£200 VS £2,000 KIT

Tom Marvin and Alex Evans pit an affordable set of winter clothing against a money-no-object outfit, in the harshest conditions – and the results might surprise you...

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Throw enough cash at any problem and it can usually be solved. It costs billions to send people to space, millions to develop new medicines and tens of thousands to buy a car capable of overtaking everyone else on a German autobahn.

You can also easily spend over £1,000 on kit to keep you warm and dry on your bike over winter. Jackets, trousers, shoes, riding glasses and helmets can cost hundreds each. Gloves might set you back more than a night out, while base- and midlayers aren't cheap either, especially 'nice' ones bought from MTB-specific brands.

But is this a cost you have to bear? Or can you kit yourself out with a decent winter outfit that doesn't cost the earth but still keeps you warm and dry? To find out, we waited for the most disgusting day on the weather forecast and sent our MBUK TV presenter Tom and tester Alex out in the rain to suffer on your behalf.

Alex lucked out, because he was given the extremely long straw of putting together the most expensive set of kit he could track down. Tom, on the other hand, was sent to the high street to trawl the outdoor and sports shops, and try to buy a full winter riding outfit for under £200.

With the rain tipping down, it was time to find out how they'd fare on the trails... Trying to get a full winter outfit for under £200 was always going to be a bit of a challenge, so while Alex has listed the full RRPs of his clothing choices, I've cheated the system a bit and listed the reduced prices I paid on the high street. Let's face it - if you're on a budget, it's realistic there'll be a bit of shopping around to avoid paying full-whack for kit.