Sportful Fiandre No Rain Jacket - opinions?
Discussion
Hi
I have in front of me a box from Wiggle which contains a selection of waterproof jackets from Gore and Sportful. The Gores are shells and the Sportfuls are made a of thicker jersey fabric with what seems to be a waterproof coating.
I think the Sportful Fiandre No Rain is the best fitting (just) and is a bit cheaper. However the Gore still fits me and I know they are a quality brand from my golfing days.
My question to anyone who has one of the Sportful Fiandre No Rain in the fluro colour is does it suffer with stains from mud/puddle splashes like some jerseys do or does the waterproof coating keep it looking fresh? Having the read the reviews I'm sure it will perform well, but seeing as it's for wearing in "dirty" weather I'd prefer it to stay looking reasonable!
Cheers,
L'rs
I have in front of me a box from Wiggle which contains a selection of waterproof jackets from Gore and Sportful. The Gores are shells and the Sportfuls are made a of thicker jersey fabric with what seems to be a waterproof coating.
I think the Sportful Fiandre No Rain is the best fitting (just) and is a bit cheaper. However the Gore still fits me and I know they are a quality brand from my golfing days.
My question to anyone who has one of the Sportful Fiandre No Rain in the fluro colour is does it suffer with stains from mud/puddle splashes like some jerseys do or does the waterproof coating keep it looking fresh? Having the read the reviews I'm sure it will perform well, but seeing as it's for wearing in "dirty" weather I'd prefer it to stay looking reasonable!
Cheers,
L'rs
The Fiandre No Rain Jacket is pretty much the Sportful version of the Castelli Gabba (Castelli own Sportful) I'm looking at one myself, I have a short sleeve Gabba but looking a long sleeve jacket as arm warmers arent really up to the job to get through a full winter. If it is like the Gabba the water should just bead of it. Though if you can afford it a long sleeve Gabba would be a good choice as well.
Road.cc done a good review of the No Rain Jacket which might help you out
Road.cc done a good review of the No Rain Jacket which might help you out
Edited by madzo14 on Tuesday 11th November 08:51
The main difference between the two types of material is breathability and insulation.
The Gore shells tend to be good for rain protection, but even the best of them can get pretty sweaty, especially when you layer up underneath, which you need to do since they don't really offer warmth on their own.
Fiandre type materials tend to let a little water in eventually, usually just around seams, but the comfort level is way higher.
I've got one of each of the Fiandre range (and a Gabba) plus a GoreTex survival jacket, the latter only gets used if I know for sure I'm spending all day in the rain/snow. Happy to give you more details on which jacket is best for different conditions...
The Gore shells tend to be good for rain protection, but even the best of them can get pretty sweaty, especially when you layer up underneath, which you need to do since they don't really offer warmth on their own.
Fiandre type materials tend to let a little water in eventually, usually just around seams, but the comfort level is way higher.
I've got one of each of the Fiandre range (and a Gabba) plus a GoreTex survival jacket, the latter only gets used if I know for sure I'm spending all day in the rain/snow. Happy to give you more details on which jacket is best for different conditions...
Thanks for the replies.
I'm aware of the similarities between the Gabba and Filandre, and that Castelli & Sportful are owned by same company. Appeal of the Sportful top is wiggle have it on special offer at the moment which makes it a lot less than the Gabba. I already have lots of Castelli kit so am aware of quality, fit, etc of their products.
Sethboy, I've already spent the last couple of days thinking about the pros/cons of the different fabrics....
Gore - I imagine this will be more waterproof and I expect it will remain waterproof after lots of riding and washes thanks to the Goretex fabric. Also the type of fabric will mean it shouldn't get stained with splashes from the road. Only real downside I can think of is no matter how good Goretex is it will not be as breathable as the Filandre.
Filandre - Softer fabric stretches so fits slightly better, feels more comfortable and doesn't need the layering underneath BUT I'm concerned it will not wash so well as the Gore shell fabric (madzo14, thanks for pointing me to the Road.cc review of the Filandre) and because it has a waterproof coating on the fabric rather than a Goretex layer in it I'm wondering how long it will be before it starts to become less waterproof. I can overcome the washing / staining problem by getting a black one but I want to be visible in dull conditions so need something fluro if possible.
I don't necessarily need the insulating properties of the Filandre because I have plenty of layering options I can wear under the Gore. What I'm after is something that will keep me dry so I can ride more than I did last winter, which at this time of year will be at least 3-4 hours at the weekend and once a week on my 25 mile route to and from work.
I'm aware of the similarities between the Gabba and Filandre, and that Castelli & Sportful are owned by same company. Appeal of the Sportful top is wiggle have it on special offer at the moment which makes it a lot less than the Gabba. I already have lots of Castelli kit so am aware of quality, fit, etc of their products.
Sethboy, I've already spent the last couple of days thinking about the pros/cons of the different fabrics....
Gore - I imagine this will be more waterproof and I expect it will remain waterproof after lots of riding and washes thanks to the Goretex fabric. Also the type of fabric will mean it shouldn't get stained with splashes from the road. Only real downside I can think of is no matter how good Goretex is it will not be as breathable as the Filandre.
Filandre - Softer fabric stretches so fits slightly better, feels more comfortable and doesn't need the layering underneath BUT I'm concerned it will not wash so well as the Gore shell fabric (madzo14, thanks for pointing me to the Road.cc review of the Filandre) and because it has a waterproof coating on the fabric rather than a Goretex layer in it I'm wondering how long it will be before it starts to become less waterproof. I can overcome the washing / staining problem by getting a black one but I want to be visible in dull conditions so need something fluro if possible.
I don't necessarily need the insulating properties of the Filandre because I have plenty of layering options I can wear under the Gore. What I'm after is something that will keep me dry so I can ride more than I did last winter, which at this time of year will be at least 3-4 hours at the weekend and once a week on my 25 mile route to and from work.
Longers said:
Gore - I imagine this will be more waterproof and I expect it will remain waterproof after lots of riding and washes thanks to the Goretex fabric. Also the type of fabric will mean it shouldn't get stained with splashes from the road. Only real downside I can think of is no matter how good Goretex is it will not be as breathable as the Filandre.
I have a Gore Jacket that I occasionally wear. I'm not sure of the name, but it's a paclite one which I stuff in my rucksack for emergencies.What I would say about it is that it's fine the first few times you wear it, but once washed the proofing comes off very quickly. In particular, the upper arms get drenched. I've tried all sorts of cleaning/reproofing agents and none of them seem to do much good.
Plus it's not really breathable - certainly not for a sweat monster like me. There are no vents in it either. So even if you do what you're meant to do with Goretex and wear full length wicking fabric, wear it for a prolonged amount of time and you might as well have not bothered as you get soaked from the inside.
It needs to be torrential for it to be worth wearing and so, despite it's cost, it remains an emergency jacket. For the winter commute, I still prefer my Altura Night Vision jobbie.
My Castelli Nanoflex tights are getting a hammering at the moment and the DWR doesn't seem to be losing it's punch despite all the washing. I think the choice depends on how hot you run and if you're planning to ride in the rain or just showers.
I run hot so it needs to be bloody cold (probably sub-zero) before I can wear anything properly waterproof, like Goretex. My choice would be/is a Gabba/Fiandre and a packable gilet/rain cape. Even then I rarely reach for the rain cape when it rains. The stuff is warm enough to just ride through light showers.
If I'm heading out in sustained rain, and it's cold enough, then I'll layer up with windproof and water-resistant, but not full Goretex, and rely on staying warm without necessarily staying perfectly dry.
The Gabba/Fiandre stuff is worth it if only to avoid the flapping.
I run hot so it needs to be bloody cold (probably sub-zero) before I can wear anything properly waterproof, like Goretex. My choice would be/is a Gabba/Fiandre and a packable gilet/rain cape. Even then I rarely reach for the rain cape when it rains. The stuff is warm enough to just ride through light showers.
If I'm heading out in sustained rain, and it's cold enough, then I'll layer up with windproof and water-resistant, but not full Goretex, and rely on staying warm without necessarily staying perfectly dry.
The Gabba/Fiandre stuff is worth it if only to avoid the flapping.
After reading the above and looking at other opinions/reviews such as this http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12... the Gore jackets have been returned. In their place I've ordered some soft shells by Gore and the Gabba. While not as totally waterproof the stretchy fabric will be more comfortable, it will be warm and based on the reviews I will have enough wet weather protection unless it's really heavy rain. If it is biblically wet I'll be on the turbo anyway!
Sat on my turbo in the Fiandre and I think 1 big pocket on the back will be an issue when trying to retrieve gels or bars while moving, especially if wearing winter gloves. Something with the usual 3 pockets will be better I think
Hopefully I'll have made a final decision before the warm dry weather returns next Spring!
Sat on my turbo in the Fiandre and I think 1 big pocket on the back will be an issue when trying to retrieve gels or bars while moving, especially if wearing winter gloves. Something with the usual 3 pockets will be better I think
Hopefully I'll have made a final decision before the warm dry weather returns next Spring!
Hey again, you know there are 4 different Fiandre jackets right? It sounds like you have the original version - that's the super warm one and is a few years old now. The new WS Light is more of a shell and has the regular 3 pockets (with drainage) - it's what Tinkoff Saxo race in when the weather is crappy. tThe Wind Jersey is warmer and more breathable (also with 3 pockets) and still has a windstopper front.
Yep, I knew about the full range... http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mens/jackets/?s=fiandre
The No Rain is with me at the moment (the thicker one of the set I think). I forgot to mention above that the Light Windstopper and Light No Rain are also on their way to me with the Gabba and Gore tops. Going to be a busy evening trying them all on when they arrive!
The No Rain is with me at the moment (the thicker one of the set I think). I forgot to mention above that the Light Windstopper and Light No Rain are also on their way to me with the Gabba and Gore tops. Going to be a busy evening trying them all on when they arrive!
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