Braving The Elements with Kiel Reijnen and Castelli

Words by Kiel Reijnan

I grew up on Bainbridge Island, a very green, albeit rain soaked island in the Salish Sea. The Pacific Northwest is known for its lengthy grey winters and wet weather, which for some may feel like a deterrent when it comes to riding. There certainly was a time when soaking wet weather pushed a riders gear to the limit in short order, but times have changed. On those rainy, 45 degree days, when I was a young rider, I would race home from school, throw on a pair of bibs, wool socks, a jersey and a wind cape. Within an hour my hands and feet would be completely numb. I would push to see how long I could last but it was always a loosing battle. Gore-text didn’t exist and even if it did, no one was putting it in kids sized cycling clothes. The changes in textile technologies and added features over the course of the following 15 years was certainly impressive. There are a few innovations that stand out more than others. Castelli’s “Gabba” jacket is one of those. I spent years trying to insulate my self from the wet by keeping it out. But staying dry is nearly impossible in my neck of the woods. With the invention of the “Gabba" jacket Castelli didn’t just create a new textile that performed better, they challenged riders to embrace a new mindset when the weather turned foul. Let a certain amount of water in so that it creates an insulative layer against the body, this was a novel concept in the world of cycling. Now a few years on and we are again seeing a huge shift not just in what materials are being used but how riders are embracing those new textiles to ride in different ways. Wool base layers, something that would have been ubiquitous in the 1960’s have made a come back, but they are being layered with high tech air-gap layers and fully reflective waterproof jackets. Less seams and enhanced ergonomics mean that todays ride clothing is as comfortable on a 1 hour ride as it is on a 14hr ride. When bundled up for a wet winter ride in my Castelli gear I no longer feel like I am in a race against the elements. I can instead embrace the winter weather and spend time exploring the green forests, grey seas, rain soaked trails and island harbors shrouded in misty fog. 

This season I have found myself continuing to embrace something I started doing a couple years ago, pooling my ride clothing into two different categories. Adventure riding gear and training gear. When it comes to training gear I am leaning on items that are designed to keep a hard working rider warm. I know I’m going to get wet so the Gabba RoS 2 jacket is a favorite. With the cooler temps I am almost always pairing that with the nano flex pro race bib short, leg warmers and wool socks. If the weather looks dry then I will throw a lighter weight vest like the perffetto RoS in my pocket just incase. When it comes to adventure riding I make a pretty significant shift in strategy. I upsize my base layers, jackets, vests and mid layers. I am riding in wool base layers exclusively like the Bandito Wool short sleeve. The choice to upsize is primarily to create more opportunity for an air gap. This keeps the warm air in but allows enough movement for the air to prevent condensation. On these adventure rides I’m typically riding longer but not nearly as hard as a training ride. The baggier fit doesn’t bother me because I’m traveling at lower speeds and I’m not creating as much body heat or sweat so I can use warmer and less breathable materials if needed. The unlimited trail jersey, cold days 2nd layer and commuter reflex jacket all make regular appearances on these rides. 

Lastly while winter riding can be fun, occasionally I just need to get a workout done and go pick up the kids from school. On those days I rely on the Castelli “inside” line. Everything from headbands to bib shorts, all tailor made for indoor riding.