Originally Posted by
InTheRain
I gave it a try yesterday (Patagonia nano puff.) I commute on an e-bike so I can easily vary the level of effort on my commute. The jacket was perfect on my morning commute with a temperature of 34 degrees. I just had on a long sleeve polyester type of shirt underneath. The afternoon commute the temp was about 40 degrees. I opened up the zipper about 1/3 because I was getting a bit warm. With just over a mile to go I had a flat tire on my e-bike (not an easy fix and I would have been fixing it in darkness within 20 minutes) and I walked the bike toward home. I had to remove the jacket after the first 1/2 mile... it was too warm. I suppose that had a lot to do with the airflow you get while riding vs. walking. I think I'll continue to use it for temps up to about 45 degrees for commuting. If I'm not on an e-bike, I don't think I would ride with it in temps above 35.
It's a jacket for e-bike commuting. I'm not really trying to work up a sweat... so I'm not too concerned with it's wicking ability. I also got it a size larger than I normally wear so that it does not cling tightly against me. I like a little cool air flow when it does start to get a little too warm. As far as something lighter... the thing weighs 12 ounces - it's lighter than nearly all of my other cycling jackets. It worked great as an insulating layer on my 50cc scooter commute this morning (I haven't had time to fix that flat yet.)
I have a couple of nicer Primaloft insulated jackets very similar to the Patagonia Nanopuff in terms of weight and insulation. It is a good jacket for right at around freezing, but can get warm even then if you're riding hard. I find it works well for a short, relaxed commute, or if you were touring/camping it would be a good warm up layer for really cold early mornings.
I think a really good compromise for a more moderate pace at just below freezing up to maybe 45-50 degrees would be a jacket with a similar insulated/windblock material on the chest, but a stretch fleece backed material on the back and arms. Off the top of my head I can think of cycling specific jackets from Giro, Bontrager and Castelli. Other folks also make lots of hiking/climbing vests with a very similar construction available at any local outdoor store as well.
I have the
Bontrager Ernest jacket (an older all black version) which is listed as casual wear, but also works great for riding. It kept me warm enough on a metric century about a year ago where the temp hung at 40 all day long.