Advice on autum / winter / spring road bike jacket

I’m pretty new to road cycling after years of mtbing and have had to buy a complete new kit setup . I’ve been looking at getting a decent (not silly expensive ) wind/waterproof breathable jacket . I’ve looked at so many reviews that tbh I’m pretty confused on what to go for . If I’m honest I’m not going to be riding out on a mega wet day ,although living in the UK that’s not to say you won’t get caught ina few downpours . So am I best off getting a shake dry ightweight packable jacket or a more technical complete jacket that I just wear a add layer underneath ? I know these fitted to be as waterproof but as previously said it’s more for showers and the odd downpour should I get caught .
Cheees
Ja
Cheees
Ja
At the end of the day, it's night.
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The Roubaix jersey is my most used cold weather item. I combine it with one of their gilets for a little extra wind protection on hilly rides.
I use their Full Protection Softshell for the really cold and wet winter days
Look at censored review thread for comparisons between the Aeron range and the more pricey Rapha, Castelli and other brands
viewtopic.php?f=40013&t=13039887
viewtopic.php?f=40012&t=12670609
But I have to warn you, you may end up spending money on lots of stuff you didn't realise you wanted/needed.
^True dat. Both cost and saved me a small fortune. You have to be disciplined and only buy the things you actually need, or that you've considered but discounted because of the cost.
My Castelli Alpha ROS jacket was a good example; I really wanted one but couldn't justify spending £230 on a jacket, but when Westbrooks were selling off the outgoing winter kit in the spring I could suddenly get one for half price. Boom.
viewtopic.php?f=40091&t=13095922
Scale up or down your base layer to increase / decrease warmth.
https://www.tweekscycles.com/uk/castell ... t-1471292/
Colnago CLX 3.0
Colnago Dream
Giant Trinity Advanced
Italian steel winter hack
I', planning to go and have a look at https://www.aldi.co.uk/men%27s-converti ... 1242288501 , but I don't expect it to be a race-fit design like the Altura.
2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
2016 Voodoo Wazoo
If you had to choose just one I'd say the jersey is the more usable for UK temps / weather. Jacket will be too warm a lot of the time.
What do you think ?
Yeah, go for the jersey. Far more versatile across a range of temperatures. So long as you've got a reasonable range of base layers you'll be covered for all but the coldest days. They call it a jersey but it's really a light softshell jacket with a internal insulating layer on the front.
I've also just got one of these which seems a decent bargain and should work for lower temperatures than the Alpha jersey can handle...
https://lusso.bike/product/aqua-extreme-repel-jacket/
The Alphas will keep off a reasonable shower and even if they start to get wet you should stay pretty warm with a decent merino baselayer.
I can't say that I will usually venture out if it's really nasty, and in the case of being caught in a proper cloudburst when I'm out I'll usually seek shelter from the nearest convenient tree/bus shelter/café.
If you expect to be riding in sustained rain then obviously you need to be looking at hardshells.
Could I fit a regular short sleeve jersey under the alpha or are the very fitted ?
Correct. Light Jacket = jersey. Castelli themselves are responsible for the ever changing name confusion. No breast pocket is the obvious visual difference.
It will keep you dry enough in light rain, and damp but warm in heavier rain. In either case it will be more comfortable than a full-on waterproof
New to the forum and half searching for +1s at the moment.
But have you looked at Arcteryx? Its expensive gear but absolutely superb.
I use their thermal underwear for long shifts, even overnights, at the workshop in the Scottish winters and it beats out anything from the tool-wear guys.
I buy the jackets from the US - for a £600 full-spec mountaineering jacket you'll pay $550 which is a big saving.
I have an Arcteryx shell jacket that cost me maybe $200-300. Its eminently waterproof, fully sealed so no ingress to neck/sleeves, comes in bright road-safe colours and folds to nothing.
Only downside I could presume is it might be a bit airtight for cycling but I don't think that it is.
J
The shell jacket gets folded and rolled for flights and long journeys all the time, and it unrolls flat. Its all proper Goretex etc.
For wet days the Altura Podium Night Vision has served me well so far this year for a 30min commute in pretty heavy rain. £50 from Merlin, light, can just about stow it in a jersey/jacket. Drys out very quickly.
Cold days just wearing a BTWIN 500 warm jacket for £25, really like it. Will add the merino wool layers once the temps drop really low.
The red is £67.49..try the fit at home..free returns etc..it's well made and warm.. re waterproofness ..i don't remember mine letting me down in showers but i think a foul day might be a step too far for it
make them leave a space for me;
whether bones, or dust,
or ashes once among them I'll be free
https://galibier.cc/product/mistral-fou ... er-jacket/