Castelli's new Perfetto RoS 3 Jacket launches today, and for a change from the usual 'stiffer, lighter, faster' stuff we see so often, it actually sounds pretty groundbreaking.
The EU introduced a raft of rule changes recently governing what materials companies can use in technical clothing, meaning PFAS or forever chemicals as they're known, can no longer be used.
That's caused a big problem for brands who loved using the treatments. And blown apart some of our advice on the very best waterproofs available for cycling.
This new range from Italian stalwart, Castelli, uses a completely new fabric from Polartec® called AirCore™. The garment is rather humbly called Perfetto which means perfect in Italian. The RoS in the name refers to rain or shine and Castelli claims it redefines what "breathable" means.
They also say "Performance cycling will never be the same again", which feels a bit ambitious, unless it's like wearing leathers, or perhaps a wetsuit. I suspect it's not.
It is however, they claim, highly windproof, breathable and water repellent, which are all good things for a lightweight winter jacket, and importantly the new construction and materials mean the garment is 100% free of PFAS-based chemicals and made from recycled polyester yarns.
The membrane, which is the business layer of the product, which gives it it's claimed magical qualities, is produced via a process called "electrospinning", where a "hydrophobic proprietary polymer" is pushed through a hypodermic needle and charged at 20,000 volts. Under pressure, we're told the needle then emits a thin jet of microscopic filaments, approximately 100 times smaller than a human hair - which "falls like snow to create an incredibly tight membrane that still allows air to permeate it".
This means, they say, that the Perfetto RoS 3 jacket performs as well in the dry as it does in the rain. It's designed for temperatures of 4-14°C (39-57°F) too, which should mean it's pretty handy for Autumn and a good chunk of winter even here in the UK.
Castelli points out that waterpoof gear that works too well at keeping you dry can get you plenty wet from sweat, defeating the object, and AirCore™ is were told, the answer to our boil in the bag prayers.
Where it differs Castelli says, is that whilst this is a windproof garment, some air can get in, creating a "microclimate" in the jacket, that helps ventilate the rider, getting rid of sweat.
It's also functionally waterproof, despite the "imperceptibly" tiny holes and they claim the new material is very stretchy too, which is no bad thing.
So far, so good. Even if slightly short of the claim that "Performance cycling will never be the same again".
We have a jacket in hand, and will be testing it shortly, so we'll report back in full on all these lofty claims. Jokes aside, it certainly sounds convincing, and it's a welcome move away from the toxic stuff.
We've spared you a lot of the word soup in the press release that went into quite a lot of good detail about just how and why this material is so good. We'll look past just now, but will give it a good test in the coming weeks, and see if it lives up to the claims and go into that science in a little more detail in a proper review.
If it does work as well as claimed, Castelli and Sportful are the only cycling garment brands licensed to use the material, so they could be onto a winner in a post PFAS world.
The Perfetto RoS jacket is available in men's and women's styles. The men’s jacket is available in the following four colourways:
Rich Red/Black
Reflex, Light Black/Silver Reflex,
Mocha/Black Reflex and
Pool Blue/Black Reflex.
Price is RRP €249,95 | $320,00 | £280,00
The women’s jacket is available in the following four colorways:
Hibiscus/Black Reflex
Pool Blue/Black Reflex
Mango Mojito/Black Reflex
Light Black/Silver Reflex.
Price is RRP €249,95 | $320,00 | £280,00
