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Lidl thermals for motorcyclists – Bob Pickett adds a (thin) extra layer to keep warm in the coldest months

Photograph by Laura Pickett

Spider-Bob, Spider-Bob, does whatever a Spider-Bob does... As we all know, the more layers you wear, the warmer you get. But riding a motorbike, you really don’t want to have those layers becoming intrusive and restricting your field of movement.

Specially designed thermals for motorcyclists are the answer. You want the base layer to be thin, but still keep you warm. It also has to be flexible so as not to reduce movement. These are readily available, but tend to be fairly pricy, with top and leggings costing as much as £50 or more, per item… unless you shop at budget supermarket Lidl.

Twice a year, Lidl sells motorcycle clothing. And in that range, they include specially designed thermals, which retail at a fraction of the cost – the ones being reviewed here cost just £21 for top and leggings combined (2009 prices).

Thought has clearly gone into the design. There are three different types of panel, varying from thin and very flexible for those areas that are less exposed, up to thick, ridged panels where the most need for warmth is required. And they’re effective. Temperatures fell below zero Celsius, so I popped them on. And I was way, way warmer than just wearing conventional layers on top and my legs were easily more than twice as warm.

They’re also flexible, being elastic, but still stay in place despite moving around on the bike. And they achieve the aim of not restricting movement at all as they are so thin. The other bonus is that they roll up very small indeed, small enough to take up next to no space in a rucksack.

Verdict: These are an excellent buy. You’ll probably only need to wear them a few times during the year, but when you do, they will make the difference between arriving feeling warm and happy, or cold and miserable. And at the price, they are fantastic value.

Lidl have a couple of sales of motorcycle kit a year – either keep an eye on their website, or sign up for their free newsletter, so you’re notified of the bike clothing sale before it starts.

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