Castelli

Gabba 3 Jersey - Men's

The effects of the transitional seasons are felt by cyclists from all walks of life. Whether you're a 'cross racer, a criterium sprinter, or a weekend warrior, you've no doubt had the regrettable experience of being caught unprepared in volatile late fall or early spring weather. Years ago, a certain pro by the name of Rasch dreamed of a jersey that could be paired with Castelli's Nanoflex Arm Warmers. Castelli created it, named the product Gabba, after Rasch's nickname, and thus started the Gabba dynasty. Building on the legacy of its predecessors, the Gabba 3 arrives with the same ability to strike a versatile balance between breathable and warm in windy and wet conditions.

To strike said balance, Castelli crafts the Gabba 3 using Windstopper X-Lite fabric, a lightweight, breathable synthetic engineered to block icy gusts while still allowing sweat to evaporate at its surface so you stay cool. Windstopper X-Lite has 1.4 billion impossibly small pores per square-inch that guard your microclimate jealously against contentious spring gusts. It's also treated with a water-repellent finish so that surprise rain showers don't leave you saturated, and Nano Flex inserts along the underarms add ventilation and breathability to a more sweat-prone area when you're pushing through steep grades in incessant rain.

Castelli continues to pay the same attention to fit as it does to function with the Gabba 3. The sleeves are forward-oriented and the chest features an abbreviated fit compared to similar offerings from other manufacturers. This will likely make the Gabba 3 feel tight across the chest while you're standing, but allows it to perfectly follow your body position once you're in the saddle. It sits close to your chest and stomach instead of hanging down, eliminating the hippo-reminiscent look that so many of us despise in kit designed for cold or inclement weather, without going so far as to restrict your movement. The Gabba 2 is to traditional winter garb as the burgeoning trend of short bodied, double vent suit jackets with high, round armholes are to the boxy tents that passed for US men's wear in the 1990s.

According to Castelli, the Gabba 2 works best in temperatures ranging from 50 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit, but your comfort will ultimately depend on how hard you're riding and how you choose to layer.