Castelli Gabba

Castelli’s breathable, close-fitting yet waterproof and windproof jacket marked a watershed in cycle clothing

-  John Whitney

Professional riders may cycle in the cold and rain more often than some of us, but that doesn't mean they enjoy it any more. On the contrary, with as little as 6% body fat, the world's best bear the brunt of the harshest conditions faster than anybody else. The advent of the Castelli Gabba jacket in 2010, however, made things a bit better.

Look back at old footage of bike races and the evolution of bike clothing is as telling as the bikes themselves. Circa 2010 was a period of revolution for clothing. Until then, jerseys with flappy arms and billowing jackets that could safely land you on Earth following a sky dive were the accepted norms in the peloton. Aerodynamics was something for boffins in labs, rather than a goal for riders.