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this is cambridge omloop rain/wind gilet

tic omloop gilet

the gilet is an odd sort of a garment, one that has me, and doubtless others, querying not only its ancestry, but its defined purpose in life. given the number of estates that combine to form the majority of land on islay, most of which offer stalking, shooting and the like, it's not at all unusual to witness range rover drivers and passengers, strutting around, clad in the barbour version of the garment. usually matched with a tweed cap from islay woollen mill, though i've not looked closely enough to ascertain whether or not a quilted gilet offers weather protection along with the avowed cosiness.

tic omloop gilet

my querying of the garment's provenance revolves predominantly around the sleeves, or rather, the lack of them. if i might hypothetically assume that the first order of business is warmth, why then are the arms left out in the cold (literally and figuratively)? it occurs to me, however, that i may be in a position to answer my own question. if the constitution of your own finely honed physique is similar to that of yours truly, it is often the arms that seem to own a predilection to overheat first, even when there is a determined chill in the air. for the days when the latter is highly likely to occur, a gilet must surely be considered the ideal item of garmentage?

but then, what of weatherproofing? i will humbly admit at this juncture in the discussion, that the ever so bright pink item under consideration has yet to be tested in the wet. i share your disbelief, given that this is the west coast of scotland at the height of summer, and though we have experienced more than our fair share of recent precipitation, it has often been either during sleepytimes, or when i had already planned to undertake another life-enhancing task.

tic omloop gilet

rest-assured, i will ride feverishly in the rain to test the veracity of the claims made by andrew and daphne at 'tic', but given that their gilet is hewn from the same fabric as is their rainjacket, i think we can take it as read, that the waterproofing/breathability factor has already been verified by my review of same. i should also point out that the naming of these two items as 'omloop', is entirely my own. the proprietors have (currently) left it nameless. however, relying once again on the secure knowledge that hebrideans are the flandrians of the west, it hardly seems iniquitous so to do.

tic omloop gilet

but once more, the weatherproofing part of the equation returns. if, in a desperate attempt to retain body heat, while repelling a sudden influx of rain, i have procured the remarkably bright pink (also available in black) gilet from a rear pocket and placed it about my person, whither my two arms? and though i would love for you to think this is a task i could achieve while continuing to ride my bicycle, i fear i would be guilty of implying an untruth.

the best that my investigations have uncovered is a gilet's ability to shield the torso, not only from inclemency, but from a sudden loss of body heat due to the accursed windchill. it is not entirely unknown for the temperature to drop (often considerably) in the light of a rainstorm, or should you suffer a mechanical malfeasance in the course of your velocipedinal permabulations, donning a gilet would not only preserve the core temperature, but arguably leave those two upper limbs untethered and carefree in their ministrations to remedy the problem. however, it may also leave them a tad wet.

tic omloop gilet

my first wearing of the (omloop) gilet was something of a pleasant surprise. though the process varies from item to item, i am often in the habit of snapping accompanying imagery when a review garment or component still displays an impressive new-ness. i had adjudged the ambient temperature to be one rendering the wearing of anything atop my cycle jersey unnecessary or even unwelcome. however, an atlantic breeze is nothing if not unpredictable and i found that, far from removing the gilet immediately post photography, it remained in situ from beginning to end.

i cannot deny that, far from being an exhibitionist, i generally request the more brightly coloured items due to their appearing better in the photos. however, it would be hard to deny the high-visibility afforded, not only by that retina-burning pink, but the thoughtful and graphic addition of those large white spots, all of which offer a more than eye-catching reflectivity when bathed by car headlights in dim light or darkness. with almost all our rural highways and byways utterly devoid of streetlighting, this is more than just designery augmentation.

tic omloop gilet

i had been on the point of commenting that i'd have liked a pocket or two about its person, but was stalled from so doing for two reasons. firstly tic point out that, rather than add external pockets, they had formed the rear of the (omloop) gilet to allow easy access to the pockets 'neath the pink. i'm not sure that i entirely share their enthusiasm. it is relatively easy to roll up from the hem, but i found this a bit of a faff while riding, though your own dexterity may render this a null problem.

but my principal reason for not penning a request for pockets, is a contention that gilets are, by and large, a simple solution to a simple problem. as andrew and daphne rightly point out, external pockets have a tendency to acquire rainwater and hang on to it forever, but a pocket layer across the back would also make it less easy to unceremoniously scrunch up/ neatly fold and place gently in a rear pocket. to my mind, that usurps any well-intentioned, cargo-carrying pragmatism.

pragmatism does, however, prevail at the front of the gilet, both in the shape of a zip-length internal storm flap, and a commendably high collar. the chunky, matching zip is relatively easy to move up and down one-handed while riding, though on occasion, that storm flap impedes progress, if only momentarily. the hem is elasticated, ensuring that, no matter how ungainly your pedalling style (who, me?), the omloop remains where it was intended. the armholes are similarly elasticated, but allow for an ideal degree of movement, whether road-riding or cyclo-crossing.

at £55 less than the jacket from which it was born, whether the omloop gilet makes economic summer sense, depends entirely on how keen you are to ride in all variations of a british summer. it won't make a blind bit of difference to zwift or peloton subscribers, but then, we're big and tough and strong and laugh in the face of turbo trainers.

don't we?

the tic (omloop) gilet is available in bright pink or black in sizes ranging from xs to xl (medium reviewed). retail price is £130.

this is cambridge (omloop) waterproof gilet

friday 12 july 2019

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................