Rivelo Men's Rowsley Gilet

With autumn approaching, the humble gilet is about to become a must-have for most rides. With that in mind it's worth investing in a good one, something like this Rivelo Rowsley. It fits well, offers good protection from the elements and is impressively breathable. A good all-rounder.

Rivelo designs its clothing here in the UK and is keen to point out the amount of testing that goes on in our rather inclement country too. (Although when it comes to manufacturing, Rivelo, like many others, looks to China – in the case of this gilet, anyway.) The quality is very good too. At first glance there doesn't seem anything overly flashy with the 100% polyester construction, but it's the attention to all the little details that makes the Rowsley so complete.

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The fabric itself is quite thick, thicker than the likes of dhb's Aeron Super Light or BTwin's race orientated Aerofit, which explains why the Rivelo is nearly double the weight. What it also means is that the Rowsley is highly durable and much better at shrugging off light rain and heavy drizzle, and it's warmer too. Being bulkier doesn't stop it folding up well; this gilet will still easily pack down to a jersey pocket size in a few folds.

Rivelo says that the Rowsley is water resistant and I'll vouch for that. After getting caught in the rain for two hours at the tail end of a ride, I was suitably impressed with how dry I remained. Not just from the rainfall but also the lack of sweat, because the Rowsley is great when it comes to breathability. It uses a mesh fabric for the side panels, which helps a lot, plus there's a little flap on the back, which is actually there to allow access to jersey pockets, but allows some heat to escape too.

With a mesh baselayer, short sleeve jersey and the gilet, I was good up to about 16°C. With the fresher evenings coming in, the windproof nature of the material stops those chills getting through to your chest, especially when your speed increases.

The fit is tailored for riding but without being too close fitting. Rivelo says its garments offer a true size and you shouldn't need to size up unless you want a relaxed fit. I actually sit somewhere between the medium and large according to the sizing chart, but the medium was spot on – fitted but with plenty of room to move around in.

The tail is dropped for a bit of bum coverage and it seemed a good length too, the front being cut short enough too to stop any bunching when in the saddle.

The zip is full length and it's a YKK one, which tend to be reliable long term, and this one certainly felt smooth in operation. Once fully zipped up there is a small fabric cover, a 'zip garage', to stop any irritation of the neck. The neck is pretty tall too, to stop any draughts from whipping down.

Colour-wise you've got this teal option or a dark blue with red detailing; both get reflective detailing down the rear for a bit of safety. Its position is pretty good too, running the full length of the body and being visible from a good angle spread.

> Read our guide to the best cycling gilets here

At £60 I'd say the Rivelo is right on the money, sitting somewhere in the mid-range price-wise of gilets we've previously tested but performing near the top end. Thanks to the Rowsley's warmth, breathability and ability to combat wet weather, you'll be wearing it for quite a bit of the year, further adding to its value.

Overall, I'd highly recommend the Rivelo Rowsley as a long lasting, high performance gilet.

Verdict

An excellent four-season gilet with great 'packing' qualities