Galibier 7k/4k Tourmalet Rain Jacket

The Galibier 7k/4k Tourmalet is a lightweight and scrunchable-into-a-pocket jacket that can see off light rain, that's only let down by limited arm ventilation.

The 7k/4k name refers to the waterproof rating of the Hydrastop fabric used in its construction - 7k supposedly good for resisting a hydrostatic head (Read: long tube of water) 7000mm tall, before leaking. The 4k refers to the fabric's breathability, in that it can let 4 litres of moisture through 1 square metre every 24 hours. Just how you'd compare/contrast these in the real world without running into all sorts of H&S faff is questionable, so I just went for some rides.

The Tourmalet is a looker. The fabric is soft, and also silent, even at high speed. The minimalist racing-stripe styling and shoulder/chest junction reflective trim are nicely balanced, and as it's cut reasonably high at the front it doesn't bunch up when you get onto the hoods or drops. The collar is high enough to make a difference, cut to sit at the chin/neck junction when on the bike looking up, and snug enough to keep water mostly at bay while allowing a shouldercheck without feeling like you're getting all in a twist.

The overall fit of the Large is snug on a 73kg 6ft tall person, but the arms will come up a bit short if you are longer-limbed than is considered seemly. When stretched out the whole package comes together nicely, shoulders feeling good and arms not pulled tight. The only reflective elements to speak of are the piping front & back, so don't rely on the Tourmalet for night riding safety.

Around the back there's a 25cm-wide mesh-covered vent across the shoulderblades, plus an oblique zip over the left kidney area for access to a jersey pocket. In reality this is pretty unuseable with any sort of full-finger gloves on, and depending on your body length and height of jersey pocket could be a downright liability. In several 'reach tests' my hand got trapped and I needed to use the other hand to rescue it; not at all to be recommended at speed on the road. A nice idea, just not realised as well as it could be.

Overall construction is first-class. Every seam is taped, and the zip is a hefty, sealed affair with a backing flap. The hem is very slightly elasticated, the back drop being okay but not as long as on some jackets. The zip sometimes required two hands, and the absence of a substantial pull tag made temperature adjustment a bit hit-and-miss.

The cuffs are the Tourmalet's Marmite Moment. They are a snug fit, with a 2in-long inner protruding out from underneath the main arm fabric. This can be tucked under or over a glove to make a windproof seal. What this means is there is no chance of any arm ventilation, which is quite noticeable when working at anything more than a moderate pace. On return from several dry, fast (85% of max HR) rides in 1-5 °C temps wearing a long-sleeved merino jersey & baselayer underneath, the inside of the arm was damp and would drip if touched, implying that the breathability of the fabric wasn't up to the job for the conditions at the time.

What the Tourmalet is not is a heavy rain contender, if absolute dryness is your aim. In prolonged (2hr +) showers at 85% effort a longsleeved Merino jersey underneath picked up to a whole cup full of water. This is either sweat that couldn't evaporate or rain soaking through the fabric - of course it's impossible to tell which, but either way there was wet. It should be noted that even in low just-above-zero temps, the windproof nature of the Tourmalet meant that even my arms didn't feel overly-chilled, just that there was moisture there. As temperatures increased the amount of water left on the jersey increased too, implying that there are limits to breathability. Lowering the zip gives airflow over the shoulders thanks to the generous rear vent, but the arms remain un-aired.

As a windproof the Tourmalet excels. With a long-sleeved Merino jersey plus a pair of armwarmers, putting the Tourmalet over the top made a just-above-freezing ride quite comfy for one who runs cold. With options to adjust temperature as things warmed up such as removing the warmers, removing the jacket or both, plus to have rain protection to hand if needed, the package works. The Tourmalet dries out very quickly after a shower.

Weighing in at 233g for a Large, the Tourmalet can be scrunched/rolled into a jersey-pocketable package easily enough. At £52 MSRP it's pretty decent price-wise as a windproof, shower-proof packable jacket, but if you run particularly warm the lack of arm ventilation might be a showstopper.

Verdict

Decent windproof, shower-proof packable jacket, but could be more breathable