Galibier Sentinel Foul Weather Jersey

The Galibier Sentinel blurs the lines on what defines a jacket and jersey thanks to its mixture of weatherproofing, lightweight race styling and short sleeves. It's not a new concept, but one that Galibier has executed very well indeed, and at a relatively bargain price.

Technically, the Sentinel is a jersey according to Galibier, and it's designed to work with just a baselayer, within an outdoor temperature range of 7-16°C.

> Buy this online here

It's been difficult to test the upper end of that range, what with it being the middle of winter, but I'd say that is a fair assumption of what's suitable. I've worn it on days when the temperature has got up to 13°C and been comfortable, only getting a bit over-warm when pushing on the hills.

At the other end I was fine down to about 5°C with just a summer baselayer underneath and a pair of arm warmers before I could start to feel a bit of a chill.

The Sentinel is for riding in foul weather, or at least when the chances are that those conditions might turn up at some point in your journey. It's a triple-layer jersey, with a laminate membrane sandwiched between the inner and outer layers.

> Buyer’s Guide: 14 of the best arm and leg warmers

For added protection from the rain it uses a DWR (durable water repellent) treatment, but rather than it being applied at the end of manufacturing, the fabric is treated before production starts, which makes it longer lasting according to Galibier.

The Sentinel isn't claimed to be fully waterproof. The material itself works very well against the rain, keeping the worst of a downpour out for 45 minutes to an hour or so, but because of the stretchy nature of the jersey Galibier hasn't been able to tape the seams, so you do get a bit of seepage.

At least you stay warm though. The windproofing is impressive. The final couple of weeks saw a mostly northerly wind blowing through and temperatures hovering just above freezing throughout the day. The Sentinel blocked it all, with no cold air getting through to my chest or upper arms.

When trying to keep elements like the wind and rain out, it can often mean that getting heat vapour expelled into the atmosphere becomes tricky, causing a 'boil in the bag' kind of effect. Galibier has got around that by using Lycra panels for the sides and underarms.

Not only does this allow some give in the garment, but the thinner sections let body heat escape, stopping the Sentinel getting overwhelmed. It's a good compromise.

When it comes to the fit, the Sentinel is performance orientated, so it's cut close. The main outer fabric used in the jersey isn't quite as elastic as a standard Lycra jersey so it's worth taking a close look at Galibier's comprehensive size guide to get it right.

We were sent a medium to test, and while it fitted fine, I am right on the upper edge of the range for it; if that happens, Galibier recommends going up a size. If I was buying one for myself this would definitely make sense as it would give me just a little bit more room around the chest for a touch more comfort.

The shape is great, though, with a dropped tail for coverage and a front that is short enough to not see any bunching of the material.

The high neck does a great job of keeping the elements out, and the way it is cut at the back means it sits in close to your skin. I would like to see a zip garage, though, if I'm being really picky.

Round the back you have three deep pockets, with a fourth zipped valuables one on the right-hand side. They are a good size, but I did find that because of the fabric not stretching that much, they can be a little trickier than normal to access on the bike, especially if you are wearing full-finger gloves. It's not impossible, it just takes a little more effort than on a standard jersey. And at least nothing is going to fall out.

In the rain, water beading down your back is only going to end up in one place: your pockets. Galibier has thought about this, which is why the bottoms of the pockets are constructed of a firm mesh for drainage.

Across the tops of the pockets is a reflective band, and above that is a full reflective pattern and logo which increase visibility impressively in the dark while not looking out of place in the daytime.

The whole jersey not only works brilliantly, it's also manufactured to a very high standard too. The stitching runs uniformly throughout the garment and is proving very durable. I have many items from Galibier in my wardrobe, ranging from gloves and overshoes through to deep winter jackets, some of them many years old, and I've never had an issue with the overall quality. 

I've got this far without mentioning it, but the Sentinel is very much along the same lines as the Castelli Gabba.

The Gabba feels ever so slightly lighter than the Galibier when you hold the two side by side, but I'm not really going to put that out there as a criticism as it's barely noticeable when you are wearing it. Performance-wise, I'd say there is very little in it.

Price-wise, though, the latest Gabba RoS short sleeve has an rrp of £175, compared to £66.25 for the Sentinel!

> Buyer’s Guide: 9 of the best wet weather racing jerseys

Another similarly styled jersey is the Lusso Repel Corsa V2, a top that I really liked and still wear to this day. When I reviewed it back in 2018 it was £129.99, but that has now dropped to £99.99, which puts it more in line with the Galibier, though it's still another £30 or so.

Conclusion

The Sentinel is a very good jersey. It works really well in a whole range of weather conditions and temperatures, which should see you get plenty of use out of it during the three cooler seasons. The fact that it can perform so well, combined with the excellent build quality, just makes the price look even more exceptional.

Verdict

Brilliant all-weather performance and race-inspired fit that comes at an exceptional price