I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to feeling cold, so I rarely leave the house for a bike ride without an extra layer in my pocket, even when the forecast is perfect. This means that I’m constantly on the lookout for the perfect gilet or windproof jacket.
Castelli’s Espresso Vest is the latest in a long line that I’ve tried, and [spoiler alert] I’m very impressed. It sits somewhere between the heavier-duty membrane-style gilets and the superlight ‘Pertex’ type. It is still very packable and weighs 134g but fits far better than the typical lightweight vest and is much less ‘flappy’ and noisy too. Castelli rates it for use between 12°C and 20°C, but clearly, that depends on what you wear underneath it - I’d say that suggestion is about right for over a short-sleeved jersey.
It's available for men in seven colourways and sizes XS to 3XL, and for women in four colour choices and XS to XL.
Construction
As you’d expect from a cycling gilet, the front is more wind-resistant than the rear panels, but crucially it isn’t 100% windproof. Rather, it is made from very densely woven fabric, much like a very lightweight softshell material, which is soft, quiet and stretchy so it really hugs your body. The side and back are made from an even lighter and more breathable tight mesh that also has loads of stretch which Castelli calls Air_O Stretch. A nice touch is that whichever of the many available colours you choose, the front, sides and rear are all colour-matched despite the different materials, whereas many brands just use a universal black mesh. This gives the Espresso Vest a lovely cohesive look.
There are three pockets with lightly elasticated tops (but no zipped pocket as you will be wearing it over a jersey), a high collar for neck protection and a two-way zip to allow easier access to jersey pockets. The hem at the back is wide with silicone grippers and good stretch. A short placket behind the top of the zip protects the skin from the zip when fully done up and also prevents wind from coming through the zip onto the neck. The only slight misstep in my opinion is what Castelli’s website calls the ‘reflective tab on back for added visibility’. In reality, this tab is about 3mm tall and a couple of centimetres wide; best not rely solely on this for road safety!
The Ride
Put simply, I thought that the Espresso Vest was superb. I’ve generally chosen very lightweight gilets for their packability and steered clear of anything more substantial, especially if it had pockets (what’s the point, my jersey already has pockets?). However, the combination of stretch-woven fabric, thoughtful details, superb fit and low weight worked very well for me. I even understood why the pockets were there - when needed, I moved larger items like my phone and waterproof to the gilet pockets, allowing the vest to fit better without unsightly bulges.
I found myself bothering to put it on at times when I probably would have left other noisier, flappier gilets in my pocket and I even wore it for whole rides whereas previously a vest would only get deployed when absolutely necessary and taken off as soon as possible.
The less-than-100% windproofing wasn’t an issue and it actually felt warmer than many of the alternatives despite its thinness as it fitted so snugly. I wore it in temperatures down to about 6°C over a thermal long-sleeve jersey in total comfort, particularly as the excellent breathability meant much less condensation build-up on the inside when compared to thicker, membraned jackets or gilets.
I was a little concerned when I first examined the gilet that the bottom zip would ride up as it’s not an auto-lockversion, but in practice that didn’t happen at all and I used it frequently to access my jersey pockets rather than awkwardly hoicking the whole vest up at the back as I’d previously had to do. It is a little bit of a shame that it isn’t supplied with a storage pouch or stow pocket, but that is nothing a sandwich bag can’t fix.
Value and conclusion
The Espresso Vest is not cheap at £125, but it could be considered good value when its versatility is taken into account; unless I’m wearing a big winter jacket, the Espresso Vest will be going in my pocket every ride as it's perfect for three-season use. Its breathability also means that I’d happily wear it underneath a waterproof for a little extra insulation as the woven fabric won’t cause moisture to build up inside.
There are certainly much cheaper gilets available, and there are more expensive ones too, but I’d be hard-pressed to think of one I’d prefer to the Espresso. It was a pleasure to wear.
