Proviz Sportive Convertible Men's Cycling Jacket/Gilet

The Proviz Sportive Convertible Men's Cycling Jacket/Gilet is a clever convertible softshell garment. Its weatherproofing is very good, breathability less so when the temperature rises; it's resisted some steady deluges for 90 minutes or so, but couldn't keep pace with my own tempo when the mercury wandered beyond 9°C, and especially when wearing polyamide/polyester baselayers.

• Pros: Fits nicely, decent features and surprisingly weather resistant
• Cons: Breathability can make for a clammier climate during milder rides

Proviz claims the Sportive is usable year-round, but I'd say three seasons – although it could work in gilet guise on late summer evenings. It's a softshell design, boasting a breathability figure of 15,000gm/24hr, typical of three-layer technical shells such as dhb's Flashlight Force, and waterproofing of 7,000mm.

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Given these figures, I wasn't surprised by the material's ability to withstand persistent rainfall.  I had wondered if rain might find a way inside, via the zippered shoulders, but to date this has proved unfounded. Everything connects and converts reassuringly well. 

The joins seem to overlap very convincingly, preventing sleet, and some surprisingly persistent rain from entering the via the neck area. I think this may be helped by the posture assumed cruising on the hoods or wider flared drops, one that encourages water to roll away, rather than sneak in.

Really heavy showers only began to tax the fabric after about 70 minutes, and although the outer was quite saturated after another 20 minutes, it didn't impact on my comfort.

Moisture transfer in milder conditions (10-12°C) is middling. I would still be feeling rather clammy after 25 minutes of riding at an average speed of 18mph, at which point the fabric started wicking, but even with the sleeves removed, this faint clamminess improved but never completely vanished.

This was particularly apparent when wearing polyamide and more basic polyester baselayers. Dropping the front zip a little helps – something I'm pleased to report is relatively faff-free in thinner, full-finger gloves (adding a black cable tie improved it further).

Its performance with merino layers is much better, although that familiar trace dampness around shoulders, chest and armpits never completely disappears.

In cooler temperatures (3-8°C) I welcomed the additional warmth and didn't feel 'boiled in the bag' after 30 minutes at 100rpm, riding my fixed gear bike, though temperature tolerance is very personal. With the mercury at 8°C and upwards, I felt perfectly ambient in gilet mode and with a middleweight baselayer beneath.

Detailing is pretty good throughout. There's retro-reflective piping and logos in the gilet section, and the detachable sleeves also feature a fluoro yellow stripe, impregnated with retro-reflective chevrons.

There's an aesthetically slick zipper garage at the front, while around the back we have the traditional three pocket 'terrace'. The pockets are generous, providing ample room for bigger smartphones, 750ml bottles, bananas, tubes, and so on, and when belting along unmade roads there's no hint of anything being ejected.

Sizing/fit

The medium on test graced my 181cm, 70kg frame perfectly, even the torso (I'm proportionately short in the body, compared with most men), with no hint of gathering or bunching when alternating between drops and hoods. (It's not me in the photos.)

Proviz suggests it can be worn atop a mid-layer, which is true provided you're prepared to stick with a short-sleeve jersey over a long-sleeve baselayer. Going the long-sleeve, winter-weight jersey route required that I remove the sleeves, otherwise they would bunch up and gather uncomfortably.

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Overall, Proviz has created a useful convertible garment that covers most of the bases. There's some trade-off in terms of breathability, which is less of a problem during colder weather, but could be improved given the year-round design brief.

Verdict

Generally well-executed convertible jacket-cum-gilet but breathability could be better