The most visible product weve ever made the Sportive waterproof jacket keeps you safe and dry. The clever pixel dot print fabric in subtle in the day time but lights up like a Christmas tree when car headlights catch it. Taking its basic design and fit from our multi award winning RoadRace Apex jacket.

• Small and packable itll roll neatly up and fit into a jersey pocket with ease

• The 2.5 layer fabric construction is fully tape seamed and is fully waterproof windproof and breathable thanks to the 15K waterproof and 15K breathable ratings

• The tailored cycle specific fit is both comfortable and functional

• The Sportive has no mesh lining making it light weight and easy to stow away

• The articulated arms offer an excellent fit and the extended cuffs give maximum coverage from the elements

• The rear zippered pocket offers whether protection for small essentials

Road Cycling Uk Review:

The jacket is designed to keep you safe and dry in all conditions, and was born from the brief for a waterproof jacket to  withstand wet weather without any compromise to visibility, while also being able to pack down to a compact size so it can fit in a jersey pocket when not in use.

Taking its basic design from Madison Clothing’s well-regarded RoadRace Apex jacket (as used by Madison Genesis team), the Sportive Hi-Viz Waterproof Jacket is made from a waterproof, windproof and breathable fabric, while the cut allows for layering without leaving excessive fabric to flap and catch in the wind.

However, what makes the jacket literally stand out, is the clever Pixel Pot print fabric which coats the shoulders, arms and vast majority of the back. Each small and subtle dot is highly visible and lights up under a vehicle’s headlights or street light. The clever use of this material means, whether you’re in the drops, signalling, or have your back to traffic, you should always be seen.

Russell Whitaker, senior brand manager for Madison Clothing, explains more: “We were asked by our Madison Genesis team riders to create the ultimate winter training jacket, so we set to work in finding the correct fabric and cut for the job. The team have been racing and training in our award winning RoadRace Apex jacket for a couple of seasons, so that formed the basic pattern for the design.

“From there, we had to light the jacket up so the rider can be seen in low light conditions without affecting the breathability. Using regular reflective panels would have been a compromise as they don’t allow sweat to transfer back through the fabric, so the pixel dot fabric was engineered with our mill. After months of testing and tweaking with both our team in the office and our pros out on the road, we’re really happy with the result.”

Waterproof and breathable fabric

Let’s go into a little more details on the fabric. The lightweight 2.5-layer fabric chosen by Madison Clothing has a 15,000m waterproof rating, which is exactly what we would expect for a jacket just shy of the £100 mark.

This fabric has a waterproof membrane, rather than relying on a cheaper water resistant coating, and should prove more durable in the long term as a result. Plus it has fully taped seams to ensure wet weather is truly kept out.

The breathability rating looks promising too, listed at 15,000g/m2/24hrs – this should be more than adequate to stop you suffering from boil-in-the-bag syndrome on most training rides, providing you get your layering right. There are under-arm vents if things do get too warm.

The Madison Sportive Hi-Viz Waterproof Jacket also has no mesh lining, making it lighter and easier to stow when the weather improves on a ride.

Other features include a zipped rear pocket, extended cuffs to help keep bad weather out, and an articulated fit designed to sit perfectly on the bike

Key features and details

• Mesh lined under-arm vents for temperature control
• Articulated arms for a good ‘on the bike’ fit
• Extended cuffs help keep spray, rain and debris at bay
• Zipped rear pocket for storage
• Elasticated hem – allowing easy access to jersey pockets beneath
• Silicone hem gripper to keep the jacket in place
• Limited lifetime warranty and 30-day comfort guarantee

Summary

Subtle by day, bright and hard to miss at night, the Madison Sportive Hi-Viz Waterproof Jacket aims to combine classy styling with packability, low weight and storm proofing. If the reflective finish holds up in the long term this could well make a great choice for all-weather road riding.

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