Mens Portixol Waterproof Jacket (Charcoal)

Ihave bought many and varied articles of clothing from Vulpine. I like the urban look and functionality. The merino is a little catchy and great food for moths! The jacket in question is one of the very few that are visible to drivers, a feature extremely important to riding safety. I would like to see more options in addition to red and this green. As for quality, water and wind proofing is good and lasts; the breathability is wanting but admittedly hard to achieve. The magnets fall off prematurely as do the zippers. ( two of my jackets have had the zippers come away from the seam they are attached to and not the fault of abusive handling.

Bought one of these a couple of years ago and loved it. Unfortunately, not enough to remember to take it off the train hook. Had to replace it.
I normally wear M but bought L in order to allow layering sine I use it all year round.
In the summer it is great by itself as a rain jacket or casual jacket for a cooler windy evening.

A nice straightforward cycling jacket, smart looking and well thought out. The fit is not too baggy, almost snug, but with enough room to hold keys and a phone in the pockets. It doesn’t feel like you’re wearing a parachute, which is a problem with a lot of waterproof jackets. Tested in the recent Storm Amy, so it certainly is waterproof. The shoulder vents are a nice touch, and the breathability is good.

The good:
• Long sleeves cover wrists very well.
• Long hem line and generous tail cover well, especially useful when not wearing rain trousers.
• Breathability was good on a 1 hour workout ride. Some evidence of moisture buildup but not as bad as many competitors.
• The fit is good. I'm 5'11" and as a Vulpine customer of many years I know the Large normally fits me well. This one does.

The not so good:
• Bulkier (see pic) and heavier (340g) than I was expecting. This is not a stick-it-in-your-jersey pocket rain cape.
• I wasn't expecting hand-warmer pockets in cycling jacket. This is a town jacket feature and adds to the bulk.
• Disappointing that the cuffs can't be cinched down. On my skinny wrists these draughts will be a pain mid winter. Two little tabs of Velcro would add a lot more function for a tiny weight cost.
• Disappointing that the collar can't be tightened either. The cut isn't going to fit everyone and I can see rain rolling down my neck. Likewise a small drawcord would add much function for marginal weight cost.
• I've only used it on one partially wet ride so far, and it wasn't even chucking it down, but you can see on the pic that the DWR treatment is not great, the fabric has already wetted out. Yes the membrane kept the rain out but you expect the DWR to work on an out of the box new garment.

The conclusion:
This is a good jacket. Probably more aimed at commuters than sports cyclists.

Good protection from wind and rain. Highly breathable. I usually wear this when cycling with my Brompton. Packs easy also for when the weather changes.
Wish Vulpine had the matching rain cap for this.