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review

Campagnolo Gironde Windproof Thermo 50/50 Jacket

8
£134.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Warm and stylish windproof jersey/jacket for winter -but not cheap
Weight: 
450g
Contact: 
www.i-ride.co.uk

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The Gironde comes from Campagnolo's Heritage range, home to clothing that has a classic look to it rather than using traditional fabrics. There is a little bit of wool in the Heritage lineup but this jersey is all synthetic - polyester, polyurethane and elastane.

Campagnolo describe this as both a jacket and a jersey, and it actually inhabits the ground where they meet. You could make a case for it being either in that you could wear it on top of just a base layer or on top of a base layer and a jersey. It's not that important what you call it, admittedly, but just so you know where we're at.

So what do you get here? The entire front, the upper-side of the arms, the neck and the yoke are all made from Campagnolo's Textran Thermo fabric. The main features of Textran Thermo are that it's windproof and waterproof. It's also surprisingly stretchy - both crossways and up-and-down - and pretty breathable too.

To me, being windproof is the key one. Keeping the cold air out is what it's all about in winter, and this top does that well while still letting a lot of that sweaty vapour you produce escape. The Textran Thermo isn't as breathable as a non-windproof jersey fabric so you wouldn't want to wear this in warmer temperatures or you will get sweaty, although you can always open the front zip if things do start getting too hot and humid. You get a big, textured zip pull that's easy to grab even in chunky gloves and it locks in place wherever you position it.

The fabric has a Polygiene natural silver salt treatment that combats bacteria and bad odours. I'm pretty skeptical about many antimicrobial treatments but this one seems to work well. You're never going to smell shower-fresh at the end of a big ride but this top stays surprisingly niff-free. Well, you know... it's all relative.

The less exposed sections on the underside of the arms and the back aren't windproof, they're a fleecy polyester. These panels are even more stretchy than the Textran and more breathable too so more of that damp air can escape out.

The cut is slim and there's enough give in the fabrics that you won't feel constricted by a close fit. Soft and stretchy cuffs ensure no cold air gets up the sleeves and there are three deep pockets in the lower back - standard issue stuff - with an internal pocket inside one that'll take a phone, iPod, wallet or whatever. A silicone gripper inside the elasticated waist helps hold the back in place while the reflective stripe on the outside is really noticeable at night.

Verdict

Warm and stylish windproof jersey/jacket for winter -but not cheap

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Campagnolo Gironde Windproof Thermo 50/50 Jacket

Size tested: Red/White/Blue - L

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?

Campagnolo say, "Long-zip jersey, thermal, stretch, breathable and anti-bacterial

Permanent Polished fabric on the inside guarantees maximum thermal insulation on contact with the body

Polygiene natural silver salt treatment combats bacteria and bad odours

Front zip with semi-blocking zip pull

Three back pockets

IQ Seen reflex elastic on back hem (visible at 160 m)"

Note that they call it a jersey there; it's a halfway house between a jersey and a jacket.

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

This is Campagnolo's explanation of the Textran fabric:

"Textran™ is the result of innovative technological research, developed by Campagnolo Sportswear to guarantee optimum wind and waterproofing.

Textran™ is synonym of excellent breathability.

Textran™ has a maximum elasticity of 300%, which guarantees perfect wearability and high comfort levels for active sportswear. Low heat dispersion ensures constant body temperature for real comfort."

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Good fabrics put together well

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

It does the job its intended to do

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Tricky. It's windproof, and that always costs more. Most (not all) windproof jerseys/jackets (as opposed to windproof shells) cost over £100. £135 is far from cheap but there are plenty more expensive options out there too -some considerably more.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well. A solid performance all round

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The windproofing. I like the look/style too.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Very slight bleed from one of the red panels into a white one during washing. It's only noticeable when you look hard, though.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Possibly

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Possibly

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 40  Height: 190cm  Weight: 74kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding,

 

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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