-savvy textile is waterproof to >10 m, wind-resistant and highly breathable. Deployed here on the frontal panel as a guarantee of heat retention and climate control. A highlight is the ultimate protection it grants against wind and rain. Waterproof >10 MT. High breathability MVP 14.600 gr/m2/24h JIS L 1099 B-1:2006.

NEOS LIGHT: Our in-house developed tri-layer lightweight soft-shell constructed with a bonded PU membrane. Water-repellent and close fitting, this tech-savvy textile is waterproof to >10 m and highly breathable. Used on the upper sleeves and upper back (carré) as a windbreaker and waterproof shell. Waterproof >10 MT. High breathability MVP 27.000 gr/m2/24h JIS L 1099 B-1:2006.

RX: Deployed on the underside of the sleeves and dorsal panel, our proprietary RX is a brushed bi-stretch warp knit fabric with wicking and thermoregulation performance.

'Triple ramp' concept pockets: Using all of our riding experiences we have created our new pocket design with the optimal height for ease of access. Thoroughly tested pocket design with a new, game-changing layout that ensures your contents are secure and stable regardless of your exertion. Internal seams fashion an almost-there lid for the pocket. For this winter jacket these now feature longer reflective stripes for enhanced visibility.

Rear stabilizer S7 knit: A mono-stretch material with minimal give in the vertical axis. The ASSOS rear stabilizer panel design allows for stable, high capacity pockets that won't sag.

2W waistWave construction: For a cleaner look and more ergonomic edges in our Sens Bicolor textile.

Raglan cut: Comfort-led sleeve design with a raglan cut for easy, free movement and reduced drag.

Full-length camLock zip: Slim, lightweight zip for individually adjusting to the conditions.

ID name position: Black silicon print on the left forearm.

Really well made, with the various panels all offering strong seams and a good choice of material.

Couldn't have asked for anything more: great for warmth, breathability, windproofing and water repellency.

Seems like it will last for a long time, as you would hope from something that would make this size hole in your wallet...

Assos claims '>10m' for waterproofing which seems fair; I used this on long, wet rides without any issues.

The two main materials have different breathability ratings: the Neos Medium has a 14,600 gr/m2/24h rating while the Neos Light has 27,000 gr/m2/24h. Overall, the jacket has excellent breathability.

Excellent fit thanks to a performance cut and raglan sleeves, along with strong silicone grippers on the back.

The medium fitted as I would expect a performance medium to fit.

This jacket is lighter than some long-sleeve jerseys; if that isn't an impressive weight then I don't know what is.

It offers great warmth, breathability and waterproofing, and is comfortable regardless of what's thrown at it.

This is a difficult one as there is no doubt that it's an expensive jacket, but when you compare it to others offering similar performance, it's actually pretty good.

How easy is the jacket to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Easy, washed at 30 degrees without any issues.

Tell us how the jacket performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well; I was very happy to have this on my back while braving the worst that the North Kent hills could throw at me.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the jacket

Its breathability; it's excellent and was the single most impressive and unexpected element of this jacket.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the jacket

An all-black jacket in winter could be seen as not ideal, but it looks good and has reflective elements...

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market including ones recently tested on road.cc?

The Castelli Alpha RoS jacket offers a similar level of performance, but comes in £60 more expensive, while the Proviz Reflect360 Elite Men's Cycling Jacket doesn't quite offer the same protection but is still £15 more.

Use this box to explain your overall score

For me to give anything more than 8, it has to be something really special. This jacket really manages it, offering exceptional performance, and despite being a wallet breaker it is far from a rip-off.