Castelli Espresso 3 Jacket

So many pieces of cold weather cycling kit fall into one of two aesthetic categories. One is the ubiquitous black on black with black detailing, and the other combines a medley of bright colors with swooping and swirly graphics. The Castelli Espresso 3 Jacket breaks this binary by using solid colors, contrasting highlights that complement the body's shape, and tasteful branding to make a winter jacket that's so attractive you'll want to wear it off the bike, too. And it's also water resistant, windproof, and thermally insulated for temperatures ranging as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit all of which will appeal to cyclists who aren't just in it to look good. Castelli uses Windstopper X Fast material from the venerable manufacturer Gore Tex, which is the go to destination for manufacturers who want to beat the wind. Wind resistance is expressed in terms of CFM, which determines permeability by measuring the volume of air that can pass through a given material in one minute. Since all fabrics branded with the Windstopper stop sign logo either meet or exceed the windproof rating of 1. 0 CFM, they are all literally windproof. In the Espresso 3, this windproof layer is sandwiched between a protective outer layer, which has been given a DWR treatment for water resistance, and a fleecy, insulating lining. The jacket's sleeves are forward oriented with an abbreviated fit across the chest. This makes the Espresso 3 feel a little tight across the chest while you're standing, but it fits your body perfectly while stretched out on the bike. It sits close to your front instead of hanging down, eliminating the pregnant hippo look that so many of us despise in kit designed for cold or inclement weather. The floating shoulders also accommodate a cycling position and allow for unrestricted reach. The Espresso 3 may set a record for the number of zippers in a single cycling jacket. It has the requisite full length front zipper, two zippered chest vents for when the going gets ho...