Thankfully, gone are the days of cycling in nasty boil-in-the-bag style waterproof garments that were all but useless anyway, regardless of how well they kept out the rain, because you just got soaked from sweating buckets on the inside.
Also gone are baggy fitting, flappy jackets that were about as aerodynamic as a parachute.
This Velotec Pro Waterproof Jacket is a good example of how the modern crowd roll when it comes to dealing with wet and windy weather (Our favourite type in the UK, or so it seems).
At first glance Velotec’s Pro Waterproof Jacket looks more like a long-sleeve jersey - a style pioneered by Castelli, with its highly popular Gabba jersey.
The difference here, though, is unlike the Gabba and many other similarly modelled garments that are only water repellent/wind proof, Velotec has gone the full-hog making the Pro Jacket 100% waterproof.
A key to achieving this is the use of its Vagotex Windtex fabric, fully seam sealed to guarantee waterproofing, whilst maintaining adequate breathability.
The fit is tailored to be a racing cut, and is snug in all the right places, and there’s plenty of stretch in the fabric to enable it to be worn close fitting without it feeling restrictive.
The longer drop-tail offers ample waterproof protection to cover much of your backside (guarding against rear wheel spray) and there are three large (also waterproof) rear pockets, plus a smaller zipped ‘security’ pocket for a phone or house keys etc.
A relatively high collar also seals comfortably around the neck and when fully zipped up does a good job keeping out cold drafts.
There are some really nice, tastefully applied, reflective details too. The sleeve cuffs are another particularly pleasing aspect, snugging and sealing effectively against either bare wrist or glove.
I wore this jacket with just a long sleeve thermal base layer underneath on some pretty chilly (but dry), winter days, with temperatures as low as 3-4°C and it coped well in these conditions.
That shows its versatility and merit as an all-rounder. Its use definitely need not just be restricted to wet days. I dare say too that with another layer underneath I could have got away with it in even colder temperatures.
In the rain the water noticeably beads off the fabric to begin with, although this appeared to get less efficient the longer I spent in the rain, and after multiple washes.
But, despite not beading as impressively after a period of time, though, I still remained dry and comfortable within.
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Some fast paced training efforts also showed the Pro Waterproof Jacket to breath effectively enough to stop too much heat and moisture build up.
It wasn’t perfect in this regard, as it did end up feeling a little clammy against skin at times, but considering the price it fared very well versus other similar garments I’ve tested that are considerably more expensive.
Overall it’s a good looking garment that performs as promised, achieving adequate weather protection to keep you riding outside instead of hiding indoors no matter what mother nature throws at you.