Winter cycling jackets come in several styles and material choices and a choice will depend on your own personal needs and comfort requirements. You may be a casual rider, a serious road cyclist or a daily commuter – each will have different expectations on the jackets composition.
The casual rider may well just need to throw a rain poncho in their kit if the weather is inclement. If you ride regularly in the cold and feel it then you will need something more substantial. Cycling jackets made from special polyester blends offer a great outer layer, they are warm, good ones are windproof yet breathable, and some versions have removable sleeves-just in case the weather turns warmer than expected!
Another popular option is a cycling vest. Basically a sleeveless cycle jacket, you can carry a set of arm warmers to be used as necessary.
Most of these cycling jacket options are not waterproof though so a decent rain jacket needs to be carried. This is not a problem these days as modern micropore systems mean a cycling rain jacket can fold into a hand and weigh as little as 100gm..
