Shutt VR Race Cape

We've had plenty of Shutt's clothing in to test at road.cc and it's mostly been very good, but the Race Cape left me a bit cold. Not in the literal sense though, and that was kind of the problem.

As race capes go this is a pretty cheap one but it doesn't feel cheaply made, with nice detailing and a good fit. There's vents under the arms and at the rear, as well as reflective piping, and the main body of the cape is 'top of the range stretch fabric from Switzerland' which is a loose synthetic weave covered by a thin membrane. Despite its super-light construction the Shutt race cape has proved to be fairly hardy, and it's light and small enough that you can easily fit it into a pocket.

Some excursions in heavy rain confirmed that the race cape is indeed waterproof, so that's good. Shutt note that the mesh sections under the arms can let in water but I didn't have a problem with that. What I did have a problem with was the breathability, or lack thereof. It just doesn't let much moisture out, and on a warm, wet day you'll be pretty soggy from the inside if you go after it. I did a fixed-gear ride to Cheddar and back, a hilly 90km, with a merino long-sleeved base layer underneath and by the time i got back you could wring the sweat from the sleeves, literally.

It's the arms that seem to be the worst, with the vents and zipper allowing more air flow in the body. But it was just too hot for me, this one. I tend to use a 2.5 layer breathable jacket for wet rides; it's small enough to (just) fit in a pocket and regulates temperature better than the race cape did. If you don't run hot when you're riding it's worth a look as it's good value and very waterproof, and it's good for chilly mornings as you can stuff it in a pocket when the sun comes out.

Verdict

Good value super-light option for the rain if you don't run hot, but not very breathable if you do