Review: Biemme Gavia jacket

The Biemme Gavia jacket is a winter jacket named after an infamous pass in the Italian Alps. The Gavia Pass is the tenth highest paved road in the Alps and divides the province of Sondrio to the north and the province of Brescia to the south. The pass is surrounded by numerous climbs which all hit more than 3,000m of elevation—it’s therefore no surprise that the Gavia Pass has often been the Giro D’Italia’s Cima Coppi: the highest point of the race.

The cold peaks of the Alps require a warm jacket, as do Canadian winters. This jacket is rated from 3°C-8 °C—reasonable cold-weather riding temperatures. Though I couldn’t travel to Italy to test it on Monte Gavia, I tried the Biemme Gavia jacket in some Canadian January weather.

Fit and feel

The Gavia jacket has a tight fit, with cuffs that hold onto your wrists and keep out wind. A sticky waistband on the bottom of the jacket keeps it in place—in the front the band has a bit of elasticity, which is nice for those who tend to gain a few extra winter pounds.

The pockets feature some reflective detailing on both sides, and one zipper for quick access. Though the left and right side pockets are a good size, the centre pocket was just a tiny bit too small for my Rapha wallet.

The zipper on the Gavia jacket feels sturdy—it zips up all the way to the neck which adds a little extra warmth for extra-cold days.

Warm material

The jacket is made of a double-sided polyester material. The outside is wind-resistant and black, while the inside is white and lightly fleecy. I first tested the jacket with a base layer underneath on an evening tempo ride in 2 degree weather (felt like -3°C). I felt warm enough that I was sweating a decent amount, but just cool enough that I didn’t unzip the jacket.

The Gavia jacket features a Raglan cut sleeve design, which means one piece of fabric is used from the cuff of the sleeve to the collar (think baseball shirts). The design promotes range of motion, and I noticed that, unlike some other jackets, the sleeves didn’t bunch at the shoulders when I went into the drops.

The Biemme Gavia jacket is $300 at Biemmeamerica.com