Winter jacket - recommendations please

[MZC244]

Afternoon,

I am fairly new to road cycling and have only been out on my bike a handful of times.

I would say I am a very casual rider, mainly I like riding my bike around central London, stopping off a places for a coffee, food or just to sit there. but I do want to extend this to a bit more distance at some point

I want to continue these kind of days out over the winter and cycle to some parks such a Greenwich, Victoria park etc. (i'm 36 btw)

So I am after a really warm jacket that will allow me to go out in the colder days, with good windproof technology. I won't go out on the bike if it's raining.

Any suggestions please? Many people have mentioned Castelli Alpha ros 2, however it is a pricey bit of kit and I am not sure how warm it will be with my cycling style, as I am guessing this is more for a pro rider at a serious intensity/mileage?

I have looked at Gore jackets as they seem fairly versatile, any opinions?

I have recently purchased, winter tights, leg warmers, long sleeve base layer, neck warmer, gloves and skull cap. So nearly there.

Any advice would be very welcome

Thanks

[iandusud]

This. https://galibier.cc/product/mistral-fou ... er-jacket/
The best bit of cycling kit I've bought in 40+ years of cycling. Totally windproof, breathes and shrugs off rain. I wear mine for 6-7 months of the year. At £69 an absolute bargain. I'm into my third winter with mine. Washes up like new. Read the reviews and believe them.

[MZC244]

This. https://galibier.cc/product/mistral-fou ... er-jacket/
The best bit of cycling kit I've bought in 40+ years of cycling. Totally windproof, breathes and shrugs off rain. I wear mine for 6-7 months of the year. At £69 an absolute bargain. I'm into my third winter with mine. Washes up like new. Read the reviews and believe them.

Thanks Ian, this does look very reasonable in price as well.

Does this see you through the coldest winter days? What do you layer up with?

Thanks

[djnotts]

I was impressed with the blurb on the Galibier until I reached the "not... in a downpour..." bit! And only 1 layer down to 5deg? No doubt because I am slow (and have hardly ever been known to sweat, in any temperature, any activity), I usually have 3 or 4 layers even in summer!

[simonineaston]

Paramo do a Cyclo and a Cyclo lite. Bit dear but I swear by mine (the non-lite vs.) and find it cosy and weather-proof across a wide range of temps. me not being the most energetic cyclist ever. For me, its the go-to garment between Oct and March, working well down to a few degrees above zero and with a gilet (aka body-warmer if you are not middle-class...), below that. Hi-viz yellow, lots of zipped pockets, great collar / hood and clever vents, too. Well-made - over-all worth splashing cash for in my view.
EDIT: spelled Ciclo - and not available in two versions, only standard weight - retails at about £180

[roubaixtuesday]

"Showers Pass" jackets are brilliant

{Edit: but expensive]

[mjr]

So I am after a really warm jacket that will allow me to go out in the colder days, with good windproof technology. I won't go out on the bike if it's raining.

I would suggest two layers: a thermal jacket (maybe a down jacket?) and a windproof/waterproof to go over it. Then if you get too hot, you could remove one or the other.

I also think you're missing out on a lot if you don't go out in the rain, but maybe less so in London.

And as you mention winter riding: remember that roads freeze before the air does and keep an eye out for ice - I don't know if London parks are de-iced effectively.

[fredN4]

any warm anorac will do you. If you dont go out in the rain, no worries

[geomannie]

Whatever you buy, I would caveat that the jacket must fit your body shape. I have a long torso and getting a jacket that is long enough but not too baggy can be a problem, but jackets that ft me may wrong for others. Buying from a shop where you can try on a selection of brands is highly recommended.

[iandusud]

This. https://galibier.cc/product/mistral-fou ... er-jacket/
The best bit of cycling kit I've bought in 40+ years of cycling. Totally windproof, breathes and shrugs off rain. I wear mine for 6-7 months of the year. At £69 an absolute bargain. I'm into my third winter with mine. Washes up like new. Read the reviews and believe them.

Thanks Ian, this does look very reasonable in price as well.

Does this see you through the coldest winter days? What do you layer up with?

Thanks

Definitely sees me through the coldest winter days. The lowest I've been down to is club ride starting at -5C getting up to -2. My water bottle was icing up. I still only had two thin base layers underneath. I normally use it with one thin base layer.

Ian

[foxyrider]

My Goretex jackets have been excellent so i'll not hesitate in recommending but they are an 'investment' at knocking on £300!

I've had good sevice out of Lidl thermal jackets, layered with a base i've done rides down to -10c and stayed comfortable - latered with suitable base layer, jersey and thermal bibs.

London might feel cold at times but central areas average 5-10c warmer than more rural areas so warm down to 5c should suffice, keep your feet, head and hands warm and you'll be sorted

[iandusud]

My Goretex jackets have been excellent so i'll not hesitate in recommending but they are an 'investment' at knocking on £300!

I've had good sevice out of Lidl thermal jackets, layered with a base i've done rides down to -10c and stayed comfortable - latered with suitable base layer, jersey and thermal bibs.

London might feel cold at times but central areas average 5-10c warmer than more rural areas so warm down to 5c should suffice, keep your feet, head and hands warm and you'll be sorted

Goretex is excellent and I still use a Goretex Jacket that I bought over 30 years ago. But I find my Mistral jacket the more versatile of the two and the one I wear for almost all my riding. However if I was to ride all day long in heavy rain it would be the Goretex I would choose. I totally agree about keeping hands and feet warm. If they get cold it's miserable.

[LittleGreyCat]

I've searched previous posts but there were too many!

My Lidl winter jacket has done me good service but the zip is beginning to fail - keeps unzipping itself from the bottom.

I'm looking for a replacement but can't seem to find quite what I want.

The current jacket has some black on it, but is mainly yellow on the back and almost all yellow on the front.
This is one major requirement - much more yellow than black.

Top pocket and three rear pockets.
Again good sized pockets are important.
Combination of top and side extra pockets not crucial.

Checking, and I think this would count as "soft shell".
No sign that it is intended to be waterproof.
Also, I usually wimp out of riding in rain and have a thin waterproof top I can wear over the top if it is raining.

https://galibier.cc/product/mistral-foul-iv-weather-jacket/ has a good write up and a very reasonable price but fails on the mainly yellow front. The pictures of cyclists wearing it shows a major black look for the black and yellow version.

So, recommendations please.
I would prefer to pay under £100, being mean, and am very wary of anything over £200 but the perfect jacket may not come cheap.

[Mike Sales]

My Lidl winter jacket has done me good service but the zip is beginning to fail - keeps unzipping itself from the bottom.

I'm looking for a replacement but can't seem to find quite what I want.

When zips go I take my clothes to a local shop (!) which does repairs. If your jacket has some wear left this might be cheaper.

[Mike Sales]

My Lidl winter jacket has done me good service but the zip is beginning to fail - keeps unzipping itself from the bottom.

I'm looking for a replacement but can't seem to find quite what I want.

When zips go I take my clothes to a local shop (!) which does repairs. If your jacket has some wear left this might be cheaper.