BTwin Men’s City Cycling Rain Jacket 2021

Tell us what the jacket is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Decathlon says: "Do you regularly cycle in the city? Then you need the 500 cycling jacket to protect you from the wind and rain while keeping you visible at night.

Stay dry or look stylish? There's no need to choose between them. This waterproof, windproof jacket combines ventilation with visibility and elegance. PPE-certified nighttime visibility."

It's a versatile jacket for short-haul commuting and general outdoor use, but waterproofing and breathability don't match that of similarly priced competition.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the jacket?

Decathlon lists this technical information:

NIGHT-TIME VISIBILITY

This cycling PPE jacket, which is certified for nighttime visibility, comes with reflective strips and a magnetic flap on the front for riding at night.

The reflective parts have been positioned based on the constraints of cycling (leaning forwards, wearing a backpack, signalling with your arm, etc.) to guarantee 360° visibility at night from up to 50 m away when picked up by car headlights.

WATERPROOFING

What makes a garment waterproof is the coating of its fabric and its waterproof taping. The resistance of a fabric to water pressure is expressed in mm of a water jet (test based on standard ISO 811). Our material is resistant to the pressure from 2,000 mm of water. The finished product is approved in a shower test in the lab, where we recreate the conditions of an average downpour: 60 L water per square metre per hour for 2 hours.

SHAPE DESIGNED FOR CYCLISTS

The 500 jacket is designed to protect urban cyclists in rainy weather. Its cycling-specific cut provides good freedom of movement and covers the lower back, arms, neck and wrists when in riding position to guarantee great protection from the cold and wind.

Zipped vents under the arms to let air circulate freely.

You can wear your helmet over or under the hood.

COMPONENT BREATHABILITY

Hydrophilic coating (RET = 12): helps the garment to wick perspiration away. To see whether a fabric is breathable, we test its evaporative resistance or RET (based on the ISO 11092 standard). The lower its resistance, the more the fabric lets water vapour produced by the body escape, and the more breathable it is.

Eco-Design

Dyeing in the mass is used to dye the fibres during the production of the fabric to reduce the environmental impact of the dyeing. It also reduces water consumption and pollution.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

A product's environmental impact is calculated for its entire life cycle using various indicators.

An overall rating (ABCDE) is given, allowing you to easily identify products with the best environmental performance by comparing similar products to each other (T-shirts, trousers, backpacks etc.).

Decathlon openly displays the environmental ratings of its products.

To find out more: http://sustainability.decathlon.com/

Warranty 2 years

Feels well made throughout, including the zippers. A two-year warranty adds confidence.

Decent cut, styling, and practical for short-haul commuting, utility riding, and generic outdoor use, but waterproofing and breathability are not on a par with other commuting jackets, even at this end of the market.

Seems rugged and has stood up to the usual everyday carelessness. A two-year warranty adds peace of mind.

Accurate in light to showery rain, and in shorter distances in heavier rain, but not on a par with some sportier commuter models around this price.

Breathability is reasonable given the intended use, and riding at a moderate pace. However, at a smarter tempo the limitations become more palpable.

Very good, given the design brief.

Very accurate, and fitted me really well.

On paper, 503g is relatively heavy compared with some. However, this wasn't overly apparent on shorter journeys.

Comfortable on and off the bike. More spirited efforts reveal the fabric's limitations on breathability, but on the flip-side the shell-type fabric does a decent job of retaining some welcome heat during bracing autumn outings.

It's well made and has some nice detailing, but there are cheaper competitors vying for your hard-earned, some with better technical spec.

How easy is the jacket to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Very easy to live with: hanging it out carefully, sticking to 30-degree cycles, and swerving the drier. The navy blue also hides everyday grime very effectively.

Tell us how the jacket performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Overall, it's well-equipped for shorter-haul riding and general outdoor use. Though I would prefer better waterproofing and breathability, it's up to the job. The cut works well, offering good coverage in street clothing and means it doesn't look overly "technical" off the bike. I'm not overly fond of hoods, but this one is well-executed and offers good protection without impairing vision; the pockets are well-cut, too, offering convenient parking spaces for hands, keys and other essentials. I would have liked a breast pocket for valuables, but that's a personal preference rather than a criticism.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the jacket

Good reflective detailing, decent cut on and off the bike, good fit and accurate sizing.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the jacket

Waterproofing and breathability are less impressive than some others marketed at commuters.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market including ones recently tested on road.cc?

At £59.99, Madison's Protec Men's 2 Layer Waterproof Jacket is a relaxed cut, available in a choice of two colours and boasts waterproofing and breathability figures of 5,000 apiece. The Altura Classic Nevis Men's Jacket has three pockets, waterproof and breathability ratings of 10,000, is available in either bright yellow or red, and £59.99.

Use this box to explain your overall score

Nicely designed, but waterproofing and breathability limit its appeal.