Zerofit was founded in Japan in 2005, and for the last 19 years it has been expanding around the globe with its range of sporting base layers. But it’s the involvement of former Ireland international rugby legend Brian O’Driscoll earlier in 2023 as a shareholder and brand ambassador that has really propelled the business in the UK and Europe, with a new European HQ being set up in County Antrim to service dealers.
Zerofit’s range caters for bikers of any type – touring, commuting or track – and BSB racer Glenn Irwin has been signed up as a new brand ambassador to test and promote the brand for the motorcycle community.
The range consists of four different types of base layer: for the summer months, where keeping cool, rather than warm, is the issue, there are the Ice Weave and Cold Skin which rapidly wick away sweat while keeping dry to the touch. However, it is currently the middle of winter, so my attention was drawn to the Heatrub Move and Heatrub Ultimate ranges. The Move uses a two-layer polypropylene and hollow polyester construction designed to provide both warmth and sweat-wicking properties, making it ideal for active sports during cooler weather. It comes as a unisex long sleeve top in a choice of five colours for £40 SRP, and as leggings in black only for £45 SRP.
For the optimum way of keeping warm on a bike Zerofit has the Ultimate base layer, which is claimed to be five times warmer than competing products. The Ultimate has Heat Threads on the inside, which brush against the skin to generate warmth, and when tested by a Japanese institute it was found to have a heat retention rating of 0.78 – double that of a sweater. It comes as a unisex long sleeve top in a choice of six colours, or male and female leggings in black only, at £60 SRP for each garment.
When putting the Heatrub Ultimate outfit on, it feels amazingly soft to the touch. The instructions say it can be worn looser than conventional base layers, as the technology doesn’t require it to trap air against the skin, but these fit quite snug so I’d recommend going up a size over your normal choice if you prefer a looser fit. That said, the fabric is very stretchy so there is plenty of leeway when it comes to sizing. The material is noticeably thicker than conventional base layers, but once on they aren’t at all restrictive and you barely notice you are wearing them.
To counter single-digit temperatures I went the whole hog, donning the Ultimate top, leggings and socks for my daily commute. Over those went a pair of single skin riding jeans, a midweight fleece and my Dane jacket along with its thermal liner. The result was that I had to make a sharp exit from the house as I was too warm indoors. Things settled down once on the bike and I was kept at a comfortable temperature all the way in to work. Of course, how warm you are will depend on weather conditions, riding kit and the fairing/screen on your bike, but the Ultimate Heatrub outfit does an excellent job of maintaining core temperature for as long as possible, and should significantly reduce the need for multiple layers.
Zerofit Europe;
02896 013757;
[email protected]