The Castelli Women’s Trasparente Womens Jersey is great for the chilly spring mornings. It’s very light weight yet keeps the wind off and is also splash proof. Castelli use X-Lite stretch windstopper fabric on the front, forearms and shoulders. The X-Lite properties also make it water resistant and quick drying so the worries of getting cold and damp from road spray or drizzle are gone. The soft inner makes it a perfect sweat wicking layer and since it boasts ten times better breathability of other wind protection fabrics, it stops the build up of perspiration!

The contrasting panel that covers most of the back and part of the arms is made from what Castelli calls their ‘Warmer’ Fabric. It’s a soft, fleecy lined material that’s super warm and controls body temperature with its breathable properties. The polyester fibres wick sweat away to make your ride as comfortable as possible. The jerseys neck was a perfect fit and attention to detail has certainly been paid here; cut so it tapers down from a higher back to lower front and a notch cut out of the back to allow it to flex more and not bunch up whilst riding.

The finishing touches of the silver reflective wings printed on will help keep you visible at night but aren’t really in the best place. There are 2 more reflective  tabs on the lower back at the sides of the pockets but are too small to be much use. I love that the full length zip has a large pull tab on it to allow you to use it easily whilst mid pedal and gloves on.

Verdict

I’m a big fan of the jersey apart from the length. The sizing does come up small though as is often the case European cycling brands. I opted for a medium, which was snug and close fitting but not tight and restrictive on my size 10 frame. The top has washed well, with no signs of wear after a months use and it’s very well made with high quality stitching throughout. I was so impressed with the thermal capabilities of the jacket I wore this as a mid layer whilst on my mountain bike on an excruciatingly cold, wet and windy ride.

Pros

– Materiel choices and design, perfect for a variety of conditions due to its technical features.

– Attention to detail- minor things like zip pull that you can find and use whilst riding make all the difference!

Cons

– Cut very short at the front and they have poorly placed reflective logos in the wrong places for me; they work well from a styling point of view but for practicality they are not so good.

Price: RRP £140 (available on sale if you look around!)

Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL

Colour: Black, White, Blue

More info: Castelli

What Castelli say about the women’s Trasparente jersey

With the women’s Trasparente full-zip long-sleeve jersey, you can count on having all the necessary coverage from the wind and cold, while still feeling sleek and elegant.

We use the X-Lite stretch Windstopper® fabric for the front panels and forearms and over the tops of the shoul- ders. This specific placement makes the jersey effectively wind resistant without inhibiting your freedom of move- ment. And since the X-Lite has more than 10 times the breathability of other wind-protection fabrics, the Trasparente works to keep your perspiration from building up and cooling you off.

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