Perfection? Castelli DO.DI.CI. Jacket Review

That iconic red scorpion is something of legend. With it comes over 100 years of history and more palmares than I can count. For years, their foul-weather Gabba gear has been the gold standard and now they have refined that with the new Castelli Do.Di.Ci. Jacket that’s optimized for today’s “bad weather” riding.

Castelli Do.Di.Ci. Jacket Features:

• Optimized for high-intensity rides in cool conditions (40-60 degrees)
• Next-generation breathability and stretch
• Castelli Ristretto technology offers 12x more breathability than the Perfetto RoS
• Stretch race fit
• Reflective piping for visibility
• Three rear pockets
• MSRP: $280

Perfect for today’s cold-weather riding

Let’s get real. None of us are intentionally riding in the rain, snow or extreme wind. Indoor training (and sanity) has effectively killed most of that. For me, 40-degrees and sunny is my threshold, with the right gear. If I so happen to get caught in a little rain, I’m okay with that, but if it’s imminent, I’ll opt for something more palatable. Knowing that, Castelli spent effort making the ultimate protection for 40-60 degree riding, with a focus on breathability. Why breathability? As we all know, most protective fabrics also struggle allowing moisture to escape. So, the Ristretto fabric on the Do.Di.Ci. aims to change that.

With 12x more breathability over the previous Perfetto RoS (which was quite admirable), the Do.Di.Ci. takes breathable protection to another level by keeping you from sweating out. Upon closer inspection, the stretchy Ristretto fabric doesn’t have much to it as far as thickness goes, but it packs a punch.

Pulling on the Do.Di.Ci. was 100% Castelli. A perfectly-snug fit and top-tier construction has made for the ultimate layer for road and gravel riding this fall. In fact, it’s so perfect that I haven’t even worn any of my other favorite cool-weather gear at all since its arrival. Thankfully, it remains stink-free over several rides, so I’m not rolling through the kitchen like Pepé Le Pew.

I’ve layered it up with both the Pactimo Summit SL sleeveless and Pearl Izumi Merino long sleeve base layers — depending on the temperatures. When worn with a sleeveless base layer, the “brushed” interior of the Do.Di.Ci. feels just dandy next-to-skin. If you’re going with a long-sleeve, you better ensure it has thumb loops to keep it in place because the Do.Di.Ci. will otherwise pull those sleeves up to your elbows.

The sleeves are cut snug for optimized fit and performance and the panels are also ergonomic. Fortunately and unfortunately, my early sample has an extra long sleeve length (by almost 3-inches), so the wrist panels didn’t get to show off their optimized fit. Still, I did appreciate the added length and I can still appreciate the sleeve’s cut. I very much appreciated the added hem length and full silicone hem. With that, I’ve had no issues with creeping at all. The Do.Di.Ci. simply stays put and offers optimal protection.

Wind protection is excellent. During even the coldest of test rides (mid-40’s), the wind on my chest and arms never bit. Yeah, I could sense the cold air flying by, but it was never as if I was pressing up against an ice block at speed.

I’ve worn the Do.Di.Ci. with a variety of bib shorts — depending on the temperatures. But, lately, I’ve been pairing it up with the Velocio Thermal Bib Shorts for colder rides. As mentioned, the added hem length is awesome and ensured proper coverage with the Le Col ARC Cargo Bib Shorts, Pearl Izumi Expedition PRO Bib Shorts and others. As you can see, it’s great for road or gravel riding and the purple color is superb! I feel like I’m a rolling bottle of grape soda.

Because of the excellent breathability, I haven’t had much need to unzip the jacket while riding. But, if I do ever need to, that zipper and zipper pull make it easy to do so. A quick tug and it’s up or down — one-handed (love that). At the end of any ride, the light dampness dries out in a hurry here in Utah.

I do have a handful of small issues. Tops on that list is the difficulty in placing items into the pockets. Yes, the pockets are large and offer ample storage, but the fabric tends to grab items when sliding them in and makes it difficult to do. Additionally, the collar is a little taller than I would like and as such, it tends to grab on my neck scruff and pull upwards. Lastly, the lack of any water resistance is a bit of a bummer. Even a lightweight DWR would be better than nothing.

Fit: I’m 5’11” and 175 lbs., wearing the size Large (my typical Castelli size). For an even more aero fit, I’m sure I could go with a medium, but I like the fit I’m getting — even if it’s a little bunched here-and-there.

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