Gilet
Gilet
A gilet is an essential bit of kit for an UK cyclist, not just in autumn but year-round for those days when it’s a bit parky and you need a little protection from the wind, but don’t require a proper jacket.
Along with arm/knee/leg warmers (which we’ll come on to), a gilet will extend the life of your summer kit well in to autumn. Pair a short sleeve jersey and bib shorts with warmers and a gilet and you’re most of the way towards a solid autumn get-up.
A gilet may essentially be a jacket without sleeves but, just like a jacket, there’s a fair amount of variation between fabrics and features. Most, if not all, gilets will be designed to keep the wind off your chest with a windproof fabric (that is the basic purpose of a gilet, after all), but that fabric will also offer varying levels of waterproofing.
Six of the best… gilets from £19.99 to £100
A lot of gilets will be water resistant, in that they’ll keep your core dry from drizzle, showers and road spray, but there are waterproof gilets, like the Chapeau Echelon, out there, too. Obviously it’s worth remembering that a gilet can only be so effective in keeping rain at bay, given there are two great big holes on either side for your arms.
Packability is another key feature of a gilet, given that you’ll want to be able to take it off and stuff it in a jersey pocket if things warm up a bit, as they often can in the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn, when it’s chilly in the morning and into the teens by afternoon.
As a result, a gilet should fit into a jersey pocket. Some take this to the extreme, like the excellent Sportful Hot Pack Ultralight Vest we’ve reviewed before, which weighs a paltry 39g to offer incredibly lightweight protection as a ‘just in case’ layer, while at the other end of the scale, something like LOOK Illuminate Vest has a fleecy lining and offers significantly more insulation, which means more bulk, though it will just about squeeze into a jersey pocket. It’s a gilet better suited to late autumn and winter, thanks also to the super-reflective fabric, rather than as a gilet for general year-round use.