The Castelli Meccanico Puffy Jacket is a quilted jacket with strong style and plenty of technical properties woven into a casual jacket. It is a pre and post cycling jacket, but the reality is you will want to buy this as your all day, every day coat. And the branding is subtle enough so you do not look like the world of cycling has thrown up all over you, but is strong enough to let others in the scene know you are a cyclist. Saying that, if you are an athlete who wants a fitted jacket it is definitely worth considering cycle-wear. No one wants a jacket to engulf them. 

The colour Sundried has chosen to feature is the turbulence red. In our opinion buy far the strongest colour.  Pops of red from the lining when the jacket is fully zipped up and strong colour when unzipped all the way. 

As you would expect from Castelli this is a well made jacket. And like most quilted jackets on the market it is very light weight.

 

The jacket has a fixed hood with draw strings to adjust for your comfort. 

External branding shows the logo on the left arm and on the right shoulder the Castelli wording. On the shoulder the branding is fairly subtle. 

So what's the Puffy Jacket like to wear? 

 

The jacket is slim fitted in shape. There is no waist adjuster but as it is fitted it will probably not be necessary. The jacket is warm, but in sub-zero temperatures you would definitely need to layer up. This style jacket is perfect in the UK for our typically chilly winter and spring days. Personally I love a jacket like this to even chuck on over a t-shirt in a colder summer evening. 

Nice deep pockets to allow you to burry your hands for some protection against the elements. Especially if you forget your Prima gloves. 

 

 The branding is fairly subtle on the shoulder but adds a nice asymmetry to the design of the front. 

  

The logo is subtle enough to not be classed as a 'logo jacket' but is enough to get the recognition in the cycling community. 

Branded Zippers and deep pockets to give your hands some extra winter protection. 

 

This is definitely a jacket you can wear daily. Smart enough to wear to work and warm enough to keep you cosy. Stylish enough to wear on a night out and light enough to carry if you do get too hot! One for the wardrobe!

Castelli say... A jacket warm enough for a Belgian winter.

• Quilted synthetic down jacket with fleece lining inserts for extra warmth
• Adjustable hood
• Water resistant finish
• Zippered front pockets
• High collar to stop drafts
• Weight 674g
• Comfort range anything below 10c for hanging about in.

When a glove is not just a glove

To think that all gloves were born equal is just a mistake.  The Prima Glove from Castelli is a lightweight glove that won't let you down. No, it is not designed for the deep winter. But these certainly are the ideal commuting glove for the seasons surrounding when the weather dips below zero. Temperatures as low as 5 degrees Celsius you will be comfortable up to an hour wearing these.  5 degrees to 10 degrees for me they really are an all day glove. What I like about these gloves is the long cuff.  It is nice to have a glove that you can wear over or under your jersey without exposing your wrists and because of their flexibility (stretchy wool fibre) they are so easy to slip on and off, even when your hands are wet.

For deep winter riding you definitely need a thicker glove but for late spring and throughout autumn these really are the business. They are very durable and you'll get at least the year of commuting from them. And as the material lets your hands breath you may even want to slip them on in a late summer evening.

Feature list

100% Coolmax yarn

That gives the gloves their stretch and make them a perfect glove for a quick slip-on

Conductive Touch Technology© fingertips

This enables you to use your iPhone while wearing the gloves. A very nice feature. Especially when it is a bit colder and you do not want to remove your gloves. And of course it means it is easier to operate your Garmin bike computer.

Silicone grip on palm

Will save you slipping off the handlebars, even when your hands do start to get a bit numb

When else you can wear these gloves?

For me, dog walking and running. Most yarn gloves are not as long so you get the wrist exposure. Not ideal, but these take care of that.

The verdict is that for a little over £20 they are a must have for your cycling collection.

The Lifeline 375 Lumen Front Line Bike Light is simple to use and very affordable. Weighing in at 115g, it isn't too heavy and from the casual to the committed cyclist, it offers a great light that will see you down some pretty dark roads.

Some people prefer something with a lot of Lumens, and with lights going much brighter than this, there is a lot of competition on the market. However, lights with more Lumens do end up coming with a higher price tag. It is worth considering what you expect your light to do before spending over £100 on one bright enough to light up a whole road.

The Lifeline is perfect for a number of activities both on and off road. I tried it on well-lit streets as well as darker paths and felt safe in that I could be seen by other road users as well as see in front of me.

The light has three modes, all accessed by a single button on top. The first mode is high-beam which will last around an hour. If you use this one constantly it is worth being aware that it will run out quite quickly and I would only advise using this when you really need it due to its time limitations.

The second mode is low light which will last a respectable 4 hours and this is perfect for commuting. The third mode is a flashing mode, again good for commuting and increasing visibility and you get around 9 hours in this mode. If your journey is a mix of dark paths and lit streets, it is really easy to quickly change between modes.

Charging the light uses a USB cable meaning you can easily recharge it at work before your journey home. It takes 4 hours from a dead light to be fully charged again.

It comes with a really easy-to-use bike mount and has three rubber size adjusters, fitting the majority of handlebars. It is quick to get the light on and off the mount, even with gloves on. The same goes for operating the light with gloves on. The button is easy to press with or without gloves.

The light is hooded meaning that the beam has a slightly longer top than the bottom. This works really quite well and doesn't then blind oncoming traffic, whilst being bright enough for you to see.

Testing the water resistance of the light wasn't difficult in Scotland. It has rained a lot lately. It is worth noting that the light isn't waterproof (nor does it claim to be), but it is water-resistant so it will withstand a short shower.

The price of the light is really not bad. If you look around it can be cheaper and it is a good light for the price. It is easy to use and perfect as a multi-purpose commuter/weekend rider light.