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ETC Warm Up Full Zip Tights Black

8
£42.00

VERDICT:

8
10
A simple solution to keeping warm pre-event – and when stopping for a brew mid-ride
Decent value
Comfortable
Simple to use
Quite long in the leg
Weight: 
285g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The ETC Warm Up Full Zip Tights live up to their name well – great for warming up before an event or just as an extra layer you can add or remove without faffing with taking your shoes or overshoes off first. They are well made, comfortable and well priced against the competition too.

Primarily, the ETCs are designed for warming up or warming down at events like races or sportives. With a zip that runs down the full length of each leg, they can be whipped off in a matter of seconds, like you're in The Full Monty, without the need to remove your shoes first. Ideal if the warm-up area is on wet mud or grass.

2021 ETC Warm Up Full Zip Tights Black - unzipped.jpg

Getting them on is a bit more of a challenge, at least the first time anyway, as you try to work out which section of fabric lines up with another. Once you've done it a couple of times it gets easier to master.

There is plenty of stretch in the fabric, which allows you to keep the zip away from your skin as you pull it up or down.

2021 ETC Warm Up Full Zip Tights Black - side full zip.jpg

The fleece-backed fabric is very warm and soft against the skin. It also has plenty of stretch for wearing them on the bike, should you want to ride to an event or warm up on the turbo trainer. I tested the ETC Zip Off Leg Warmers recently and found that because of a lack of flex in the zip area they were uncomfortable to wear when actually pedalling. That isn't true of these tights, as the whole lot flexes and moves together. I noticed no discomfort even when riding 20-odd miles in them.

2021 ETC Warm Up Full Zip Tights Black - full zip.jpg

Depending on the brand, I wear primarily a medium but also sometimes a large in bib tights. I found the ETCs to be a good fit in large; I could get away with a medium but as they are going to be going over a pair of bib shorts I liked the little bit of extra room.

Once on, I did find them long in the leg, with quite a bit of rucked-up fabric at the bottom. It's not a massive deal as it's not like these are performance tights where aerodynamics is key.

2021 ETC Warm Up Full Zip Tights Black - ankles.jpg

The ETCs are really quite versatile. Not only are they useful for warming up, I found them handy to stuff in my frame bags on the gravel bike, just in case I stopped to make a brew trailside. They'd be ideal for bikepacking if you wanted something warm to chuck on when not on the bike, while keeping bulk down for travelling.

Priced at £42, they offer good value for money too. Lusso's Full Monty Warm Up Thermal Tights are currently £64.99, for instance, although Liam was very impressed with the Outeredge Full Zip Warm Up Tights when he tested them back in 2015, and they are still available now for around £36.99. But Santini's similar offerings are £85.

> Spring cycling clothing guide: how to choose and use the best gear

For the money, the ETCs are also very well made. All the stitching is neat and well finished and the zips run smoothly in both directions.

Overall, they're top quality, really easy to use and very versatile.

Verdict

A simple solution to keeping warm pre-event – and when stopping for a brew mid-ride

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: ETC Warm Up Full Zip Tights Black

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for

They are tights with zips that run fully down each leg, allowing you to remove them before an event without having to take off your shoes.

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

ETC lists:

* Fleece Lined

* Full length Zip for easy on & off

* Warm up and don't need to stretch over shoes

* Great for MTB and Cyclocross

* Elasticated Top and Ankle

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
7/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
7/10

A little long in the leg compared to some tights.

Rate the product for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

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

Went through the wash plenty of times with no issues.

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

Really simple to get on and off without the faff of removing your shoes.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Very comfortable on and off the bike.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

I found the legs quite long, but it's not a big quibble.

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

There are quite a few options on the market at varying price points, but the ETCs are well priced against the likes of Lusso's Full Monty or those from Santini.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

They're very good: really useful and versatile, well made throughout, and very comfortable to wear, without breaking the bank.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 42  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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