The lightest of rain jackets, the race cape can usually be recognised from its transparent material.

You’re likely to have seen professional riders in televised races pull such jackets from their jersey pockets when the rain comes down, and the packability – the ease with which such a jacket can be stowed – is one of its key attractions.

Its ability to keep you dry, however, is limited. This is not a jacket you’d choose if the rain was coming down before your ride had begun.

Rather, it’s one to use in emergencies: to stave off mid-ride showers, or to get you home, still relatively dry, if caught by the rain unawares.

The race cape is typically made from a type of polyester, and treated with a chemical coating: the two sources from which it gains it its limited claims to water resistance. Some, like the Castelli Sottile pictured, have a laminated membrane too.

The fabric’s ability to keep out water can sometimes lead to overheating: this is a jacket to pull on for the duration of a shower, and to take off when the rain stops.

Riding inside it for mile-after-mile could prove uncomfortable, but everyone is different, of course: riders who ‘run hot’ will want to free themselves of it early, but those who feel the cold are less likely to overheat inside a race cape.

Discreet use of mesh panels can provide some ‘manual’ ventilation to overcome the limited breathability of the fabric.

Features are kept to a bare minimum to make the jacket as light as possible. The hem and cuffs, for example, are unlikely to be more than the narrowest strip of elastic. The zip may not be waterproof.

Pockets, typically, are at a premium. The high-collar, however, is a staple of the race cape, and will do much to prevent rain from running down your neck.