I admit. I’m a sucker for vests—for dog walks or for riding. Whether it’s to add some brightness at dusk or to add a bit more core protection, they’re an amazingly versatile addition. But since I like longer rides where food is critical and temperatures tend to vary more from beginning to middle to end, I’ve grown to think of a few features as ‘table stakes’ for a gilet to be considered: pockets, high-visibility touches, and a two-way zipper.
Having pockets on the outside makes it so much easier to split things up, keeping some food and my phone in the outer layer for snacks and the occasional mid-ride photo—and the two-way zipper means you can easily access the jersey pockets underneath for more food, an extra bottle, etc.
The Odyssey ticks those boxes and adds some Polartec Alpha® insulation front and back, making this a great addition early spring/late fall over a long-sleeve jersey to give you another 3–5 degrees of comfort. It shines in the winter too—over a base layer and under a winter jacket. That combination combined with some windproof insulated tights and I’ve ridden comfortably well below freezing.