Jay S.Height:5'10"Weight:160lbs

Posted on December 17, 2015

Ultra Light Weight

• Familiarity: I returned this product before using it
• Fit: Runs small
• Size Bought: Medium

I cannot comment on the garment's performance, but wanted to write a review to potentially help those who are considering this purchase. Please do not take my star rating as a well-researched judgement. It's not. My rating is based on how well constructed and designed the vest is for what I'd assume is its intended use. When I buy something like this, a review from a person who rides a lot is useful. I'm not a pro, but I average about 130 miles a week.
This is obviously well-constructed. I would imagine this vest was intended to be sort of an emergency garment, as opposed to a go-to. As a super light-weight vest, it packs into way less than your fist. Like many garments this thin, the water repellancy is probably good to a point, both in terms of volume and longevity. That's the good news.
The bad: This is a 60 degree vest, at best. It is super delicate, with a tiny zipper, super-light fabric, and not a lot of H20 protection. As the picture shows, there is zero neck protection. I'd much rather wear a Castelli windstopper base layer than this, and definitely need something more substantial for our cooler temps in L.A. I won't knock this for its price, but for what you are getting this is in the Arc'reryx/Patagonia category of price/material/design ratio.
Final note: It is completely opaque, almost transparent. Your jersey is entirely visible through it, which is a look you better want.