Sportful Fiandre Light WS Jacket

Italian company Sportful have looked to the typical weather and riding conditions of Belgium for inspiration for their Fiandre range of clothing (Fiandre is Italian for Flanders), which has been fully updated this winter. The pick of the new range is this Light WS Jacket.

In designing clothing for Flandrian weather, Sportful have created clothing that is perfectly suited to typical UK weather conditions: lots of rain, rapidly changing conditions, fluctuating temperatures during the course of a ride. It's difficult to know what to wear sometimes. This Light WS Jacket makes it all a bit easier, as it copes with all of that weather with ease.

The Light WS Jacket is constructed with Windstopper LightStretch fabric used for the front and rear panels, and Sportful's own NoRain water repellency treatment on the arms and shoulders, in a very slight build and fitted shape, with a long dropped tail and a comfortable tall collar.

The Light WS Jacket was actually first tested before going into production on stage 16 of the 2013 Giro d'Italia, the now infamous stage that went over the Stelvio and was blighted by severely bad weather that became the defining moment of the race. This was the jacket the Tinkoff-Saxo squad reached for to stave off the cold and snow.

I've not had weather quite as bad as that - yet - for testing this jacket, but for the past few weeks the jacket has proven to be a very valuable asset for the typically changeable weather conditions common at this time of year. Slinging it over a long sleeve base layer, and maybe a jersey when it's colder, and it gives me just the right setup for tackling cold, windy or wet days, and often all of that weather at the same time.

The Windstopper LightStretch fabric provides a great fit and stretch with a very light weight - it's very thin between the fingers - yet offers ample protection whether pushing against a relentless headwind or scurrying away from clouds threatening rain on the horizon. It's properly wind resistant, and the Windstopper and NoRain treatment give you a good window of protection against the rain before you need to worry about reaching for a waterproof jacket. I've been in rain for nearly an hour before I noticed any sort of moisture invading the confines of my inner layers.

It's plenty breathable enough for fast riding, as you'd expect of a jacket developed for the demands of professional cycle racing, and you can really clobber along at a decent pace without feeling the effects of overheating. It doesn't provide as much insulation as some jackets, you still need to get your layers right, but there's plenty of warmth for all but the coldest days. I've worn it over Sportful's excellent R&D Alpha jersey on sub-zero days and been very cosy.

Every detail of the jacket has been carefully considered. The shape and fit of the cuffs is just right and fits well with any sized gloves you might be wearing. The jacket is elongated at the rear to provide just a bit more protection for your bum and the tall collar keeps the breeze out and is lined with a soft thermal material. That all makes for a jacket that is very nice to wear and really does help you head out the door when it's a bit Belgian outside.

It's completed with a full-length YKK Vision waterproof zipper and three generously sized pockets, with drain holes at the bottom, and lined with reflective details. It's available in three colours, black, yellow or blue.

Verdict

Excellent jacket for keeping the wind and rain at bay to get you through the winter