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What's the best cycling gilet? Help decide the road.cc People's Choice

Tell us your favourite sleeveless jacket

Got a favourite sleeveless outer layer? Tell us about it.

Gilet, vest or sleeveless jacket — whatever you call it, it’s one of the most useful items in a cyclist’s wardrobe. A gilet keeps the breeze off your torso when the weather is cool, but not so cold you need a full jacket. It can be easily rolled up and tucked into a pocket when it warms up, or you can tuck a gilet into your pocket if you expect cooler weather later in the day.

This apparently simple garment comes with a huge variety of different features, though. Do you prefer a mesh or a ‘solid’ back? Super-light or sturdier fabric? Pockets or none? A lined collar or simple nylon? Tell us which gilet you prefer and why, to help your fellow cyclists pick the best gilet.

gilets.jpg

Here's how it works:

  • Post a comment to nominate a product. Check it hasn't already been nominated. Add a link to the product wherever you can.
  • Like a comment to vote for that product. 
  • One comment per product. Any multiple comments will be deleted and their likes will not count towards a product's score. The first nomination will be the one that is counted.
  • One product per comment please. Otherwise the voting doesn't make any sense.
  • Maximum 30 nominations per award. Once we hit 30 nominations we will close the nomination process.
  • All votes will be counted up until the closing date. Votes after this may appear but will not be counted.
  • We reserve the right to remove any comment at our sole discretion.
  • Closing date is 10am, Tuesday, March 29.

Over to you!

John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.

He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.

Since then he has worked on MTB Pro magazine and was editor of Maximum Mountain Bike and Australian Mountain Bike magazines, before switching to the web in 2000 to work for CyclingNews.com. Along with road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, John was on the launch team for BikeRadar.com and subsequently became editor in chief of Future Publishing’s group of cycling magazines and websites, including Cycling Plus, MBUK, What Mountain Bike and Procycling.

John has also written for Cyclist magazine, edited the BikeMagic website and was founding editor of TotalWomensCycling.com before handing over to someone far more representative of the site's main audience.

He joined road.cc in 2013. He lives in Cambridge where the lack of hills is more than made up for by the headwinds.

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11 comments

Avatar
Martin Thomas | 8 years ago
0 likes

Mavic Helium Vest for me - ultra-light, takes the edge off wind & drizzle with no danger of overheating, great fit and packs so small there's room for it in a jersey pocket that's already got a pump and phone in it. 

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hsam | 8 years ago
0 likes

The Friends of Herne Hill Velodrome gilet is a beauty:

http://www.hernehillvelodrome.com/product/fhhv-gilet/

Made by Milltag, race cut, incredible protection for the wind and two handy rear pockets for snacks. Classic FHHV stripes and visible for low-light riding. 

It's been the first thing out of my cupboard when heading out since November. Only £55 too...with all proceeds going toward the development of Herne Hill Velodrome.

 

 

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mostly | 8 years ago
0 likes

Paid a tenner for the decathlon aerofit http://www.decathlon.co.uk/aerofit-road-cycling-gilet-black-blue-id_8354...

its great, squeeze me hard enough and I'd pay full whack.

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schlepcycling | 8 years ago
1 like
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PeterM | 8 years ago
2 likes

Endura pakagilet - simple effective and access to my jersey pockets.

 

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themartincox | 8 years ago
1 like

Rapha Brevet Gilet is mightily impressive

I've got the coral version and it is incredibly visible, and very lightweight.

massive fan!

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Nixster | 8 years ago
0 likes

I have the Decathalon one in the photo above - I don't know if it's the best gilet but it works very  well and it cost less than £20.  I can't imagine there is a better value for money option.

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peted76 | 8 years ago
0 likes

Castelli FAwesome for me - the clue is in the name.

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spannerrrrr | 8 years ago
0 likes
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jasecd | 8 years ago
0 likes

Vulpine Softshell - http://www.cyclesurgery.com/vulpine--softshell-gilet/vests-/-gilets/bike...

I was really pleased when this arrived but then my girlfriend took great delight in telling me it looked like a Waitrose uniform. Regardless it's seen a lot of use over the winter.

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Rustykwak | 8 years ago
0 likes

dhb Flashlight Windproof Gilet

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-flashlight-windproof-gilet/

I have only had this for a few weeks but has been very useful in the cold mornings rolls up very compact for rear pockets, vented back saves you getting sweaty good value & good quality!

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