dhb Aeron LAB Raceline Long Sleeve Speedsuit

The dhb Aeron LAB Raceline Long Sleeve Speedsuit is one of the most comfortable that I've worn and makes a great plain option for privateer racers. There are no tight spots and the materials are very soft with a close but unrestrictive fit. I do feel like number pockets would have been a more sensible addition over the three small jersey-style pockets on the back, though.

As luck would have it, I got the dhb speedsuit in for testing in the summer of cancelled races. If you're wondering why that's an issue, speedsuits aren't usually the comfiest garments, often favouring a very close fit in an aero position over any sort of give. There are also often sniggers should you arrive for the group ride in such a garment. Speedsuits are best saved for races, where comfort and looks are trumped by going fast. As a result, I'm reviewing this from a racer's perspective.

When I say that the dhb speedsuit is comfortable, I mean that it doesn't squeeze you like a sausage casing. There's quite a bit of give in the various materials used and this allows the speedsuit to conform to you.

One of my favourite features is the plain design. The minimal logos and all-black colour scheme will make this an ideal choice for the privateer racer. British Cycling has a rather archaic rule that racers above cat. 3 must wear club/team kit, but I've only ever seen this enforced in a select number of road races. So cyclo-crossers and lower category racers, you'll be fine in this.

With the popularity of the NoPinz pockets growing at all levels, I'm a bit disappointed to see this speedsuit go without some form of number pocket. They save you from pinning your race numbers on, which can easily ruin a speedsuit (or add ventilation holes, depending on your view) and I don't see a massive need for three rear pockets here. On the short sleeve version that is more of a day race suit, that's another matter, but here I think dhb has missed a trick.

One thing dhb has nailed is the comfortable chamois pad, especially when tucked down in an aero riding position. I didn't find any creasing here and the material is very soft. Top marks for the Elastic Interface pad.

The question of 'is this speedsuit a fast speedsuit?' can be answered with a simple shrug. dhb says that it has been in a wind tunnel where data influenced the placement of the seams, but there's no hard data on the product page. I can't say it was holding me back, but other speedsuits have hard data showing that they make you faster.

The fit is very close and I didn't find anywhere where this wasn't the case. Getting my hands through the wrist openings was a tad tricky due to the tightness and silicone gripper on the cuff. You just need to be careful to avoid tearing this if you're a bit late to the startline.

The legs are cut quite long, presumable for our old friend aerodynamics. On me the material stopped just above the knee and was perfectly comfortable. The speedsuit I have here is a small and that's what I'd usually wear, so I'd say that the garment runs true to size.

One feature that I love is the low-cut neckline. While this reveals the chest hair when stood up, it fits perfectly when you're tucked down in the drops, allowing you to do the zip up fully and leave no material flapping in the wind.

The Vislon zipper is very good when you need to half unzip on a steep climb. Given the tension in the surrounding material, it locks into position impressively.

There's also a radio pocket should you find yourself in a race where they're allowed.

At £190, this is one of the cheaper long sleeve speedsuit/skinsuits on the market, but it's in a minority that don't feature a pocket for your race number. You've got a lot of speedsuit options, though we've tested none of the following: BioRacer's Speedconcept TT (£209), the Castelli Body Paint 4.X Speed Suit (£225), HUUB's 4Zero9 Speedsuit (£299), the NoPinz Aerocoach Flow (£334.99), Assos' Equipe RS Rapidfire LS Chronosuit S9 (£390) and Endura's D2Z Encapsulator (£429.99).

For a great day race option, Castelli's San Remo 4.0 is £250, or there is the short sleeve version of this dhb speedsuit at £180. I'd say these short-sleeve skinsuits would be better if you're road racing, with the long-sleeve options above better for time trials and cyclo-cross.

> How to get into time trialling: Tips for racing against the clock

If you're looking for a long sleeve speedsuit with a plain design for racing, dhb's Aeron LAB Race Line Speedsuit is a very good option. It is comfortable and fits well, but I wish a number pocket had been included in place of the standard three rear pockets.

Verdict

Comfortable and close-fitting speedsuit ideal for privateer racers, but a number pocket would have been great