The Pearl Izumi Gavia Jacket is your own personal isolation chamber. Gearing up before a cold ride out, you squeeze into this jacket's snug race cut fit and notice that you are slightly warmer then without it. You run out the front door, jump on the bike, roll out of your driveway and cruise up to speed. At first you notice the chill on a very cold morning. Then gradually the chill disappears and is replaced by a cozy, body temperature glow that encapsulates your entire upper body. Even on days when the wind whips at the trees around you, you are safe and protected inside your personal cocoon of warmth. This full zip jacket has a snug yet comfortable collar that when sealed traps heat in and prevents cold air from drafting into your core.

Coupled with a good base layer like Mountain Hardwear's eXtend Crew, Pearl Izumi's Microsensor Thermal jersey, or a regular jersey like Cannondale's Cadence, the Gavia Jacket provides all the climate control you'll need on rides sifting down to the mid to low 20's. The great thing about that is that with only two good layers you can be ready to ride. Before trying out the Gavia Jacket, I found myself wearing four to five layers to find protection from the cold. Having to throw on layer after layer, everytime I wanted to ride out almost became prohibitive of riding on very cold days. Now,

with the Gavia, gearing up takes no more time then riding out on a temperate day.

The lack of bulk makes this line truly a pleasure to ride in. You throw on two layers and ride out. With just the Gavia Jacket and a base layer, there isn't the thick, restrictive bulk of wearing too many layers. There is greater aerodynamics and improved efficiency of movement.

Overall the jacket is durably constructed with tightly stitched panels of AmFIB fabric on the front and back to block wind, and lined with MicroSensor and UltraSenor Kodiak fabric for warmth. While being a lightweight and thin garment, the inside of the jacket is plush with a fleecy surface. The fleeced panels help keep heat in, while a few strategically placed panels that are not fleeced help to moderate it. They unfleeced panels are situated in areas where there will be no direct contact to wind. The fleeced areas back up against the impenetrable AmFIB material.


Little touches like the 3 rear pockets make this piece more like a jersey then a jacket. In terms of function, that becomes appealing. Many jackets change the rear pockets, making them less accessible. This one leaves them alone to be as easy to access as a normal riding jersey. Another nice touch like the reflective piping and logos speaks to the great deal of though that Pearl Izumi put into making a jacket that is absolutely perfect for a cyclist's winter needs.