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Pactimo Ultra-Lite Rain Jacket Pactimo Ultra-Lite Rain Jacket Pactimo Ultra-Lite Rain Jacket Pactimo Ultra-Lite Rain Jacket
Pactimo Ultra-Lite Rain Jacket

Pactimo Ultra-Lite Rain Jacket

8
by Stu Kerton
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Jun 7, 2014

1
£55.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Good quality windproof and water resistant jacket with a racer's fit
Weight: 
134g
Contact: 
www.pactimo.com
How we test

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Pactimo's take on the rain cape theme, the Ultra Lite is a lot less boil in the bag than others and also offers a decent level of water resistance.

The Ultra Lite's material is a woven elastic fabric which gives it a decent semi-form fit as they describe it. It's cut close enough to be able to race in, and even time trial at a push in the rain, as the transparent material keeps your number be visible. I found it a good close fit over the shoulders especially and the arms are plenty long enough for using on aerobars.

The material itself is waterproof but due to the lack of taped seams and vented armpits Pactimo sensibly refer to it as water resistant. It does a good job of keeping out drizzle and light rain although anything too prolonged or heavy will soak through through.

Once wet you do stay warm though, with the jacket keeping heat trapped against the body. The underarm vents do a very good job of keeping the air flowing through but you do need to drop the front zip a bit to let the air enter in the first place.

The cuffs and waistband are elasticated keeping them in place and offering some sealing against the elements. The tail is dropped also giving plenty of coverage from wheel spray and the shorter front doesn't bunch when you're in a racing tuck.

The full zip makes for easy removal while in the saddle and the Pactimo folds up quickly into a pocket sized bundle so you can carry out the whole procedure from the saddle if you're confident riding no handed for a short time.

Overall the Pactimo Ultra Lite is one of the better rain capes thanks to the performance-orientated cut and easy stowing. It breathes pretty well too. It's the usual Pactimo quality we've seen from their other kit and neat touches like the soft high collar and reflective strip across the back help it stand out from the rest.

The £55 price stands up well against similar jackets we've tested from Solo (£85), Sugoi (£70) and RH+ (£65) all of which are decent quality with much of the same attributes as the Pactimo. Sizing ranges from S to 3XL and there is also a black version.

Verdict

Good quality windproof and water resistant jacket with a racer's fit

road.cc test report

Make and model: Pactimo Ultra-Lite Rain Jacket

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

A rain cape thats easily stuffed in a jersey pocket for those showery days. The transparent version is ideal for wet races and warm ups.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Semi-form fit

Made of Ultra-Lite stretch fabric

Wind & water resistant

Breathable underarm panels

Extended collar Ultra-soft collar lining

Full length YKK zipper

Reflective trim

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

It may be better than some but this style of jack still suffers from clamminess.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Pretty well, it'll keep a decent amount of rain out on showery days.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Its got some pretty decent styling and a nice fit.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Can still be a little clammy when the pace goes up.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 35  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Whatever needs testing or Genesis Flyer, fixed of course!  My best bike is: Kinesis T2 with full Centaur Red

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

 

Pactimo Ultra-Lite Rain Jacket
Pactimo Ultra-Lite
Pactimo
Stu Kerton

Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.

With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.

He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.

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1 comments

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fukawitribe | 10 years ago
0 likes

Had one of these for about a year now - would echo the comments in the article about good fit and i've found it pretty good at keeping out the wet for a 'water resistant' top even in some mucky stuff for a while. Breathability definitely on the better side of OK, packs down well. Also worth keeping an eye on the Pactimo website (seem to have regular-ish sales and they run an outlet page for EOL/older stuff - some cracking deals). FWIW i've got a couple of bits of their stuff already, and will be getting more in the future - good kit.

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