Sportful Fiandre Cabrio Jacket

Sportful's Fiandre Cabrio Jacket has a cunning trick up its sleeve... It has a removable back panel, allowing it to be adapted to different conditions: extra insulation when it's colder, or more breathability when it's warmer or your intensity level increases. It's a lot of money but there are no jackets at this price that offer the same level of versatility. In a way, it's two jackets for the price of one, and is ideal for three-season cycling as it can deal with most typical winter weather. Add in great fit, comfort and especially nicely designed cuffs and it's a very good investment.

• Pros: Warm, breathable, comfortable, versatile
• Cons: Pocket access sometimes tricky, can't remove it on the move

The Fiandre Cabrio is unlike any jacket I've tested before. Being able to remove the back panel so it can cope with a wide range of conditions isn't something I can ever recall seeing before, nor is it something I've ever thought would be useful in a jacket. But Sportful hasn't been afraid to push the boat out with bold designs in recent years and shun convention, all in the name of making riding in unpleasant weather more appealing. The Cabrio is its newest and boldest idea.

More on the back panel in a bit, first the rest of the jacket. It uses Gore Windstopper 4 Way Warm fabric for the front panels, while the sleeves and removable back panel are made from Windstopper 4 Way Mid. It's given a 5 to 15°C temperature range by Sportful, which is an accurate assessment of its insulation abilities when worn with a baselayer to match the conditions. I alternated between different weight short-sleeve baselayers for warmer rides, to long-sleeve bases for colder rides.

You get three rear pockets, accessible whether the back panel is in place or not. No zipped valuables pocket though...

The main zipper is a high-quality YKK item and it's covered with a flap of Windstopper material for extra weather protection. Also providing additional protection is the high collar. The elasticated waistband is lined with a sticky silicone material to keep it in place and not slowly ride up your back.

The cuffs are very smartly designed. An inner cuff hugs the wrist closely while the outer Windstopper sleeve is separated a few inches up the arm. This provides a really good seal, stopping draughts getting up the arms, and also fits well with gloves – you can pull the glove over the inner sleeve and then pull the outer sleeve over the glove to seal everything off from the elements. It's one of the smartest jacket cuffs I've tested in a while and shows good attention to detail in this sometimes tricky area.

Back to the back panel... For starters, it's not something you can remove while on the move. It's a bit tricky to get on and off and is easiest done before a ride or at a mid-ride cafe stop. Basically, you either make a call before the ride based on current weather, or start with it in place and remove it during the ride if the weather heats up. The panel is small enough to stash into one of the three pockets, provided they're not full with food and essentials.

As I said, the pockets can be accessed with or without the back panel in place, but it is trickier with the panel than without, and compared with a regular jacket.

If it's colder, with the Windstopper panel in place the jacket is comparable to a regular jacket made from similar materials.

With the back panel removed there is a small but tangible difference; the exposed NoRain fabric promotes breathability, which is really useful towards the higher end of its recommended operating temperature.

Fit and comfort are really good too, as I tend to find with Sportful garments. The small on test was neither restrictive nor baggy, with a close aero fit for fast-paced training rides. For a jacket with this level of protection it's nice and lightweight, too.

It's available in a range of fetching colours, including a super-bright yellow, and in sizes XS to XXXL.

Conclusion

Overall, it's a versatile jacket that keeps you warm when it's cold, keeps the wind out, fends off a decent amount of rain, and breathability is very good. It's a good choice for three-season cycling, and will see you through from autumn to spring in typical UK conditions.

> Buyer's Guide: 18 of the best winter cycling jackets

There is a lot of choice at this price but the Fiandre Cabrio is really well appointed and offers excellent performance, with enough versatility that you could justify the expense by the fact that you're sort of getting two jackets for the price of one.

Verdict

Comfortable, warm and breathable winter jacket with removable back panel for increased breathability