waterproof jacket

You never actually want to HAVE to buy a waterproof cycling jacket do you? So it's always nice when you can do so without spending a squillion pounds in the process. The dhb Ladies EQ2.5 Waterproof Jacket promises a female specific, lightweight, fully waterproof jacket designed with cyclists in mind for a very reasonable price, so does it deliver on that fairly substantial promise?

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.

Rohan certainly couldn't be considered Johnny-come-latelys in the outdoor clothing field, but cycling apparel is a new direction for them. This Elite Stormer jacket manages to be light, breathable and waterproof – normally you have to pick two – and is certainly packs in some high performance to justify the £195 price tag. It does come up slightly odd in the fit department though.

Can anyone recommend a waterproof jacket that really is just that - waterproof. Not just for 10 minutes but for an hour or so. Have tried 4 jackets claiming to be such (admittedly not top dollar) which are about as useful as a chocolate teapot and have now had enough.

The EQ2.5 Jacket from dhb is designed to keep you warm and dry when cycling in cold and wet weather - and it does just that, very well indeed.

Montane's bike-specific Featherlite Velo H2O Jacket gets that balance between waterproofness and breathability pretty much spot on. It's an unavoidable truth that any fully waterproof garment won't be totally breathable. And any fully breathable garment won't be totally waterproof. There always has to be a balance - especially when it comes to performance road cycling.

It's a pretty innovative idea, the Water off a Duck's Back Cycle Macintosh: a traditional style mac for wear on and off the bike. It won't feature on every woman's list of essential bike kit, but for those who like a more refined ride, take a stylish, unhurried approach, and above all want the ability to blend in when off the bike, it certainly has its niche.