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news
roadcc peoples choiceWhich is the best winter cycling jacket? Help decide the road.cc People's Choice
What's your favourite winter cycling jacket? Tell us what keeps you riding through the cold and wet in this week's People's Choice poll.
Keeping your core temperature up is one of the secrets of conquering the winter, along with protecting your hands and feet. To ward off the cold and wet you need a good jacket - but which one? As we discussed in our guide to winter jacket options, you've never had more choice.
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You know the weather is bad then even the pros have reached for the rain gear (CC BY-SA 2.0 Richard Masoner/Flickr)
Do you go for a fully waterproof hard shell; tough it out with a windproof over warm layers; or wrap up in the latest high-tech soft shell?
What's your priority? Absolute waterproof performance, warmth, or round-town visibility? Tell us in the comments below.
Here's how it works:
- Post a comment to nominate a product. Check it hasn't already been nominated. Add a link to the product wherever you can.
- Like a comment to vote for that product. Remember to like your own comment if you're nominating something.
- One comment per product. Any multiple comments will be deleted and their likes will not count towards a product's score. The first nomination will be the one that is counted.
- One product per comment. Otherwise the voting doesn't make any sense.
- Maximum 30 nominations per award. Once we hit 30 nominations we will close the nomination process.
- All votes will be counted up until the closing date. Votes after this may appear but will not be counted.
- We reserve the right to remove any comment at our sole discretion.
- Closing date is 10am, Wednesday, September 16.
Over to you!
John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.
He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.
Since then he has worked on MTB Pro magazine and was editor of Maximum Mountain Bike and Australian Mountain Bike magazines, before switching to the web in 2000 to work for CyclingNews.com. Along with road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, John was on the launch team for BikeRadar.com and subsequently became editor in chief of Future Publishing’s group of cycling magazines and websites, including Cycling Plus, MBUK, What Mountain Bike and Procycling.
John has also written for Cyclist magazine, edited the BikeMagic website and was founding editor of TotalWomensCycling.com before handing over to someone far more representative of the site's main audience.
He joined road.cc in 2013. He lives in Cambridge where the lack of hills is more than made up for by the headwinds.
Latest Comments
- Simon E 26 min 43 sec ago
The bike industry is not struggling because high-end bikes have £10,000 price tags....
- mattw 37 min 36 sec ago
Signed and promoted in a couple of my networks.
- mattw 47 min 10 sec ago
Trying to work out why I need a £390 3d printed titanium bottle cage....
- wtjs 3 hours 5 min ago
Good point! Over 18 months later, and I haven't seen (could have missed it!) a long term review of this groupset
- wtjs 3 hours 13 min ago
What was supposed to be a 10-minute drive turned into a journey of an hour and 45 minutes The Joy, The Joy!
- unami 3 hours 18 min ago
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/exclusive/365458/driver-whose-towbar-voide......
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A lake caused by a cycle lane speed hump/raised crossing will be a familiar sight to anyone who commutes on CS7 in London.
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Pogi and a few of the others are on the divisive new Colnago aero bike in those Insta photos.
- chrisonabike 6 hours 30 min ago
I prefer "dressing for the destination" - so if I want woke headgear I'll just put my thinking cap on, thanks.
- Keesvant 7 hours 39 min ago
Been using this light for 2 years now.....
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34 comments
GORE XENON soft-shell for cold days is amazing. It will handle rain too. If not as cold Gore Oxygen Active Shell is great.
I'll nominate the Foska Oska Hi-Vis Waterproof Cycling Jacket.
http://www.foska.com/oska-hi-vis-waterproof-cycling-jacket-black.html
Great jacket for wet winter days!
There you go then Road.CC minions, try and sort a result out of that lot. Who needs instructions.
There you go then Road.CC minions, try and sort a result out of that lot. Who needs instructions.
Endura Windchill - not truly waterproof, but my go-to jacket throughout the winter. Windproof front and arms, chest pocket, side vents, 'classic' cut, does it all for me.
Assos rS.sturmPrinz EVO in lolly red for cold and wet but for cold and dry I use Rapha Classic softshell.
If its cold - Rapha Pro Team Jacket
If its raining - Gore Oxygen
Castelli Gabba short sleeve with nanoflex arm warmers, or if it's really tipping down Gore Oxygen Gore-Tex Active Shell.
Funkier Waterproof Rain Jacket AW15
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/funkier-waterproof-rain-jacket-aw15/r...
Took a punt on this jacket earlier in the year and I'm really pleased with it. Rolls up to fit in a jersey pocket, isn't very sweaty etc. and obviously keeps the rain out. I bought the black one, but will probably buy the day-glow one too for better commuting visibility.
Castelli Gabba - I thought it was great in the first version I bought a couple of years ago, but the recent upgrade to Gabba 2 is more than worth loaning Wiggle some more of my money. Teamed up with Nano Flex arm warmers and a decent base layer and there is no weather to keep me off my bike.
This is my choice - well fitting, warm, not too bulky, high viz factor, speedy delivery -http://www.prendas.co.uk/prendas-ciclismo-winter-jacket-gore-windstopper...
Lusso Windtex Aero Jacket, Just ticks all the box's for me.
Stolen Goat Climb & Conquer. Awesome jacket, which saw me through some truly shitty conditions last winter. Looks great, and is a steal at that price.
http://road.cc/content/review/143545-stolen-goat-climb-conquer-winter-cy...
If it's raining a Goretex Power jacket.
Rapha Pro Team Jacket. What they said and linked to above. The most versatile multi season (the cold ones) bit of kit Rapha have ever made.
Castelli Gabba. Anything from 15 down to 3 degrees with a decent baselayer. Its the most versatile piece of kit I have. Ok, its not the best in extremes but even if you get wet you stay warm. Good for 80% of rides between october and april.
Assos iJ.BonKa.6 Cento for me.
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/category/clothing/jackets/product/rev...
Not technically a jacket (though it kind of is in all but name) but the Rapha Winter Jersey has kept me nice 'n toasty over the last winter. I don't think I'll need anything warmer than that.
I can only comment on the jackets I have.
Rapha Softshell, bought in 2004/2005. It is a bit worse for wear now but has always been good. Windproof and warm unless it is raining because but its not in the least bit waterproof. But lack of waterproofing makes it very breathable. Great fit and cut, dual purpose as I don't mind wearing it off the bike. Only real complaint is that the leather bit on the shoulder is pleather not real leather.
Sportful Fiandre NoRain jacket - nuff Z
http://road.cc/content/review/72530-sportful-fiandre-norain-jacket
Castelli Motorolo 3
http://www.castellicafe.co.uk/castelli-mortirolo-3-jacket-winter-jacket
Castelli Alpha jacket for me. Thought the Gabba was good but this is a class above, almost a shame to wear it in foul weather!?
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/castelli-alpha-jacket/
Don't forget to LIKE your own posts folks!
Apart from when it rains - which is refreshingly rare in London - then I've found the dhb Blade Windslam jersey (http://road.cc/content/review/69034-dhb-blade-windslam-jersey) perfect with varying layers underneath.
I'm comfortable with the 'ninja' look - though I did once have some builders stop their van to offer me a High-vis vest
Gore Phantom over a long sleeve merino top is enough for winter commuting for me - fabulously versatile jacket - with a thinner top and/or the sleeves zipped off it gets worn almost all year round.
My commute does take me up Cromford Hill (a fair bit slower than Wiggins & his mates will be going on Friday) though, so I don't need to wrap up too warm.
@bikeandy61 I can vicariously agree, my wife loves hers.
I have an Endura "Convert" softshell which is similar in function. The *one* thing the Convert has over the Phantom imho is the addition of a Napoleon pocket. I find that very useful on a commute.
Overall though I don't think you can name a "best" winter jacket as it all depends on the sort of riding you do and in what conditions.
Rapha Softshell Gillet. It's not on the current list at Rapha. Bought it in 2004/05 not sure which. Fantastic piece of kit. Fit is great even for a fat knacker like me (surprising for Rapha racing snake fit), great pockets (including a side zipped key pocket). Wonderful fabric(s). It really is one of my favourite items of clothing. It gets worn over most of the winter, not yet found a problem with temperature in all sorts of weather. When it's fully zipped up you feel really protected. Other than starting out in a torrential downpour there is rarely a reason this won't do for me late autumn/winter/early spring. Well worth even Rapha's asking price IMHO (assuming they ever offer it again).
This is a brilliant jacket, although calling it a jacket never quite seems right. It manages to seemlessly blend working very much like a winter weight jersey with much more or the protection that you would expect from a jacket. It is light and very compfortable, even without a jersey beneath it (more jersey than jacket). It is designed for fast hard riding, so breathes really well. Layer up and it provides good protection against wind, light showers and cold. It quickly gets overwhelmed by proper rain, but it isn't sold as a rain jacket.
For all but the worst conditions in the winter this is the bit of clothing that i turn to the most.
I like my Rapha Pro Team Jacket:
http://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/shop/pro-team-jacket/product/PJC02
I bought an older version of this jacket for £80, 2 years ago and looking at it the other day, it will do this winter no prob. Warm and well made.
http://galibier.cc/product/colombiere-defense-training-jacket/
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