For proper roadie-ing not commuting – I’ve realised I don’t own anything other than a Montane Velo and Altura Transformer – both not really for heavy showers/prolonged riding.

Anyway, any recommendations that are not at the dizzy cost of a Castelli Gabba?

Craft Elite?

Nice, and I like Craft, but isn’t that the old one with Gills and a single pocket?

Get one or other of these;
A Castelli squadra

Which is an emergency boil-in-the-bag type jacket for when you get caught in a rain storm, or a Castelli sottile

Which is slightly more breathable for wearing for longer.

Top one is about £35, bottom one about £50-odd.

…or just buy a Gabba.

I have nice of the magic ones, not sure what. It is but around the £120 mark, excellent bit of kit

Don’t buy a gabba, it’s not waterproof enough to be a waterproof, it’s not packable into your jersey pocket enough to be versatile like a gilet, it’s not warm enough to be a winter jacket, it’s not breathable enough to be a jersey. It’s great for smashing it along at 50kph in the rain when you can just take it off and put it in a team car.

Sottile jacket ftw (bottom one)

Don’t buy a gabba, it’s not waterproof enough to be a waterproof, it’s not packable into your jersey pocket enough to be versatile like a gilet, it’s not warm enough to be a winter jacket, it’s not breathable enough to be a jersey. It’s great for smashing it along at 50kph in the rain when you can just take it off and put it in a team car.

I disagree; it will stay waterproof for 2ish hours, it’s not ever meant to be packable, it breathes well enough provided you don’t wear merino or some other thick base layer. It’s a jacket with a specific range of applications, and you can’t wear it when it’s too warm.

It will dry off while you ride too.

Ye that’s exactly the problem, it is designed for a specific range of applications, in reality it doesn’t work for me.

When it’s gonna rod it down you wear a goretex, when it’s gonna be cold you wear a windtex, when it’s warm you wear a jersey, when it’s inclement you take a gilet, or you roll a goretex into your back pocket.

The days that the gabba is designed for, are in between days, showers may come and go, and you still want to ride fast. On those days you need versatility, a good quality gilet and armwarmers that can come off gives you that, a gabba doesn’t. I personally sweat buckets in mine, and once it’s on it’s on, you can’t take it off to go in your pocket.

It works for me, I just choose when to wear it.

The sottile is less breathable but more packable..

I like the sottile – but how does that differ from the Montane Velo I already have (other than the semi transparancy)?

Dunno because I’ve not had both.

Beware; the search for the perfect waterproof has taken me 20 odd years, and it’s still not done after buying about a million different types!

3 weeks ago I rode for 5 hours in good solid rain just north of Treviso, I wore an Endura race jacket (one of the semi translucent slightly rubbery ones) with a ss jersey, armwarmers and a mesh undervest). It was fine, I was warm enough and dry enough to enjoy the riding. When it eventually stopped raining I was quite happy to take it off shove it down the back and carry on without feeling too cold and miserable. Probably the best thing I’ve ever bought from Endura.
Castelli norain shorts and legwarmers are pretty good too.

Hmmm, yes that Endura rain cape looks like its what I want. Thanks aP.

I have the short sleeved Gabba with the Nanoflex arm warmers and I wear this over a merino short sleeved base layer.

I wouldn’t want to be wearing that combo when it got too cold, although it was just about spot on for Sunday with early heavy rain followed by dry and warm weather it quickly dried out and wasn’t uncomfortable at all. It’s not packable but can be worn on its own on those warmer days.

Autumn and Spring its fine whereas i’ll be looking for something more robust for temperatures below 10 degrees C

I don’t bother unless it’s very cold and very wet – skin’s waterproof, so I focus on wearing clothes that will keep me warm when wet.

Don’t buy a gabba, it’s not waterproof enough to be a waterproof, it’s not packable into your jersey pocket enough to be versatile like a gilet, it’s not warm enough to be a winter jacket, it’s not breathable enough to be a jersey. It’s great for smashing it along at 50kph in the rain when you can just take it off and put it in a team car.

Sottile jacket ftw (bottom one)

I disagree as well. The LS Gabba is one of the best bits of clothing I have. Breathable, windproof and waterproof ( certainly for a good couple of hours)Its not meant to be packable. The great thing is you just use it as a LS jacket and if it rains you stay warm and pretty dry.