Castelli Imprevisto

super_davo
super_davo Posts: 1,222
edited September 2016 in Road buying advice
Anyone got one?
Sounds pretty perfect really, light summer jersey thats breathable yet will get rid of (some) rain. Good price at Evans.
However, the few reviews I have seen suggest the fit is questionable. Anyone got one and can comment.

Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    Basically it's a jersey with a coat of water repellant that will wear off after 3 washes.

    Save your money and do the following: take a jersey from the wardrobe, buy a bottle of Nikwax* at £ 8.99 and spray it over... there's your home made "Castelli imprevisto"

    * this is the product Castelli recommends to reproof their garments
    left the forum March 2023
  • PTestTeam
    PTestTeam Posts: 395
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Basically it's a jersey with a coat of water repellant that will wear off after 3 washes.

    Save your money and do the following: take a jersey from the wardrobe, buy a bottle of Nikwax* at £ 8.99 and spray it over... there's your home made "Castelli imprevisto"

    * this is the product Castelli recommends to reproof their garments

    It shouldn't do if you wash them with care. I have PArentini's version of nanoflex armwarmers. Wash them with soap flakes, don't spin too hard and if the repellency isn't as strong after a while then you chuck them in the dryer. The heat re-activates the repellency. You don't need to waste money on re-proofing
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    PTestTeam wrote:

    It shouldn't do if you wash them with care. I have PArentini's version of nanoflex armwarmers. Wash them with soap flakes, don't spin too hard and if the repellency isn't as strong after a while then you chuck them in the dryer. The heat re-activates the repellency. You don't need to waste money on re-proofing

    Possibly, maybe, in my experience it's 3 washes and you have to reproof... often is no washes at all... the first heavy rain washes off the waterproof coat and the second time you'll see water wetting the fabric.
    It's just a film, it's only physically rather than chemically bound to the fabric
    left the forum March 2023
  • stueys
    stueys Posts: 1,332
    Anything that is treated in DWP needs to be washed in a detergent that is specifically designed to protect the coating during the wash. That applies whether it's Gore Tex, Nanoflex, etc. I use the grangers performance wash for my stuff, works well.
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    Back to the OPs last question: the fit.

    Its a little more relaxed than normal Castelli stuff. Whereas if you are on the cusp of a size with their normal stuff, you would size up, with the Imprevisto you should probably size down. If you fit one of their sizes perfectly then stick to the same size - it will just feel less restrictive.

    The collar is a bit strange - I dont know why they made it a different height on left/right side of the zip but you dont notice it in use.

    Mine works well - every time I wear it because I think it might rain, the rain stays away (so far!)... Dont know yet how good it would actually be if it rained or whether it has lost its repellancy. Got mine cheap so thought it worth a punt - its actually not a bad jersey anyway, especially for the cooler days.
  • luv2ride
    luv2ride Posts: 2,367
    I got a Castelli Raffica jersey for just touch more from Merlin Cycles. Terrific fit, pretty windproof but really breathable on the back. Having been caught in it in a rain shower, I was really surprised at the level of rain proofing, though as Ugo says, I don't expect it to retain that property for long (but was only purchased as a very lightweight windproof jersey) My most worn item this year! Hope still available on sale as RRP was faintly ridiculous though...
    Titus Silk Road Ti rigid 29er - Scott Solace 10 disc - Kinesis Crosslight Pro6 disc - Scott CR1 SL - Pinnacle Arkose X 650b - Pinnacle Arkose singlespeed - Specialized Singlecross...& an Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray 4 string...
  • super_davo
    super_davo Posts: 1,222
    Thanks for the helpful replies.

    I was looking at it because with various discounts combined I can get it for £40, which I thought was a decent price for a summer jersey from a good brand that would have resale value if I didn't get on with it. The nano stuff was just a bonus really. I have the same material on the back of my Alpha jersey and NoRain on my Sportful Fiandre stuff and find it works (to a point) as long as you look after it and as long as you don't expect miracles.

    As for NikWax on a regular jersey; you'd need the right material for it to have a chance (i.e. very tight weave). I've waterproof sprayed a non waterproof rucksack in the past and it did work (again to a point), so it is possible to "retrofit waterproofing" but 1. you don't wash a rucksack very often and 2. anything with an open weave or mesh panels wouldn't be worth bothering trying, which rules out every summer jersey I own.

    Thanks for pointing out the collar apreading; I think thats the deal breaker for me. I'm usually between a Castelli Small and Medium so the smaller should be OK for me, but the more I look at that collar the more strange it looks.
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    super_davo wrote:
    Thanks for pointing out the collar apreading; I think thats the deal breaker for me. I'm usually between a Castelli Small and Medium so the smaller should be OK for me, but the more I look at that collar the more strange it looks.

    I wouldnt obsess about it too much. I am normally really picky and it really bothered me until set off, wearing it the first time. Havent given it a moments thought since then (until you asked about it obviously). Still dont know what the thinking behind it was though...
  • PTestTeam
    PTestTeam Posts: 395
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    PTestTeam wrote:

    It shouldn't do if you wash them with care. I have PArentini's version of nanoflex armwarmers. Wash them with soap flakes, don't spin too hard and if the repellency isn't as strong after a while then you chuck them in the dryer. The heat re-activates the repellency. You don't need to waste money on re-proofing

    Possibly, maybe, in my experience it's 3 washes and you have to reproof... often is no washes at all... the first heavy rain washes off the waterproof coat and the second time you'll see water wetting the fabric.
    It's just a film, it's only physically rather than chemically bound to the fabric

    it's not a film. The fabric Parentini uses is submerged in a bath containing the treatment – it chemically adheres to the fabric, which is why it re-activates its properties when re-heated
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    PTestTeam wrote:
    it chemically adheres to the fabric

    No it doesn't
    left the forum March 2023
  • super_davo
    super_davo Posts: 1,222
    Well the 3 other Nano/No rain garments I have work, and still work after many washes.

    They are not a replacement for Goretex or eVent for all day rain, but I feel it helps with showers on a changeable day, without feeling like you will boil in the bag when it isn't raining.

    I think the main problem is peoples expectations. It isn't waterproof, just water repellent. If you think you're getting waterproof, you're going to be disappointed, and you'll be talking about washing out protection that was never there in the first place.

    I now think I'm going to ignore the dodgy collar and order the damn thing just so I can try and report back, it's only £40 after all!
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    super_davo wrote:
    Well the 3 other Nano/No rain garments I have work, and still work after many washes.

    They are not a replacement for Goretex or eVent for all day rain, but I feel it helps with showers on a changeable day, without feeling like you will boil in the bag when it isn't raining.

    I think the main problem is peoples expectations. It isn't waterproof, just water repellent. If you think you're getting waterproof, you're going to be disappointed, and you'll be talking about washing out protection that was never there in the first place.

    I now think I'm going to ignore the dodgy collar and order the damn thing just so I can try and report back, it's only £40 after all!

    The waterproof people expect does not exist. It's a matter of water vapour pressure. When it rains the air humidity is 100%, which means air is saturated with water and cannot take any more, hence things like Gore-tex stop being perspirant and sweat condenses on the inside of the clothes. That is unavoidable, unless you have a pump that forces moisture out. If the garment is a good windproof, the condensed sweat stays warm, otherwise it gets cold... so ultimately what you really need is a very good windproof with good insulation... Goretex is completely redundant in cycling
    left the forum March 2023
  • haydenm
    haydenm Posts: 2,997
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    super_davo wrote:
    Well the 3 other Nano/No rain garments I have work, and still work after many washes.

    They are not a replacement for Goretex or eVent for all day rain, but I feel it helps with showers on a changeable day, without feeling like you will boil in the bag when it isn't raining.

    I think the main problem is peoples expectations. It isn't waterproof, just water repellent. If you think you're getting waterproof, you're going to be disappointed, and you'll be talking about washing out protection that was never there in the first place.

    I now think I'm going to ignore the dodgy collar and order the damn thing just so I can try and report back, it's only £40 after all!

    The waterproof people expect does not exist. It's a matter of water vapour pressure. When it rains the air humidity is 100%, which means air is saturated with water and cannot take any more, hence things like Gore-tex stop being perspirant and sweat condenses on the inside of the clothes. That is unavoidable, unless you have a pump that forces moisture out. If the garment is a good windproof, the condensed sweat stays warm, otherwise it gets cold... so ultimately what you really need is a very good windproof with good insulation... Goretex is completely redundant in cycling

    It means the humidity is 100% in the layer of air where the rain comes from, often it is lower at ground level but in general I agree. For breathable fabrics to work there needs to be a gradient between inside and out, if you are doing something in a jacket to get hot and sweaty then 100% breathability doesn't exist and your best bet is to stay warm (that said, I would probably notice the difference between goretex and a binliner). For things like hiking in cooler weather when it is raining you are usually in a less humid lower layer of air so goretex works but seeing as carbon bikes melt in winter rain it is not relevant in cycling. Plus in hiking its way easier to regulate you body temperature as opposed to cycling
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    My imprevisto failed me today... With the forecast of rain at the end of the working day, I thought I would wear it for the commute. But it didnt stop the rain!

    So for the first time out of 4/5 attempts, I got to test it in the wet. It seemed to do OK. Some stuff had got through by the time I got home but then there were a couple of downpours where I would hardly be surprised. Stuff in the pockets still seemed pretty dry when I got home.

    It has got me to wondering what the point of this top is though. If there is too much rain, it aint gonna last long and will quickly be rendered pointless. If its just a light shower then I wouldnt have a problem getting damp in a normal jersey and then drying out. Maybe it has a niche, maybe not. Thing is, its still a pretty good jersey so for what I paid I have no problem with it. If it adds just a tiny boost of water resistance then so be it.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    apreading wrote:

    It has got me to wondering what the point of this top is though. If there is too much rain, it aint gonna last long and will quickly be rendered pointless. If its just a light shower then I wouldnt have a problem getting damp in a normal jersey and then drying out. Maybe it has a niche, maybe not. Thing is, its still a pretty good jersey so for what I paid I have no problem with it. If it adds just a tiny boost of water resistance then so be it.

    It is completely pointless, like 80% of the huge Castelli range. They just want you to buy a lot of stuff, believing there are 365 different days in one year and a garment for every single one of them
    left the forum March 2023
  • super_davo
    super_davo Posts: 1,222
    I'm a big fan of Castelli primarily because the cut works for me, the pads in the shorts and tights are excellent and I find it a really good price / performance balance. You can often get stuff at decent discounts, but crucially not always, so if you're savvy you can pick up stuff, use and sell on if it becomes surplus to requirements without taking too much of a hit.
    Yes the range is massive and in some case there seem to be big overlaps, but they aren't the only brand like that (Rapha springs to mind) and does anybody really buy the lot?
    I sometimes find their styling hit and miss, but then thats another reason why they have big ranges, you don't buy what doesn't do it for you.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,152
    What would be the right thing to wear on a morning like this? Really wet roads, raining hard and 19 degrees.
  • haydenm
    haydenm Posts: 2,997
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    What would be the right thing to wear on a morning like this? Really wet roads, raining hard and 19 degrees.

    So long as you're warm it doesn't matter I would say. Maybe a normal jersey and a very light weight windstopper? I would be tempted to wear my Endura equipe classics jersey then sweat out because I'm a fool, might be OK without the arm warmers though
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    What would be the right thing to wear on a morning like this? Really wet roads, raining hard and 19 degrees.

    Not imprevisto... as it means "unexpected", and today's rain was widely forecasted... so maybe "tempesta race" for SCR type of riding or "Idro Jacket" if you are going slower... or maybe "Riparo rain" if you seek shelter when it comes too hard
    left the forum March 2023
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,152
    HaydenM wrote:
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    What would be the right thing to wear on a morning like this? Really wet roads, raining hard and 19 degrees.

    So long as you're warm it doesn't matter I would say. Maybe a normal jersey and a very light weight windstopper? I would be tempted to wear my Endura equipe classics jersey then sweat out because I'm a fool, might be OK without the arm warmers though

    I thought about something normal and light and just get wet, but went for the ls gabba which was OK as I didn't go at all hard and didn't overheat with the vents open. If it's not right for today, I can't see when an imprevisto would be the right choice unless you just like it and wear it all the time.
  • flasher
    flasher Posts: 1,734
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    It is completely pointless, like 80% of the huge Castelli range. They just want you to buy a lot of stuff, believing there are 365 different days in one year and a garment for every single one of them

    This, but I'm a sucker too, who doesn't like buying new stuff believing it to be the one magic item you've always been looking for, Castelli have become experts in the field.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,815
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    What would be the right thing to wear on a morning like this? Really wet roads, raining hard and 19 degrees.

    An umbrella?
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,152
    MrB123 wrote:
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    What would be the right thing to wear on a morning like this? Really wet roads, raining hard and 19 degrees.

    An umbrella?

    It was considered, but even today, riding is more pleasant than public transport.

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