I too have an Endura Stealth and love it. However, as many have said, until you're at or very near freezing a full jacket is overkill. For weather in the 40s (f) I use a combination of base layer, long sleeve jersey and windbreaker. Once I'm warmed up the windbreaker typically finds a new home in a jersey pocket.

I have the Assos 851 and wear it with nothing underneath into the mid 20F. The front is completely wind proof while the back allows your torso to breath. For winter apparel I think assos is more comfortable and tighter than the others that I have tried. For me having movement as unrestricted as possible and having my clothes fit me so they do not flutter in the wind is very important. There are some things where spending money is necessary, comfort in winter is one of them.

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My Lynskey R420 with Chorus 11

NEW Developments! If you are interested in a Weight Weenies kit please respond to the thread. I want to make the order happen before long.

sometime tonight my blog post on the castelli espresso due and gore tool will go live.

I have a castelli windstopper cervelo test team jacket that I love for winter road riding. That, over a long-sleeve baselayer and I'm set down to about 20f, and about 30f if it's raining/snowing.

The castelli due is probably also a solid choice if you can score one for $220 (google and you can find those deals).

I chose the Gore Tool for commuting as it's a bit warmer during the ferry portions of my commute, but there's a lot to recommend the gore oxygen and tool jackets.

I also have several pearl izumi PRO softshells, and while I swear by assos and castelli, those are the only pearl items left in my cycling wardrobe (well, those and their softshell gloves).

my blog is www.naisan.net.

I also have a pearl Izumi soft shell. Like other jackets it's overkill for anything over 40F even with nothing underneath. I don't really like the way it's cut and wouldn't reccomend it for an at all aggressive position or if you want it to fit close to the skin.

That being said, if you're using it for less strenuous commuting and have a more upright position for seeing cars, etc. then I'm sure it would be great.

When it gets really cold (around 0 degrees): Mavic Inferno.
For 5-10 degrees I use a Santini Crow Jacket or a Santini Acquazero longsleeve jersey with a matching gilet. Santini's stuff is quite reasonably priced and works well. Same goes for Mavic.

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“I want to clear my conscience. I don’t want to be part of the problem any more.”

I have 3 different winter jackets: Sugoi RS, Capo Limited Edition, and Gore Xenon. These are all thermo windblocking varieties.

Warmth - hands down the Gore Xenon. It has WS fabric on the front, sides and back. I can wear it at freezing with only a thin long sleeve base layer and I am toasty. The Capo and Sugoi are also decent for warmth but might do better with a heavier base layer or perhaps even a long sleeve jersey at freezing temp. The Capo windstoppper material does not extend down to cover the lower stomach so it is not as warm when doing a fast descent.

Fit and details - assuming correct size for all, I would give the Gore Xenon the edge here as it has a great cut for on the bike position. Little touches like zippered openings on the sleeves and armpit zips give it an edge over the Sugoi or Capo in terms of details.

In terms of sizing I am 6' and 170 lbs, my chest is 38" and my waist is 33". I wear L in Capo, M in Sugoi. In Gore I wear L in the Xenon as it comes from Gore's form-fit cut, but in the Phantom jacket I could wear M and have a nice snug fit.

I have several jackets as well as I ride all year long in Mid-Atlantic East coast weather which can get to well below freezing with crazy strong winds that just make you want to stay indoors and watch old TDF videos..

1. Gore Windstopper with under arm vents I bought at Performance bike in their clearance rack - it fits pretty tightly but definitely not race form fit - it is not the Xenon jacket, but their lower level line with a wickable underlayment fabric. It is very warm and remarkably windproof and water resistant. It's almost too warm above 40 degrees on fast rides. A big issue I have with this jacket is the sleeves end in big open holes at the wrist allowing cold air to hit your wrist/lower forearms unless you have a collared glove with extended wrist coverage. The sleeves are also quite long.

2. Louis Garneau Windtex fabric with fleece like insulation that is tighter than the Gore but has no venting. Not as warm as Gore, but I overheat in it unless it is below 45, and has no venting which I need on faster group rides where opening the main zipper makes the jacket a parachute.. The sleeves are nicer than the Gore jacket and has elastic bands at their ends that keep out the cold.

3. Castelli Mortirolo jacket that is truly form fit and doesn't flap around at all, has great venting, is totally windproof on the front, has venting on the front, nice pockets (3) and it has an insulated but not windproof back which allows heat to escape. This is my go to jacket when it is 25-32ish, dry and I am on a fast group ride where I need enough protection on descents but would overheat on climbs. Very well made. Race fit, nice sleeve ends, and great arm articulation at the elbows for riding in the drops. The venting is really nice and easy to open/close and does not make the jacket a parachute when open... I can carry a very light windproof shell to go over this jacket to extend its temp range or at the start of a ride until I warm up. The jacket is tight enough that it is almost like a thick jersey when fitted properly.

4. Assos Fugu. Very very warm jacket. Race fit, and runs small. Expensive, beautiful fit and workmanship. It has a great collar, a cool integrated hood that can be folded down to make a neck gaiter, etc.. I can wear this jacket with a very light baselayer and nothing else and be more than comfortable on a fast group ride *well* below freezing where hands/feet become a problem. It's a weird feeling as you can feel how cold it is outside on your face, hands, etc... but *nothing* seems to get through the jacket itself. The fit is weird in the standing position but comes together very nicely once riding the bike, especially the drops. I only break out this jacket when it is below 25 degrees (sometimes well below..), and just nasty cold where I would otherwise just ride the trainer or play video games. If you are portly or not shaped "thin" or have very broad shoulders, a long torso and short legs, etc.. this may not be the jacket for you as the chest/shoulder area is tight, as is the waist, especially if you ride a bit more upright than others.


Anyway, these are "working" jackets in that you are presumably riding the bike and producing lots of bodyheat, sweat, etc.. All of the above are not highly insulated/high volume jackets like ski jackets with a bunch of feathers in them... If you are just standing around you will get cold, but they all work great on the bike once you are riding, and keep you dry, and not feeling clammy, etc.. A decent baselayer really helps with warmth and wicking away perspiration.

Hope this helps someone.

I'm going to throw in a vote for the Castelli Radiation.

It was a Christmas gift, so I've only worn it for two days. One 2-hour ride in 34-36 degree weather tonight and a 9-hour epic journey yesterday in temperatures just above freezing, rain, and 30 mph winds. In both cases the jacket performed superbly.

Although it's not a rain jacket, it appears to have some rain resistance. I remained reasonably dry and completely warm throughout the long ride until about 2 hours from the end when it really started to rain hard and the jacket began soaking through.

The jacket also looks great except for the big "RADIATION" logo on the back. Some people may like that though

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Riding the Catskills

I recently acquired a Castelli Radiation and it's superbly adaptable. The whole jacket is made from a stretch windstopper which is pretty water-resistant. Three big pockets on the back plus a little zipped side pocket. Two big zipped-vents on the front get the airflow through for above 10 degrees C and yet the radiation inserts should keep me toasty when it gets colder plus a removable hood for really chilly rides. Sleeves zip-off to leave a nice gilet for spring too.

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Just ride

three cheers for the castelli radiation jackets

i've got the 'quantum radiation', c. 2008-9, it's got 5 rear pockets, handy to segregate stuff and get to it with gloves on, lovely soft fabric, mine is white but there's a ptfe coating and it shrugs off road grime

last winter it was -6 celcius, jacket + two baselayers was fine, the reflective layer works and it's very breathable, but does need a shell on top if it's really wet out

i like the radioactive scorpion logo, imho castelli's mad styling makes them lamborghini of cycle clothing

I'm with the ones who don't use a winter jacket, just several tight fitting layers and a vest. Seems to work very well for ventilation / thermal management, and usually doesn't catch as much air as a jacket. Really don't need to feel sluggish when the weather is crap already ...

(In the rain I'm using a jacket of course, and I usually only ride above 0°C because I can do without slipping on an icy patch in the middle of traffic)

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Bikes: Raceur, Beateur

+1. Never used a cycling jacket and never will - though ride all year in temperatures sometimes below freezing ... ice being the limiter. Depends critically on resistance to cold and how hard one trains (or rather, heat generation). Windblock vest, SS jersey and armwarmers is enough down to around 6oC and below that a windblockvest, LS baselayer and LS jersey. More aero and cheaper!

How long do you go out dressed like that? Might be ok for a couple of hrs at the most, but any more than that and I would be getting cold. Maybe I will try it tomorrow. And report back
Here the winters are cold, damp, windy, and cloudy. I don't think dressing in layers as you described would cut it where I ride.


Err..check that, weather says 20mph wind tomorrow so I will stick to my assos airblock

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TIME RXR

Any length of ride. I generally don't train in the rain in winter as it's not necessary around here - doesn't rain enough to make it so. I have a gillet but have never used it - keep it for high mountains races theoretical wear

Only bit of me that gets cold is the feet, but I can live with that - better power transfer from stiff blocks of ice!

Yeah I'm using the layer approach only when it's dry. Anyway I'm carrying a thin gore tex jacket in my back pocket all year except for the hottest months, to prevent hypothermia in case of an unplanned stop.


You may laugh but I've been wearing 3mm neoprene booties on top of 5mm ones lately. I'm finding as long as your feet and hands (and head) are warm, your legs and arms can take some chill for heat management.

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Bikes: Raceur, Beateur