Great jacket, easy to pack and slip on. Major issue is the waterproofing- got caught in rain and unfortunately, got soaked to the skin-the fabric seems good at keeping out the wind and cold on fast descents here in Colorado early morning mountain ride, but when a rain shower came up at high elevation, I had no protection from the wet.
Have bought a ton of Castelli gear, and have always seen high quality, good fit and style. This is my first cause for complaint.....
The item description does this excellent windbreaker a disservice by suggesting it has water resistance. It is a super thin and very trim cut windbreaker, not water resistant. It is not fully windproof either, which helps the fabric breathe. Slightly less wind resistant and packs smaller than the basic Perl Izumi I wore out. Breathes well, good down to 50F maybe less but can't fit too much insulation under it it is so slim. Size L fits a lanky 6'1 150 lbs barely (!). Raciest fit I've seen in a windbreaker. Not for a walk in the park.
This jacket is great as an additional extra layer to cut down the wind and cold in the 50-65F range. It packs small and easy to stow and carry in one of the cycling jersey's rear pocket. It is definitely not water proof and not suitable in any meaningful rain, except light mist.
The fit is typical Castelli, although a bit more flapping around the arms due to lightness of material vs. something like a Mortirolo jacket.
Fits perfect and bundles up nicely in the back pocket. Sleeves actually fit knowing I have a longer arm length.
This is a great little jacket to keep in your jersey on those days you are not quite sure what is going to happen. Keep in mind it's Italian sized so go up 2 sizes and you will be safe.
The zipper on my favorite wind shirt from Hincapie gave out and I tried PI but it flaps meretriciously. The Castelli was a good price and I like other recent Castelli clothes. I wear it often in 40-60-degree weather. It folds up into a vent pocke but I mostly roll it up and put it in a jersey pocket when I warm up or the wind dies down.
I am quite disappointed in the Velo. First the fit. Either my jacket is mis-marked or Castelli has departed from its typical athletic fit in favor of gigantic club sizing. This is disasterous for a wind jacket, which flops all over the place even at slow speed. Second, the material. It is a heavier weight than the Leggero doesn't pack down nearly as well. in my opinion, packability is an essential feature of a wind jacket, which frequently sits in my pocket. These jackets are generally used before temps warm up or in the mountains on descents. Otherwise, they are stuffed in your back. Third are the aesthetics. I don't like the stitching, which is so obvious as to be distracting, and I'm not a fan of the transparent look. I love Castelli stuff and will continue to buy it. But I'm disappointed to say that Castelli let me down on this one. This jacket doesn't work for me.
Great jacket, easy to pack and slip on. Major issue is the waterproofing- got caught in rain and unfortunately, got soaked to the skin. The fabric seems good at keeping out the wind and cold on fast descents here in Colorado early morning mountain rides, but when a rain shower came up at high elevation, I had no protection from the wet.
Have bought a ton of Castelli gear, and have always seen high quality, good fit and style. This is my first cause for complaint.....Get this for autumn, dry weather riding where temperature fluctuations can chill you, but plan on another jacket for the rains.
Used everyday for a long cold ish 6am commute. Shoves in your back pocket no problem for the ride back, barely notice it. Can shove it into seat bag if need be as well. Not my go to if it's raining though.
the white one is almost transparent. packs really small, probably 23 of a jersey rear side pocket.
I haven't wear it in the rain, I expect it just block the wind and provides little warmth.
It was hard to tell the difference between this and the Squadra online. I ordered both and guessed right when I opened this one first. It weighs a bit less and has nicer details. It also has a built in bag that lets it fold super small. As in fits a jersey pocket with room to spare. It's amazing how this lightweight jacket is so often just the right amount of jacket. I love it. I'm medium in most bike clothes. I got this in medium. It's race snug, but not as crazy tight as their medium jerseys.
