The Dare2B Carpace Windshell Jacket is a high performing windbreaker that feels soft against your skin. It’s neither clammy against your skin when cold nor sticky when hot, and provides good protection against wind when descending or on a windy day.

With zip off arms that are joint across the upper back, the Dare2B Carpace Windshell transfers easily into a gilet. When temperatures rose but the weather was uncertain, I unzipped the sleeves but left them on and found the wind tunnelled under my armpits (through the open zips) which provided cooling in the right place without having cold arms.

The back-panel which connects the arms is held in across the back by tiny magnets, then secured by zips in the front of the shoulders. The only downside of this ingenious removable arms and arm-put cooling system, is that the tiny zips are hard to do up while riding.

The sleeves come right down over the wrists and are held in place on your hands by a thumbhole. While I like this style of sleeves, I found putting the sleeves over my thumb clashed with my cycling gloves, not to mention making it impossible to check the time on my watch. That said, the sleeves are elasticated at the wrist so there’s no need to use the thumb hole to keep your wrists warm.

This is definitely a warm weather jacket, as when riding in 10 degrees with a cold wind, I found myself at the limit of comfort. Dare2b state that the jacket is water resistant but don’t expect to be dry in the rain as the soft fabric offers little protection against wet weather.

Given the features, the Dare2b Carpace Windsheel Jacket is a good value buy at £50.

Verdict

A soft, non-sticky, non-clammy windbreaker at a sharp price.

Pros

-Soft fabric that does not stick to you when you’re sweaty or feel clammy in the cold.

– Zip off arms and back air vents make for a versatile jacket in changing temperatures.

– High collar with zip protector to keep your neck warm without having the zip grate against your neck

– Light and small, easily folds up into the back pocket of your maillot.

Con

– The tiny zips are easy to undo but hard to do up (requires great skill to do them up while riding).

Weight: 204 grams.

Price: £50.00, available from Dare2b.