Snack box, change jersey, reading material for the breaks or a roll of toilet paper for going to the loo. Bikers should think carefully about what they really need on tour or in a race before setting off. After hundreds of metres in altitude, every gram too much will eventually weigh on your back like the globe on Atlas' shoulders. However, there is one thing that neither racers nor touring bikers should do without: a wind waistcoat. It protects the wearer from the cutting wind and prevents you from clattering off your bike at the end of a descent. The waistcoat should be one thing above all: light and packable. Twelve of the 20 test models weigh less than 100 grams and can be crumpled up to the size of a tennis ball. Five other waistcoats are only just over the 100 gram limit and therefore also fit into the usually somewhat smaller pockets of a women's jersey.
We tested these 20 models:
Wind waistcoats for men:
- Adidas Infinity Wind Vest
- Bontrager RXL Windshell Vest
- Craft PB Featherlight Vest
- Endura FS 260 Pro Adrenaline Race Gilet
- Gore Bike Wear Element WS AS Vest (BIKE tip: test winner)
- Löffler men's waistcoat WS Active
- Mavic HC Vest
- Pearl Izumi Elite Barrier Vest
- Poc Essential Wind Vest
- Protective Mistral
- Scott RC Pro WB Vest
- Vaude Me Air Vest II (BIKE tip: price/performance)
Women's wind waistcoats:
- Adidas Infinity Wind Vest
- Assos sV.blitzFeder (BIKE tip: test winner)
- Bontrager Race WSD Windshell Vest
- Craft Featherlight Vest
- Gore Bike Wear Countdown AS Lady Vest
- Pearl Izumi W Elite Barrier Vest
- Protective Bora
- Vaude Wo Air Vest II (BIKE tip: price/performance)
Wind waistcoats weighing less than 100 grams - a bin bag with three holes for the head and arms can do the same, some people might think. Far from it: while the rubbish bag flutters on the body like a Tibetan prayer flag in front of a monastery wall, a good waistcoat sits close to the body and adapts perfectly to your position on the bike. High-cut and lightly lined collars close neatly so that the wind cannot whistle across your wet, sweaty back like gusts of wind across the Frisian Wadden Sea.
If you want something a little more airy, go for a model with a mesh insert at the back. The larger the area, the better the accumulated body fluids can escape. This means that even a short sprint on the opposite slope doesn't turn into a sauna session and you don't have to keep taking your waistcoat on and off. On the other hand, closed models offer more protection. Bontrager, Endura and Gore are completely sealed at the back and keep your back comfortably dry even when the rear tyre throws dirt around on wet trails.
Gore and Mavic generally take a slightly different approach with their men's waistcoats. The two rather heavy models are not designed as lightweight overcoats for windy descents. They are more suitable for spring tours. Combined with arm warmers or a long-sleeved shirt, they complete the outfit on the cooler days at the start of the season.
When buying a waistcoat, always make sure it has the right features: if you need to be able to move quickly during a race and put the waistcoat on while riding, a smooth-running zip is a must. It should also be possible to open the zip at the neck with one hand. If you want to refuel quickly from a gel or bar, you need a waistcoat with a back pocket. Or, even better, a zip through to the jersey pockets, as offered by Adidas and Scott. This also saves you the hassle of repacking. You will have to pay at least 50 and at most 150 euros for one of the waistcoats in the test. As is so often the case, cheap doesn't necessarily mean bad. Very good models are available at entry-level prices.
You can read this article or the entire BIKE 5/2015 issue in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or buy the issue in the DK shop reorder:
Stefan Frey
Editor
