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review

Nalini Malachite Race Cape

4
£87.99

VERDICT:

4
10
Poor breathability, weatherproofing and terrible zip design make this a jacket to avoid
Weight: 
99g

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The Nalini Malachite race cape is designed as a light and packable jacket to be thrown on at a moment's notice when conditions change for the worse. Though it provides only minimal protection from the elements (and doesn't claim to do otherwise), it should be just the ticket as a backup in the high mountains, or in a race where a full waterproof is overkill due to the body heat inevitably generated when going hard.

The jacket is constructed from 'MantoTex', a microfiber fabric with a relatively open weave on the outside, backed up by a weatherproof membrane on the inside. Nalini are keen to tout the fabric's ability to allow sweat to evaporate through it, creating a so-called 'microclimate between skin and fabric'. In practise though, I found that it performed little better in this regard compared to the more basic (and much cheaper) boil-in-the-bag waterproofs that leave you so drenched in condensation you wonder why you bothered to put them on.

It's not as if the sauna effect is compensated by the jacket's ability to keep out rain either, as anything more than a very light shower soon finds its way through the fabric. If worn over bare arms, the Malachite has a tendency to stick and cling to one's skin which isn't a pleasant feeling. What it does do well is keep the wind at bay which is useful on Alpine-style descents when you can be looking at over 10 minutes of high speeds and little effort. If there happens to be moisture in the air though...

Really, the Malachite's best selling point is its packability in that it will only take up half a rear pocket, making that decision on whether to bring a jacket along on that epic ride a little easier. It includes a small pocket which it can be packed down into – useful for travelling with – but the pouch is a little square to fit well into a jersey pocket, so your best option is to just roll it up when on the bike.

The Malachite is available in a range of colours, but the white version tested is most deserving of the 'race cape' tag as the see-through fabric ensures that race numbers can still be seen when wearing the jacket. This should keep even the most pedantic race commissaires happy, or at least, slightly less likely to throw you off the race. On the downside, the transformation from white to beige is an inevitable and rapid one.

In addition to being able to see one's race number through it, to my mind, a race cape should also have the following qualities: an aggressive fit to suite a stretched out position, and it should be easy to put on and take off. Unfortunately, the Malachite is found wanting on both counts.

In the size medium tested – the same size I usually use for jackets – the body length was acceptable but the arms came up a little short.

A bigger gripe however was the zip, or more specifically the fact that it was backed up by a storm flap underneath. Why you'd include a storm flap when the actual fabric itself isn't weatherproof is a mystery to me, but the end result was that it was pretty much impossible to zip up whilst riding along, without snagging the zip on the flap at some point. On training rides, I'd have to stop and try and wrestle the damn thing free, but in races, one is hardly likely to pull up on the roadside to sort things out. With the zip stuck half way up, the whole jacket inflates like a balloon doing its best to waste every previous Watt that's going through the pedals.

In summary then, the Malachite leaves a lot to be desired as a race cape or even a light weatherproof jacket. Sure it's highly packable, but the trade-offs in poor breathability and minimal weatherproofing, especially given the not insignificant price tag, just don't seem worth it. That the zip is a constant source of frustration is the nail in the coffin and leaves little about it to be recommended.

Verdict

Poor breathability, weatherproofing and terrible zip design make this a jacket to avoid

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Nalini Malachite Race Cape

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?

The Malachite is designed as a windproof, showerproof jacket, ideal for racing or for throwing on in advance of long Alpine descents

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

* MANTOTEX® heat regulating membrane

* Water resistance >2000 mm (UNI EN 20811/93)

* Allows transpiration 300 g/m2 day (UNI 4818-26/92)

* Windbreaker from 0 to 5 mbar, l/min 10 cm2 (DIN 53887-1995)

* High resistance to light (UVA UVB rays)

* Resistance to delamination 5 (UNI EN ISO 105 E01/98)

Available in 5 colours and sizes S to 4XL

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
5/10

A few loose strands have become visible around the zip, but in general, the jacket seems well made.

Rate the product for performance:
 
4/10

For a jacket this light, one accepts that it won't withstand prolonged precipitation but the fact that it's not breathable either is a disappointment. The storm flap behind the zip has a tendency to get snagged when putting on the jacket and requires some serious yanking to get loose again.

Rate the product for durability:
 
5/10

Apart from the aforementioned loose strands, the jacket has held up ok to a few months' use. The white colour is no longer so white, but one can still see race numbers through it.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10

Very light and high packable - whether in its own internal pocket or rolled up in a jersey pocket.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
4/10

The arms could do with being a little longer, and the fabric tends to stick to bar skin when wet.

Rate the product for value:
 
4/10

Considering the problems with it, the asking price of nearly £90 is hard to justify.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Packability.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The zip.

Did you enjoy using the product? No.

Would you consider buying the product? No.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? No.

Overall rating: 4/10

About the tester

Age: 22  Height: 190cm  Weight: 69kg

I usually ride: Canondale EVO Red  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Semi pro

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, mtb,

 

For 5 years, racing was my life and I went all the way from a newbie bonking after 40 miles, to a full-timer plying my trade on the Belgian kermesse scene. Unfortunately, the pro dream wasn't meant to be and these days, you're more likely to find me bimbling about country lanes and sleeping in a bush on the side of the road.

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2 comments

Avatar
s_lim | 9 years ago
0 likes

Malachite? I had thought that was rhyming slang for 'shite'?

Avatar
Steezysix | 9 years ago
0 likes

Not waterproof, not breathable? Sounds like you need to turn it inside out...  39

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