you do have to wonder just how the weather knows. recently, the entire working week has invariably been inflected with bright sunshine and concomitant warmth. we are, thankfully, saved from the searing heat experienced elsewhere in the uk by that prevalent wind, though even that has been recently conspicuous by its absence. but we're a darned sight closer to the atlantic than most and surrounded by a sea that's never more than a mile or so distant. yet, the moment the daily grind has retired for the weekend, the weather adopts a devil-may-care attitude, dulling on saturdays and resorting to a sprinkling of rain on a sunday morning.
it's hardly an uncommon situation for the velo club; there was a period of time over the winter months when it seemed the elements were intent on undermining any thought of stuffing the waterproofs into the 'infrequent' cupboard. however, pedalling while clad in nearly all of the weatherproofing garmentage we own, when temperatures are temperate, is a perfectly acceptable hardship. scroll forward to today's globally warmed principality and 'houston, we have a problem.'
i doubt there's a cyclist of any hue unaware of the so-called boil-in-the-bag syndrome. in a mistaken effort to remain dry outside, any effort greater than zone one results in gallons of perspiration dousing that honed physique from the inside. however, past experience has scared us sufficiently not to indulge in wet weather velocipedinal action without a protective outer shell.
but in the same way that it can be seen as a tad over zealous to apply a photoshop sharpening filter uniformly across an entire image, it may also be a mistaken effort to clothe every last square centimetre of skin in hydrophilic material. my good friend, mr james lamont, well versed in all aspects of garmentology, once told me the secret of cooling while riding, one that doesn't necessarily involve unzipping jacket or jersey. it transpires that the clever means of cooling is to expose the wrist area, though i confess i have seen only one waterproof jacket featuring zipped openings in this area.
this accords well with a personal preponderance to have my arms heat up well before my torso, a situation that surely commends donning of a gilet, particularly one that might offer more than a smidgeon of weatherproofing. something remarkably like the excellent ventile gilet tailored by scotland's hilltrek. based in aboyne, a village on the very edge of the cairngorms national park, a place where the weather can occasionally be tactile and tangible at the same time, hilltrek are masters of their art.
they are also one of the few clothiers with extensive ventile experience, a naturally waterproof and breathable cotton fabric that eschews the ubiquitous durable water repellency coating that features on the majority of cycling and outdoor waterproofs. if there's a perceived downside to ventile, it's the reduction in flexibility when it becomes wet, caused no doubt, by the expansion of the weave to close any holes large enough to allow water ingress. in practice, this is not the hardship it might sound, but it does mean that dry-cleaning is the recommended method of restoring it to pristine condition.
expressly designed for the cyclist, the lack of sleeves has allowed many a comfortable ride during which my torso and core were kept warm and dry, yet my arms, which are fairly adept at fending for themselves in enforced inclemency, remained as cool as mr lamont had advised. though it would be naive to think that the cycling nomenclature absolved the hebridean gilet from any other active proclivities, it does offer a few features beneficial to those who pedal, such as a dropped tail, a wide, zipped rear pocket, impressively high collar and a drawcord adjustable hem. there's also a large, vertically zipped pocket on the left chest, but should the two standard offerings be deemed insufficient, hilltrek are happy to add a couple of extra handwarmer pockets for a minimal £30. (additionally, should you require a non-standard length, another £30 will take care of that).
i have previously commendably reviewed both single and double ventile hilltrek jackets; this single-ventile gilet performs every bit as well in the waterproofing department. noting the impressive baubling of rainwater on its surface, no matter the downpour suffered, is something that never gets tired. this is not what might be referred to as a race-fit garment. it's purpose leans more towards adventuring, touring or simply commuting. that said, its lightness of being would hardly hinder peter sagan in a green jersey sprint. in my case, the sunday morning ride benefitted from its bright orangeness.
lightweight in constitution, it is possible to roll up when not required, though i seriously doubt you'd manage to have it fit in the rear pocket of a race-fit jersey. additionally, should you roll it up when wet, its stiffer constitution tends to mitigate against compactness of form. however, that light weight and full length zip meant, in most instances, that it was every bit as effective to simply unzip and carry on regardless. i did manage to squeeze a rather large mini-pump into the rear pocket, though i cannot deny it was something of a struggle to extricate it later. though a chest pocket filled to the brim, hardly constitutes the finest of sartorial elegance, pragmatism rarely favours form over function.
even on warm, windy days, that tall collar offered all the benefits you'd hope it would. cycling-wise, i could easily live without the optional handwarmer pockets, but worn in off-bike mode, i think i'd be happy to spend the extra £30. the elasticated armholes are a nice and particulary effective touch; they won't stop the rain, but doubtless improved flexibility at this juncture.
gilets have all but become an integral part of contemporary cycling and it's a garment i find myself particularly in favour of. most of the others in my possession are of flimsier construction and few promise the weatherproofing inherent in ventile fabric. the material lends itself commendably and hard-wearingly to the leisure and touring cyclist, neither with which i particularly identify. yet, i love it to bits and it's not even autumn yet.
hilltrek's hebridean cycling gilet is available in standard colour options of orange/black, red/black and blue/black. the orange medium size reviewed is a custom option. price is £120 for small, medium, large or extra large
hilltrek hebridean cycling gilet
friday 27 july 2018
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