The Divide, a lightweight jacket at just 125 grams for size medium, is your go-to for versatile weather protection and chilly mountain descents. Crafted with 100% post-consumer recycled MicroTek Supreme™ fabric for wind-blocking and Zero-Weight mesh for breathability. It’s easily stowed in your jersey pocket and features a two-way YKK zipper and jersey access pass-throughs.
I’m going to take this as an opportunity to see what other options are available
I’m looking for something lightweight and packable (can fit into the back pocket of a jersey) that keeps the wind off but is breathable - the Pactimop had a vented mesh back. The dual-zipper was a nice feature but not a deal breaker. Water repellant would be nice
I’m fond of the Sportful Fiandre Light - which is a wind/waterproof chest and upper arms and mesh rear, but is close fitting enough to wear as a ‘gabba light’.
+2 for Shakedry, but you better get it while you can. They’re discontinuing it (for pretty valid enviro reasons it seems), and replacing it with a new material. By most accounts the new stuff is pretty good, but doesn’t quite stack up against the original.
Rapha. Shakedry. I have something from a few years ago similar to this and it’s the best thing ever. Shakedry is scares as the process creates pfas and is now outlawed.
I wasn’t impressed with Shakedry. It still doesn’t breathe well enough for cardio, as there’s no convection inside. I have an Ornot Microclimate that’s great as a wind / wet roads jacket.
I also have a MH Kor Preshell that’s an awesome drizzle / wind shell, but not bike cut. It’s a Pertex quantum air, which I recommend. I think Velocio makes one.
Any thing more waterproof than that, won’t breathe unless the back is vented.
I would recommend either the ShakeDry or the Ornot Microclimate…both have their drawbacks, though. The ShakeDry offers better water protection at the expense of some breathability. The Ornot has better breathability but doesn’t offer the same amount of water protection.
I was coming in here to recommend the Pactimo packable wind jacket… before noticing that’s the jacket you previously had. I guess this is +1 for rebuying the same jacket
I was going to recommend the Ornot too, so I went to get a link, and the new models look different. Does anyone know if they’ve changed and if so, how? I love mine, but it’s the original model.
A lot depends on how you want to use it. There are a lot of great options now in terms of jackets.
I have a couple of Shake Drys - the Gore one and also the Castelli. These are amazing in the rain. The Castelli has a longer tail, so good on wet road rides. As mentioned, they are also very packable and fold up nicely into a pocket that zips up. If I’m heading out on a day with variable conditions and rain might hit, this is my go to. Keep in mind though that the material is not very durable, so any crashes or encounters with trees/branches, could damage it.
The Gore Spinshift is really the replacement for the Shake Dry’s or the Endure if you wanted a hooded option. These are also really nice but not quite a packable as the Shake Dry. The Endure in particular looks pretty nice off the bike too.
There are a lot of less expensive “wind jackets” out there. They tend not to be waterproof but provide some extra protection if the temps drop or you get some light rain. I have a Rapha wind jacket but find I don’t tend to use it a lot.
I really like Gore-Tex Infinium as a material. Numerous jackets exist in this material like the Castelli Perfetto. It’s a little more geared for cooler weather but breaths extremely well. It will also provide decent rain protection but is not waterproof like Shake Dry.
A wind vest and a rain vest can also be very useful, especially riding in weather that’s not too cold. On warm days where there is a chance of rain, I’ll sometime stick my Rapha rain vest in a pocket in case the skies open up.
On second thought I think if I’m not taking a shakedry or wearing a wind resistant outer layer the whole day, the answer here is a good vest. I particularly love the Rapha Insulated polartec Alpha vest.
I don’t have the jacket (yet) but I’m a fan of the Voler wind vests. Windblock front, breathable rear, lots of color choices, reasonable price. And, POCKETS. I use an USWE enough that I don’t want to deal with zippers or pass throughs or any of that, having 3 exterior pockets is a big win IMO. Deals fine with wind and spray, but not a real cold or real wet weather vest/jacket.
Liking their long sleeve jersey too.
I have and will pass on at a fair price if anyone’s interested: Rapha Vest (Black, M) Castelli Vest (Black, L), Castelli and Pactimo Jackets (Flo Yellow, L). All the super-light wind jacket/vests.
I’ve got a Santini rainproof jacket that worked impressively in a really nasty rainy day with tons of spray coming off the group’s wheels. It was an intense ride and I was relatively dry at the end. I haven’t needed to use it again since then but I think I can recommend it…
