Nice cycling kit, temperature ranges, and a little low-key trash talking

Published Sunday, 17 January, 2021

photo of the Leonie jacket

I got this jacket late 2019 as winter was setting in. I was really taken with how stylish it looked—a hallmark of the Café du Cycliste brand. Like other winter jackets I’ve had I was assuming I would be adding a few layers underneath. I totally underestimated the quality of this piece. The core insulation is really warm. But the real surprise is a windblock layer sandwiched in the sleeves that keeps the knit fabric outer layer looking sleek while providing tremendous warmth. A good long-sleeve base layer underneath and this is easily warm enough for anything above freezing. Add a warmer layer in between and I’ve ridden comfortably down to -3ºC or so (mid 20sºF).

I’ve added another winter jacket (the Albertine), but still am completely smitten with the style of the Leonie.

Jason Pamental

Jason is a long-retired road racer, obsessive web typography nerd, and Principal Designer at pet health and nutrition giant Chewy.com. Mostly posts photos of Tillie around Turner Reservoir when not focused on keeping Goldberg in his place on town line sprints along the way.

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