Traditionally, cold weather riding has meant donning a baselayer, jersey, and some combination of jackets to achieve the optimal solution for winter conditions. Inevitably, it’s all for naught and I’m either overdressed and overheated or soaking wet because I planned for dry or snowy conditions instead of rain. After living awhile with the Casetelli Alpha RoS jacket, I now know it doesn’t have to be this way. The jacket truly does do it all in deep winter.
The jacket starts with a two-piece construction. First, there’s a technical outer layer made from Gore Windstopper 150 fabric. That outer layer is bonded to a fleece inner liner that covers the core and zips up separately. It’s like wearing a jacket over a vest. Having both layers in one piece takes a lot of the headache out of winter layering, it also reduces the sticker shock of the $280 asking price.