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Castelli Gabba 2 Convertible Jacket
Material: Windstopper X-Lite
Zip: full-length
Season: fall, winter, spring
Windproof Rating: <1.0 cfm
Pockets: 3 rear
Italy's signature recipes often thrive on simplicity punctuated with one, stand-out element that defines the dish. Case in point is the Venetian classic linguini with clams, which uses a simple aglio e olio as an unassuming platform for succulent bivalves that reshape the overall flavor profile of the dish. Though the company is based in Milan, not Venice, Castelli designed the Gabba 2 Convertible Jacket according to this Italian maxim of simplicity with a key element of distinction. The Gabba 2 Jacket provides all of the inclement-weather utility of the Gabba 2 Long Sleeve Jersey but with the flexibility of one additional element that redefines the item: removable sleeves. The benefits of this feature are immediately obvious, but we'll digress briefly to explore them before detailing the jacket's construction and fit. Removing the sleeves makes this jacket wear comfortably in temperatures ranging from 43 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit. The sleeves, courtesy their lightweight Windstopper X-Lite construction, stow easily in one of the rear pockets. This is a lovely feature, but we do recognize that it's nothing new -- cycling jackets have featured innovations like this for some time. Castelli sets the Gabba 2 apart by extending the zippered sleeve over the shoulder in a raglan cut, keeping the zipper off of your skin and providing almost a foot of overlap with the short sleeves of the jersey for increased protection. The Gabba 2 embodies Castelli's ethos of minimalism in construction by using as few fabrics and seams as possible. With the exception of the stretchy Nano Flex inserts in the underarms, the entire jersey is made from Windstopper X-Lite fabric. Windstopper X-Lite has 1. 4 billion impossibly small pores per square-inch that guard your microclimate jealously. They don't let wind in, but they do let moisture and water vapor out. This isn't just based on vague marketing copy, though. The science behind Windstopper X-Lite is measurable in a rating called CFM, wh...