ALL SEASONS

Once upon a time, you could have a riding jacket which was (mostly) waterproof but which provided precious little warmth; or one which was warm but let you get wet; or one which was waterproof but far too hot to consider wearing in summer so you inevitably got soaked and/ or frozen and / or parboiled, depending on the time of year. And these days the weather seems to be even less predictable apart, of course, from the inevitability of precipitation!

So let's give a quick three cheers for material sciences which has developed a new type of wax cotton. Halley Stevensons Cotec wax cotton is significantly lighter than its conventional counterpart (8oz compared to 12oz) and has been fashioned by Merlin Bike Gear into a classic style riding jacket, the 'Chigwell Utility:

Designed for riding in both warm and cold conditions, the Chigwell Utility jacket features a removable 125g thermal lining with Reissa waterproof membrane, with mesh panelling to aid cool airflow on hotter rides. For impact protection it comes with a CE AA rated, five piece D3O armour set. Sizes S to 3XL, price £229.99 from merlinbikegear.com