A light cycling vest and arm warmers have long been must-havesfor riding through the variable temperatures and shorter daylight hours of the shoulder season. But toting alongsuch essentialsalso meansthat when I’m fully free of layers, riding in just a jersey and shorts, my pockets are stuffed; arm warmers, in particular, are bulky. If I can help it, I like to avoid looking and feeling like I’m carrying grapefruits home in my pockets, so I’m constantly playing the game of “Do I really need this?” when I’m heading out the door.
The ($149)has ended that pondering. It may have evenhave killed the cycling vest for me.
Velocio is known for its innovative use of high-end, luxe-feeling technical fabrics. In addition, this 83-gram jacket features a smart construction:superfine mesh side and underarm panels serveup excellent breathability and minimizesheft,whilesilky, mini-ripstop nylonon the front and back provides windproofing and insulation. Just to play out our citrus analogy, the Ultralight packs down to the size of an organic blood orange (which is to clarify that it’s smaller than your run-of-the-mill GMOnavel orange)—equivalent in rolled-up bulk to my favorite road-cycling vest. But for the same amount of fruit in my pocket, with the Ultralight I also getsleeves that offerextra warmth and versatility.Ipick the jacket almost every time.
The Ultralight comes in men’s and women’s versionsand cuts a slim, flattering silhouette in both. All the requisite, thoughtful details are there.Alight silicone gripper keeps the elastic waistband in place, asoft lining on the inside of the collar and a zipper garage eliminaterough edges when you’re zipped up, and a smooth-running YKK zipper with a rubber pull makeit easy to remove and add layers whileon the bike. A DWR treatment on the nylon translates into light water resistance in showers and misty conditions, though the mesh obviously means this isn’t your jacket for riding inreal weather. A couple timesI’ve been concerned about tearing the überlight mesh whentugging the sleeves over gloved handswhile riding—shedding clothingon the biketends to be a more urgent affair than getting dressed in my house—but it’s held up, and Velocio says that in theyear and a half since the garment’s debut, the company has received no returns or complaints for that reason.
As we move later into the season, theUltralight is showing its versatility.If I expectcolder temperatures or plan on doing a long, chilly descent, I’ll layer it over arm warmers or a thermal jersey for the insulating effect of a heavier cycling jacket. And it’s so low-profile and lightweight when packed down that taking it along on all those dash-out-the-door post-work rides, when the sun is dropping below the mountains, becomes a no-brainer.