off-road.cc

The Madison Sportive Hi-Viz Women’s Waterproof Jacket is designed to keep you dry and safe too, with the inclusion of ‘Pixel Pot’ print coating the shoulders, arms and back. It has a slimline, flattering fit but the lack of big vents make it a little bit sweaty inside when pushing hard.

• Review - Madison Zena Women's 4 Season's shorts
• Buyer's Guide to Waterproof Mountain Bike Jackets

The point of this jacket is to be seen and be visible whilst wearing it, so I’ll deal with the hi-viz qualities first. Madison uses a print they call ‘Pixel Pot’, which is dots printed over a large area, each dot lighting up under vehicle headlights. Madison says they used this print instead of other reflective panels as those tend not to be so breathable.  It works too, its hard to miss a rider wearing this jacket at night whilst being subtle in the daytime, the dotty aesthetics work really well. 

• Buy a Madison Sportive Hi-Viz jacket here

Secondly, this is a waterproof jacket, predominantly made for the road but I’ve found it pretty useful for gravel bike rides and commutes. I like the slim cut of the jacket for speedier rides, there’s no extra bulk here and whilst that means there is not much in the way of extra features, it does mean that it is lightweight and streamlined. There is no hood but the soft collar is close fitting and pretty high to keep out water and wind.

The reflective print covers a large area

The fabric used is a fully taped, 2.5 layer material with a 15,000mm waterproof rating and a 15,000mg breathability rating, so middle of the road where waterproof ratings are concerned. The jacket certainly kept the rain out and stood up well to the muck and grime of gravel riding this winter.

Dots look good in the daytime too

Vents are pretty small

There are two underarm vents which are always open and allow a little breeze but the overlapping fashion of their cut mean that air doesn’t get in too readily, it's more for letting hot air out. I found the jacket to be breathable to a degree but things soon started getting sweaty when I was working hard or on warmer days. I found the jacket was a little slow to dry once wet inside from condensation/sweat too – I needed to open the front zip fully to allow air to circulate and dry it out.

Sleeves are a good length

Elastic keeps the cuffs secure

Elsewhere the jacket features articulated arms and some of the most comfortable elastic cuffs I have yet to use on a waterproof coat. The smooth elastic here slips nicely over the wrist and stayed secure on top of my gloves. The rear hem utilises the same elastic combined with silicone to stop the jacket riding up at the rear. The final feature is a rear zippered pocket for valuables which is easy to reach and large enough for a good sized phone. Load too much into it though and the position on the right-hand side will start to pull the jacket that way at the waist.

Pocket fits a small pump, phone, keys and snack

Elastic and silicone on the hem stops the jacket riding up

For £115 the packable Madison Sportive Hi-Viz jacket is a sleek option for more road oriented gravel rides. Its got a classy look and a slim fit with a great cut that still leaves room for a couple of layers. Whilst it keeps the rain out, it does get a little moist inside as the breathability of the jacket works hard to keep up with the rider.

• www.madison.cc

You might also like: 

• The best waterproof mountain bike jackets you can buy
• 10 pieces of essential mountain bike clothing
• First Look - an alloy Norco Range A3