eTrashMike’s review of Castelli’s latest jacket, the Perfetto RoS 3, intended for a climate-changing world, and for just about any cyclist riding in reasonably foul conditions.
If you know Castelli — which I do, very well, having ridden on teams sponsored by the Italian icon; I probably have 25 scorpioned items in my closet — you know that they tend to not do things halfway. With the Perfetto RoS 3, Castelli is characteristically going big.
After all, when’s the last time you came across a product whose release was predicated on climate change?
But that’s the thinking behind the Perfetto RoS 3: with rising temperatures, and also with the popularity growth of virtual indoor training, Castelli decided to produce a breathability-forward jacket: Not what you’d wear in extreme conditions, but comfortable in a chilly drizzle.
First Impressions
Right away you can tell this is a premium piece of kit. The “RoS 3” stands for “Rain or Shine 3”, and the spec suggests that this is indeed Castelli’s attempt to build a real all-rounder for unsettled (but not brutal) conditions. According to Castelli, the jacket is “windproof, highly water-resistant, and built with a stretch-fit shell in Polartec® AirCore
fabric.” The temperature rating is roughly 4 °C to 14 °C / 39 °F to 57 °F.
Those italics are mine, and intentional: The Perfetto isn’t labelled “fully waterproof” in the sense of say a dedicated hardshell. Castelli hosted a product launch webinar where I learned that to be deemed waterproof, a jacket needs to be able to withstand a drenching that’s heavier than virtually any rainstorm you’d ever ride in — or at least that I would, living in Northern California.
On-Ride Experience
Once we finally got some rain out here, I donned my new Perfetto RoS 3 and headed out — first just standing in the rain (and beside my hose — more on that later), and then on the bike.
As with any Castelli item, elastic throughout this jacket keeps it fitting snugly; I’d be more likely to wear this in a race than, say, to the office. I’m a thin 6’1″, and my large was comfortable, though I noticed a bit of bunching around the shoulders.
Protection & Breathability: Beneath mixed skies (and once, in heavy rain) this jacket delivered. I first stood outside in the rain; it was about 60 degrees (about 15 to our non-US friends) and I was warm, with just a short-sleeved jersey, even as the jacket began to get wet.
Hoping to give the jacket an extra workout, and curious where water resistant ended and proof started, I trained my garden hose directly on it — while still standing in steady rain.
Sure enough: even under the spot where I held the hose for 30 seconds, it was dry. Seems like water resistant is more than enough for most conditions.
The wet spot on the right was water dropping from my hair, not seeping into the jacket.
I remained dry on my wettest ride, even as I opened the side chest zip vents to let air out. I have to say: I’m a heavy sweater, and assume that whenever I wear a jacket I’ll end up feeling damp, but the Perfetto’s wicking seemed very effective, as I was only slightly clammy, even after a couple of efforts. All of that lines up with Castelli’s claim of “industry-leading breathability” for the AirCore membrane.
Meanwhile, the rear “mud flap” helped keep wheel spray off of my rear end — but only partially; I’d prefer a longer piece to keep my entire backside dry.
Fit & Feel: Again, the Perfetto has that Italian tailored “race fit” look and feel — quite close to the body, but the stretch fabric makes that comfortable. It felt very “engineered”. That bunching around the shoulders (just inside my bib-straps) was most evident when I was leaning forward, hands on the hoods. It’s not a deal-breaker, but if you’re super picky about the smoothest fit there is a little room for improvement.
Practicality: The three rear pockets with drain holes are a smart touch, and the zipper is covered for extra rain protection.
That said, if you’re out in torrential, sustained downpour I’d still probably have a true shell as a backup. But for anything that I’m likely to ride in, the Perfetto hits a very comfortable sweet spot. Meanwhile, I was just able to fold it up and squeeze it into a jersey pocket; I didn’t have room for much else, but I plan to bring it on rides where the weather is likely to change.
Value: Like most Castelli items, the Perfetto RoS 3 is on the premium side. But this could well be the only jacket most cyclists own and wear: versatile yet solid enough to make practical sense in almost any conditions — and really nice looking (because let’s bet honest with ourselves: looking good at the coffee stop is nearly as important as feeling good on the ride).
Verdict
If you’re looking for a seriously strong “cool-to-cold, mixed wet weather” jacket and want something that performs seamlessly on the bike, the Perfetto RoS 3 is a very good bet. It handled rain (and my garden hose) better than I expected (given the “not fully waterproof” caveat), and the fit and finish are top-tier. Perhaps that bunching around the shoulders is something unique to my body type, or the size I ordered relative to it; regardless, the jacket otherwise fit well, and this bunching certainly didn’t detract from what is overall a very high-performing piece of kit.
In short: Very satisfied. If I were recommending this to a fellow rider, I’d say: buy it if your rides include those unpredictable “cool + chance of rain” days and you want something that’ll keep you comfortable and dry enough without going full hardshell mode.
Price: $US320, Cdn$400
- Find the Perfetto RoS 3 Jacket at www.castelli-cycling.com.
The post Review: Castelli Perfetto RoS 3 Jacket appeared first on PezCycling News.
