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news
Parentini launches Mossa weatherproof jersey
Parentini is an Italian cycle clothing brand started back in 1976 and based in Pisa, and once supplied clothing for Giuseppe Saronni, who won the world cycling championship in 1982 held at Goodwood along with Milan-San Remo and stages of the Giro d’Italia.
The clothing company have been busy recently and have just revealed their latest autumn and winter jersey, the Mossa, a top designed for temperatures from zero to 15 degrees with a wind and waterproof fabric. That should cover just about the full range of typical UK winter cycling conditions.
The Mossa is constructed from a Windtex Membrane fabric, with two external layers sandwiching the membrane designed to provide the necessary breathability to avoid overheating. It’s completely windproof and, thanks to a Hydro treatment, is waterproof too.
It’s designed to fit like a jersey so is snug and close-fitting. It’s high at the front and dropped at the rear to work well in a race bike position. The fabric is lightweight and the high stretch factor helps with the fit, and Parentini have opted not to seal the seams, taking the slight compromise in total waterproofness, for the higher stretch the regular seams allow.
Parentini offer a suggested guide for dressing with the Mossa. They say it’s best suited to riders that ride at a steady average riding speed, the insulation relies on the rider producing plenty of heat, and can be worn over just a base layer.
Sounds a bit like the ever-popular Gabba from Castelli doesn’t it? Parentini don’t deny that they have followed in the footsteps of the iconic jersey. They’re not the first though, and they probably won’t be the last. Though there are clear similarities of intended purpose, Parentini are keen to stress that the Mossa differs in that they claim it offers more protection and is completely waterproof. They also claim the Windtex fabric is four times more stretchy than other fabrics.
We’ve got a Mossa jersey winging its way to us now so we can find out how it performs, and we’ll be comparing it to the Gabba. An interesting aside, the Danish national team use Parentini clothing with Matti Breschel finishing 4th at the recent world championship road race wearing the Italian clothing.
The Mossa is available now in black or flouro yellow, and costs £150 with short sleeves and £175 with long sleeves. Sizes include XS to XXXL. More info at www.parentini.com/pagina.php?IDmenu=154&IDarticolo=414
David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes.
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The Parentini Mossa has been tested by a printed Cycling magazine.
Their Verdict: beats the famous Gabba at its own game.
https://www.facebook.com/zettadistribution/photos/pcb.808979342493851/80...
Well, a month has passed in which there would be enough time to test this?
Windtex.... as in the material that adorned countless late 90s and early 00s team kit jackets and gilets and had the amazing properties of being neither wind or waterproof! Think I'll pass thanks...
Nice work on the 15% discount !
Apologies we are unable to send items to members of the public to test and review.
We will offer readers of road.cc a 15% off the Mossa from today till end of November 2014.
Please send request to: sales [at] zettadistribution.com
Please quote: road.cc/Parentini - Mossa
Thank you,
Zetta
David, you have three weeks to post your review. But no pressure!
Ha! I'm on it as soon as it arrives
That's a very generous offer....
These types of jerseys are great and its good to see an alternative, in theory competition creates better pricing. True, they won't hold out for long in a persistant downpour but they hold out well on light to medium rain and stay toasty on a cold dry day with just a baselayer on underneath without turning into a sweat box.
Even if you do get wet, the material works in such a way that you don't get cold which for me is more important.
i purchased a gabba this year and have since purchased another, making about 6 other tops redundant. it is the most useful item of clothing I have ever purchased.
You can send me one as well if you like. I wear the Gabba 40 miles round trip commuting on most rainy days. I'd be happy to do a review in such conditions.
Thank you all for your contribution. we appreciate you reading the article and adding your valulabe comments.
Zetta looks after Parentini in the UK market.
We think its best to let David decide once he has tested the Mossa 're the quality and details of the Parentini product.
Best regards,
Zetta Distribution
WaterPROOF is an interesting claim. However, purely as a matter of common sense, Parentini have done something that, to Castelli, should be bloody obvious.
Move the seams. The main issue with Gabba leaking is that water gets into the seams. And the shoulder and arm seams are badly placed in that regard.
This Parentini jersey looks to solve that with placing the sames differently and having "one piece" arms. To me that screams better design.
Vinerman, 'rip-off' has nothing to do with manufacture, it's about design. Whether Parentini manufacture their own stuff and Castelli don't is immaterial. Having said that, it's a bloody cycling jacket, there are only so many ways you can design them.
Agreed Truffy, also Parentini admit to it, thats their take on the Gabba open unpatent concept.
Basically a rip off. Mossa? Windtex? I'll be surprised if Castelli don't take them to court Apple/Samsung style.
Nzlucas, maybe a trip to Montopoli near Pisa to see Parentini factory will settle things re your suspicision. Parentini make their own stuff.
Do you think Castelli/Sportful make any of their products??? mainly they are made by Romanian, Hungarian, Far Eastern factories[no offence to anyone, just ref to origin of factory].
Why no white?
I have a white LS Gabba, it's good to a point in the rain but when it gets really heavy it's rubbish.
Would've been interested in this if it was in a colour in between these two extremes of the spectrum.
Although Parentini have been influenced by the Gabba, this jacket isn't an exact copy, as they've used different materials to achieve a product that improves on the Gabba. I've got a Mossa and it's superb.
Erm isn't this pricier than the Gabba ? So why buy a more expensive copy ? (that doesn't look as good ?)
A Gabba s/s is £150 at retail, so that's the same price. Parentini are claiming it's waterproof, which the Gabba isn't. Anyway we've got one coming in for test so we can see how it compares