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campagnolo c-tech winter jacket

campagnolo c-tech winter jacket

jacketage is an important part of cycling life at this time of year. or perhaps a more succinct way of putting it, would be to point out that jacketage is more of an important factor in winter cycling and that's true for a number of reasons. for starters, the temperatures tend to be a tad less warming over the winter period, frequently accompanied by precipitation or, perhaps more festively, snow. both the latter are best kept on the outside, something that the average jersey, even one with winter pretensions, is not particularly good at. it's for that reason alone, that we have need of jacketage.

campagnolo c-tech winter jacket

an ancillary, yet every bit as important, rationale behind the need to feature at least one winter jacket in your wardrobe, is based on the randomness of the velocipedinal malfeasance. punctures and mechanical malfunctions were conspicuous by their absence throughout every last centimetre of my recent successful attempt on the festive 500, but that's hardly a reason not to be prepared. at the risk of jinxing the whole situation, i rarely suffer from punctures, but on the infrequent occasions when they have asserted their unwanted presence, they've usually done so on the outer edge of nowhere in particular.

campagnolo c-tech winter jacket

as i have portrayed on many a previous occasion, many of scotland's hebridean islands, including islay, are frequently strafed by atlantic gales, the ominous presence of which have historically curtailed luxuriant arborial growth around the outer fringes. thus, having need of stopping to fix anything on the bike is likely to result in a speedy reduction in body temperature without one iota of shelter to be seen for miles. on such occasions, a winter jacket is less of a desire and far more of a necessity.

however, as with many an item in this material world, there are winter jackets and then there are winter jackets. and though the folks in vicenza sure as heck know their way around twelve sprockets and a carbon derailleur, is there any good reason to trust their judgment when it comes to jacketage? on the basis of the last few weeks, it would appear the answer to that question is a resounding 'yes'. the winter c-tech jacket from campagnolo gets off to a brilliant start by incorporating the letter 'c' into its title. long-time campagnolo aficionados will doubtless recall the eponymous c-record groupset, which most of us will recall with affection and possibly even a derailleur or chainset in the bike shed.

campagnolo c-tech winter jacket

however, nostalgia and quiet reverence are scarcely of much use when riding in winter weather. so water and wind-resistance, combined with breathability and the ability to remain 'race-fit' over any make or model of jersey, no matter whether the pockets of the latter are stuffed with stuff, becomes of far greater allure. but, in point of fact, there is no real need for that to be the case, when the c-tech jacket is blessed with two substantially-sized rear pockets of its own. i cannot deny that i'd have been more happy with three external pockets, purely for reasons of separation, but the c-tech jacket's cargo-carrying capacity was never called into question, accompanied as were the two, by a zipped third version.

campagnolo c-tech winter jacket

though thankfully i encountered no endless downpours, i did comfortably survive a lengthy period of dousing by rain, a heavy shower that promised to ameliorate in a matter of minutes, but then failed so to do.

though it's a habit of which i disapprove, i realise i am on the outside looking in when it comes to the carrying of mobile smartphones. should you be of just such a persuasion, there's a small, zippered pocket at lower-left front for the carrying of an ios or android device.

campagnolo c-tech winter jacket

having earlier referred to the race-fit(ness) of the jacket, this desirable profile is immensely enhanced and reinforced by a semi-neoprene tail, not only fending off rear wheel spray, but enforcing a welcome seal from the rear-facing elements. a similar material is employed at the cuffs, making the interface between jacket and gloves as effectively weatherproof as you'd hope it would be. the c-tech's breathability was, to all intents and purposes, as state-of-the-art as state-of-the-art needs to be. but should you find yourself bathed in more perspiration than you'd prefer, there are a couple of zipped air vents to better regulate the temperature.

the high collar was both effective and welcome, while there's no real denying that the presence of both the flying wheel logo on the left chest and a vertically positioned campagnolo script logo atop the left sleeve, add copious quantities of kudos and coffee shop/pelotonic bragging rights. this can be demonstrably underlined should you be seen astride a record or super-record twelve-speed equipped bicycle, but i did ride an alternative to check its compatibility with other gear systems.

campagnolo c-tech winter jacket

it passed.

campagnolo offered a range of branded clothing many years ago, before deciding to call it a day in the garmentage industry. yet, here we are in 2019, but a few years after they decided to once more get involved in the cycle clothing market. i for one am extremely glad that they did; this is every bit as effective, stylish and well-made as their groupsets.

campagnolo's c-tech winter jacket is available in dark grey or blue in sizes ranging from xs to xxxl. retail price is €249 (£224)
campagnolo c-tech winter jacket

wednesday 2 january 2019

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