Castelli

Castelli's Risvolto Winter Cap provides enough warmth for most winter conditions and comes with a stowable flap to cover your ears and the back of your head.

You can just about wear it under a helmet but you're making life hard for yourself there because it's not especially low profile. No, this is a hat that's aimed at those who ride without a lid.

I know what youre thinking, and youre right: £230 is a big old wedge of cash to spend on a bike jacket. But then the Castelli Espresso Due is a really high-quality piece of clothing with some excellent cold-weather features behind its cool looks.

The Espresso is made from Gore Windstopper X-Fast fabric. You probably know about Windstopper, and even if you dont, the clue is in the name. This fabric blocks out cold air completely so you can build up your warmth inside. This version has the added advantage of being very stretchy too.

These Diluvio overshoes from Castelli cost a bit more than most but they're warm and well made.

Like many others, they're 3mm neoprene which is thick enough for plenty of insulation. Just as important for keeping your feet warm, that neoprene extends well over the sides and round to the soles. You get a hole for your cleat, of course, and another at the heel for grip when walking to and from your bike, but that little bit of extra coverage compared to a completely open-soled overshoe makes a big difference.

This new jersey from Castelli really is something different. The Gabba is made from a windproof and waterproof fabric that's breathable enough that you stay comfortably sweat-free when you step up the intensity.

Castelli's Chiro Due gloves are good-quality mid-weight gloves for cool autumn/winter days - although not for the very coldest rides.

The Chiros owe much of their performance to the fact that they're made from a Gore Windstopper fabric throughout - and that includes the cuffs. No cold air gets through it. Plus, although these gloves aren't designed to be waterproof, no rain gets through the Windstopper fabric either. It can soak through the seams but not through the fabric itself.

We first tested these tights a year ago - in November 2010 - so we thought we'd update our review to cover how we've got on with using them since then. Well I say "we", what I mean is "I"… you can take team bonding too far y'know. The price for this winter, 2011-12, remains the same at £160.

These bib tights are from Castelli’s Rosso Corsa line, which means that they’re a top-of-the-range option from the Italian clothing specialists.

The thing about Castelli's Feroce long sleeve base layer is that it's not a long sleeve base layer.

Um...

'Don't think of it as a long sleeve base layer. Think of it as a short sleeve base layer with arm warmers attached,' say Castelli.

Well, that partly explains things but they're still messing with my mind here.

Starting with a standard pair of their Thermoflex armwarmers and coating it with millions of silicone 'nanofilaments', Castelli have created a water repellent fabric called Nanoflex that causes raindrops to bead off of the fabric as you are riding keeping you drier for longer. That's the theory; and the practice?