Winter Jacket.. Gradeing

skooter

I'm after a winter jacket and a good one but the most important thing is it has to be thermal.. how do you tell how good the jacket is thermally.. is there a scale you can work by.

PS.. As I dont race the jacket could be tight or relaxed fit but any suggestions as well would be great..

Cheers

smidsy

You need to look for something with windproof fabric (usually on front and arms) as it is this that brings the biggest improvements to warmth retention.

There are models with fleece linings too if that is something that you want.

Gore Windstopper etc. are generally rated highly.

Slack

Unfortunately there isn't a universal grading system. One manufacturer who does provide temperature range is Castelli - on their website. Mavic also provide some sort of temperature guide.

For most individuals it comes down to trial and error. Buy what you think will be the most suitable, and then you can adjust your temperature by changing your bases layer/s. Unless you plan on regularly riding in sub-zero temps, I would be inclined to avoid going for a too heavy weight/warm jacket. By choosing a slightly less warm jacket, it will be easy to add extra layers underneath to increase the warmth. This way, you have more of a modular system, rather than a jacket that only benefits you when temperatures are very low.

Wind proofing is the most important point to consider. If you have temps right and and keep the wind out, it doesn't matter if you get wet.

amaferanga

A jacket that's windproof on the front only works best IMO. All over windproof or waterproof always end up being boil in the bag, no matter how breathable the manufacturer claims their fabric is. Beyond getting one that fits you nicely and is windproof on the front there's not much to it. Any jacket will then be warm enough with the right baselayer down to and below zero degrees. My most recent purchase is the Santini Touch which is fine down to around zero degrees Celsius with a standard baselayer. I've worn it with a heavyweight merino baselayer a couple of times when its been greater than zero degrees Celsius and I've been way too hot so it'll be good to well below zero so good for when winter arrives here.

skooter

Thanks for some really helpfull information..
I should of added I live in southeren Spain on a mountain so we dont get a lot of rain.. (14 days a year) but up here it does get cold and I'm a cold morsal anyway.
I've had some good buys with my cycling gear so if I have to pay a bit for good jacket to me it would be worth it..
But as you all have said baselayers or the right baselayers is a good start.

Cheers.

keef66

Well I got a Gore Phantom a couple of months ago. Reduced to £70 in Wiggle's sale. Windstopper fabric with a thinner, breathable back. Bonus is the zip-off sleeves which leaves it as a windproof gilet. Best bit of bike clothing I have. Completely windproof, very breathable, and will shrug off a shower or two.

With a long sleeved merino base layer it's good down to 3-4 c. With a base layer and a l/s jersey I suspect it will see me through the sub zero bits of the winter

drlodge

Forget full jackets, I bought the Endura laser gilet in yellow, and its perfect when used with a baselayer and decent jersey. Its windproof so keeps the body warm in this cold weather, very visible but importantly lets your top half breath. Got mine from JEJames, as CRC where out of stock in this colour.

navrig

keef66 wrote:

Well I got a Gore Phantom a couple of months ago. Reduced to £70 in Wiggle's sale. Windstopper fabric with a thinner, breathable back. Bonus is the zip-off sleeves which leaves it as a windproof gilet. Best bit of bike clothing I have. Completely windproof, very breathable, and will shrug off a shower or two.

With a long sleeved merino base layer it's good down to 3-4 c. With a base layer and a l/s jersey I suspect it will see me through the sub zero bits of the winter

+1

I also have a normal windcheater gilet for the autumn.

cougie

Gilets are great but I use them mostly in the Autumn and Spring. Come the winter its jackets for me - cold arms aren't any fun for three or four hour rides.

I have used a fluo gilet for winter before - added visibility over my black winter jacket. And it keeps the worst of the spray off my jacket.

atakd

I asked a similar question in this thread and ended up with an Endura Windchill. It's certainly windproof with good shower resistance and well made but inside the arms it is very damp after a ride with or without a base layer, presumably from low breathability. I have to say, if my old Aldi jacket at a 1/4 of the price had fitted properly it would have been a better choice, being warmer and more breathable.

bianchimoon

for sub zero riding you can't beat the buffalo cycling jacket, no base layer wear it next to your skin.. toasty, tho style not to everyones liking

skooter

As been mentioned in above posts.. baselayers.

Which makes are thermal and breathable.

Till I get to the UK I have just got a Decathlon cheap jacket which works better than the old motorbike thing I 've been wearing, but my top half did sweat a lot which suggests a more breathable baselayer will be better.

Cheers.

skooter

atakd wrote:

I asked a similar question in this thread and ended up with an Endura Windchill. It's certainly windproof with good shower resistance and well made but inside the arms it is very damp after a ride with or without a base layer, presumably from low breathability. I have to say, if my old Aldi jacket at a 1/4 of the price had fitted properly it would have been a better choice, being warmer and more breathable.

From reading yours and other posts breathable gear is the way to go.

Cheers

FatTed

Gore Phantom is great but I think more a MTB jacket (I have one it's great)
could try this from Ground Effect
http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/product-d ... UR-RAI.htm

skooter

FatTed wrote:

Gore Phantom is great but I think more a MTB jacket (I have one it's great)
could try this from Ground Effect
http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/product-d ... UR-RAI.htm

Few of the guys over here wear MTB stuff as the Spanish think why do you want a MTB jacket and a road jacket?
If its a relaxed fit it should be OK.

keef66

The Phantom might be aimed at mountain bikers but it isn't a baggy cut. Not if you get the right size anyway. Phantom + ls jersey + ls base layer was at times too warm last night; temps hovering around zero. Bloody gritting lorry got me again too :evil:

amaferanga

keef66 wrote:

The Phantom might be aimed at mountain bikers but it isn't a baggy cut. Not if you get the right size anyway. Phantom + ls jersey + ls base layer was at times too warm last night; temps hovering around zero. Bloody gritting lorry got me again too :evil:

I disagree. I bought a Phantom, but sent it back as the cut was way too relaxed. I guess it depends on how fitted you like your stuff, but I'd say the Phantom is a very relaxed fit. The sleeves were nice and long though.

I'm amazed that you need to wear a baselayer and a jersey underneath it though when its around 0°C. This morning it was around -1°C here and I was warm enough (riding 'briskly') with a regular longsleeve baselayer (from Aldi) and a Santini Touch jersey/jacket that's less bulky than the Phantom. If it's really cold, say around -5°C or less, I wear a merino skiiing baselayer with the same jersey/jacket.

skooter

To the posts above I do agree that a good fitting jacket is a must but I do need a jacket for 0c tempertures... as it cold in the mountains..

Cheers for the replies..

keef66

I think I'd have been better in just a decent baselayer to be honest; jersey as well was overkill. I don't like my stuff really skin tight, so the cut suits me.
Gore do have race fit windstopper options for younger racing snakes; sadly I'm neither.

Monty Dog

Keeping your kit minimal is great if you never have to stop - if you get a serious mechanical / puncture stops and are standing around for long periods you soon get cold. A decent windstopper jacket that you can ventilate well e.g. pit-zips and vents is my preference - particularly when you start riding for more than a couple of hours. My fave winter jacket is a Castelli Radiation - has poppered-in reflective inserts for really chilly days, but you can remove them and roll them into your pocket once it warms-up, plus a couple of zipped vents down the front if you're cooking - works for me from about 10 degrees to well below zero.

skooter

keef66 wrote:

I think I'd have been better in just a decent baselayer to be honest; jersey as well was overkill. I don't like my stuff really skin tight, so the cut suits me.
Gore do have race fit windstopper options for younger racing snakes; sadly I'm neither.

I'm definately not a racing snake.. but I dont want to be bound up like a parcel either.. so I'm with you there.