Recommend me a hardshell winter jacket (UK)

The DHB jackets from Wiggle are pretty good. They did used to do a regular deep winter dhb jacket for about £100 which I have and is good down the low minus temps.

Keep an eye on the La Passione discount and you might be able to pick up their winter jacket for £100 depending on your size and the discounts they go down to. I got the winter jacket for £100 last year.

In the end I went for one of these Madison jackets:

It appears significantly more waterproof than my Assos Mille GT winter softshell jacket. The build quality is great and plenty of vents if I start overheating during efforts ect. It will be put to the test this weekend!

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Can you comment on the fit? Looks rather wide?

Small is a good fit on me; it won’t be flapping around at all. I wouldn’t want it to be any tighter. I’m ~74kg 175cm.

It had free tracked dpd delivery which was very quick. And a discount code that honey chrome extension found gave me 10% off. So I paid £60.29. A bargain I think.

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Similar to neoprene gloves i guess. designed to let water in so the body warms the water and warm water keeps you warm. I’d rather be wet with warm sweat than wet with freezing rain.

Only put this jacket to the test this morning. Very good performance in a two hour blast in heavy snow. Had a long sleeve craft winter baselayer and a short sleeve jersey as a mid layer, with this jacket on top.

I was a little warm on the climbs riding tempo but the vents unzipped did wonders. Then on the cooler side descending down with vents zipped up but I wouldn’t say I was cold (in -1° and 30mph+ winds). Perfect tool for the job; I really don’t think I’d have enjoyed it in a softshell (I’d have ended up soggy and cold with the windchill).


Sorry no photos of the jacket; I wasn’t hanging around!

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https://www.ekoi.com/de/sweat-a-capuche/10134-veste-softshell-ekoi-noir-evo-3.html

Out of budget but the Goretex shake dry material is amazing, truly waterproof and breathable. Rapha do an insulated version but my preference would just be to layer underneath and get a shell. Then you’ve got the most flexible option. I’ve the 7Mesh version and it’s an amazing piece of kit.

Within budget I’d probably get a Gabba. They are good down to 6-8 degrees, anything colder than that and you need something warmer. They aren’t waterproof but pretty water resistant, they will let moisture through after a while. I’ve done a day in the alps in the rain in a Gabba and it was perfect for that, stayed dry-ish and breathable.

Rapha hardshell on the second hand market might be another option. I’ve got one from years back, semi-breathable but nicely waterproof and indestructible.

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Another vote here for the galibier mistral jacket.

This sounds silly but I’ve always been put off the shake dry jackets by the fact that they only seem to come in black! Figure if the weather is bad enough to wear a jacket with those capabilities then I want something brightly coloured for visibility as well. I always use front and rear lights, but have noticed in a lot of UK conditions that even with lights on cyclists who are dressed head to toe in dark colours are much harder to spot. Don’t get me started on the people who think it’s a good idea to ride around on gloomy days, on narrow roads that are overcast by trees, dressed like ninjas with no lights on…

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Lol, I know what you mean. I run a Varia 510 on the back and an exposure diablo on the front during UK winter, both flashing. If a driver misses those two then I figure my jacket being brighter probably isn’t gonna save me :wink:

Yet another shout for Galibier brand: they make great stuff. I’ve been a bit underwhelmed by their gloves and overshoes, but I’m very, very happy with their socks, summer jersey and short bibs, and winter gear (two jackets and long bins).

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