Galibier Mistral Foul Weather Jacket

The Galibier Mistral Foul Weather Jacket keeps out the cold wind and most rain, comes in a close cut, and is a bit of a bargain.

First of all, I love the cut. Loads and loads of bike jackets are cut too long at the front, in my opinion. This one isn't. It barely covers my midriff when I'm standing up off the bike, but that means that once I'm bent over in the saddle there are no unnecessary folds of fabric.

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I also like the fact that the Mistral fits close to the body, and the arms aren't too bulky. That means there's very little excess material to flap about and annoy you on descents or in windy conditions. I've been wearing it over just a thin, long-sleeve baselayer, as Galibier suggests, and I find the cut to be spot on. There's plenty of stretch in the fabric so it doesn't feel uncomfortably tight anywhere.

The Mistral is made from a membrane fabric with a waterproof rating of 6,000mm. That means it keeps out light rain without any bother at all, although moderate or heavy rain could work its way inside sooner or later.

That said, I've worn the Mistral in the rain on several occasions now (perversely, I've been waiting for it to rain before heading out on my bike) and I've not noticed any water getting through the fabric itself. The seams aren't taped – the stretchiness of the fabric doesn't allow it – so driving rain can creep in around the shoulders in particular, but the worst of the weather stays outside.

Being waterproof, the Mistral is also windproof, and that applies to all the panels, front and rear. That helps to keep you feeling warm even when the temperature is well down into single figures centigrade, as it has been on a couple of the autumn mornings we've had lately.

The fabric is also reasonably breathable (it has a rating of 7,000gr/m2/day), and the full-length front zip allows you to regulate the temperature inside. Galibier reckons the Mistral is suitable for conditions from 4°C up to 15°C, although I've got pretty sweaty while wearing it on a couple of occasions when the temperature has been towards the higher end of this range. To be fair, I've yet to find a fabric where this doesn't happen.

>> Check out our guide to waterproof cycling jackets here

You get quite a few neat features here. Around the back you get three sizeable pockets, all mesh-bottomed to allow any water that gets in to drain out again. There's plenty of 3M reflective trim back there to help you get noticed in car headlights, and a silicone gripper inside the elasticated waistband helps to hold the hem in place as you move.

A zip garage stops scratchiness around your neck, and a storm flap behind the zip stops the wind and rain getting through.

The collar is fleece-lined and very comfortable and you get double cuffs, the inner ones made from that same comfy fleece material. These make it really easy to avoid draughty wrists.

That chest logo is embroidered, by the way, so it's not going to start flaking off like some transfer logos do after a few washes.

Verdict

Very good windproof and water-resistant jacket at an excellent price