Jackets

To combat the elements in the last few weeks I've had the Oneten Pioggia Shell jacket, the in-house clothing brand from distributor Hotlines. Don't be deceived by first impressions - despite its lightweight construction and minimal feel, the jacket is fit for purpose.

Providing incredible protection against the wind, cold and rain, and with a new visibility boosting black and yellow colour option, Sportful's Fiandre Jacket is right up there with the best.

Sportful NoRain's clothing range, which use a proprietary fabric with a water repellent technology, features two jackets. The Fiandre Norain Jacket here is intended for the most motivationally-sapping weather conditions, and is more feature packed and insulating than the Fiandre Light.

The catchily named Gore Xenon 2.0 AS Jacket is a lightweight, windproof and water-resistant jacket made from Gore's Windstopper Active Shell fabric.

When you don't need it the Xenon AS is airy light and packs down tight and small so it doesn't feel a burden in a rear pocket at all, happily taken along for just-in-case duties (so most rides then) without being a pain in the arse, literally, and when you suddenly do need it, it works.

Altura are known for producing good value kit that performs well for the money. The Night Vision Evo is just one below the company's top notch waterproof jacket (the Sirius Plus at £129.99) and as such is aimed at the more serious commuter, or rider looking for long duration protection from the elements and a comfortable ride.

It's an inoffensive looking jacket, with plenty of cycling specific features, such as huge amounts of reflective accenting, and the bright colour options (as well as good old black).

At just shy of two hundred pounds the Vulpine Cotton Rain Jacket could be seen as quite a spend, especially as it doesn't have all sorts of 'technical' features that believe they can command a premium. But it works out as better value if you consider you're getting both a casual rain jacket and a cycling rain jacket all in one.

Sugoi's Firewall 220 Zip water and wind resistant softshell is a great fitting piece of clothing that works well the in the saddle and is ideal for other sports too.

The jacket is created using a mixture of Sugoi's Firewall 220 and MidZero fabrics. To try and create the holy grail of weather protection and breathability the Firewall 220 material is used on the jacket front, upper back and shoulders.

The Vulpine Softshell jacket is made from the finest dual-layer fabric, say Vulpine, with an outer water-resistant, windproof layer bonded to a tightly fleeced inner layer.

The jacket has a level of design and detail liberally sprinkled about it that suggests the creator rides his bike a lot, or has OCD, or has had one too many rides ruined by a bit of kit with a particularly niggly annoying 'if only they'd just' feature. Actually, it's probably all of those.

The Countdown 2.0 AS ZO Lady jacket is a jacket designed for year round use, and with its 'comfort' fit it's aimed at all sorts of riders, not just the super sporty.

I like jacket/gilet combos. I think they are a useful thing to have in a climate that's erratic at best. For a mostly insubstantial weight outlay, you get a full sleeved jacket and a gilet in one, meaning you've effectively got twice the clothing options.

The Protector Jacket is Ride's take on the race cape, an ideal garment for stuffing in your jersey pocket just in case of a shower or two.

Handmade from 100% polyester the construction and material is good quality. You get elasticated cuffs and waistband keeping the draughts out and a neat opening in the back to allow access to your jersey pockets underneath. A full zip makes getting it on an off a breeze and it easily scrunches down to jersey pocket size.

We tested the Rohan Elite Stormer jacket some time ago, and while we liked the performance of the fabric, we had our reservations about the slightly upright commuter cut. It's a similar story with this lightweight Windrider jacket, but the fit doesn't seem to matter so much here. Anyway, it's a pricey but well-conceived windproof with some standout features, most notably its performance in the rain.