Pearl Izumi Insula Tour Jacket - Men's - 2008 BCS

This jacket is quite possibly the greatest winter cycling jacket ever. I have commuted on my bike for the last 6 years in Montana and Colorado and have never once gotten a chill while wearing this jacket. It is also a bright as the sun so you never have to worry about not being seen by cars and other motorists on the road. I cannot say enough good things about this jacket.

Cycling clothing is always a challenge. How much up? How much down? Temperature, wind, rain, pace, etc. I have not tested this jacket in the wet and my guess is that it is suitable for light rain only. It is, however, absolutely brilliant for warmth and heat/moisture management over a surprisingly large range of temperature and wind conditions. I would agree with the previous reviewer and say that it is simply too warm for anything above 50F/10C. Nevertheless, in the range for 32F/0C all the way up to there it will keep you warm and mostly wind-chill-free while simultaneously preventing overheating. The back and sides are highly breathable and the front is warm, breathable and wind/moisture resistant. I usually wear a long sleeve base layer under this and I'm comfortable and extremely visible (safety as well as comfort). I have noticed a slight gap in the wind resistance in the underarm area. This is obviously a compromise with breathability but depending on your riding posture you may get a small cold spot in the underarm area in very cold, downhill conditions. This is a small complaint, overall this is an outstanding jacket.

I received this jacket and wore a Under Armour heat gear shirt under it,and I was quite warm. It was 27 degrees F. It is really bright, so I think the cars can see you good. The sleeves have the zipper to the wrist to make them snug around my gloves. I really like it. I need to get someone to take a photo of me wearing in the dark. It would be to warm above 50 degrees or so.