Nalini Malachite Race Cape

The Nalini Malachite race cape is designed as a light and packable jacket to be thrown on at a moment's notice when conditions change for the worse. Though it provides only minimal protection from the elements (and doesn't claim to do otherwise), it should be just the ticket as a backup in the high mountains, or in a race where a full waterproof is overkill due to the body heat inevitably generated when going hard.

The jacket is constructed from 'MantoTex', a microfiber fabric with a relatively open weave on the outside, backed up by a weatherproof membrane on the inside. Nalini are keen to tout the fabric's ability to allow sweat to evaporate through it, creating a so-called 'microclimate between skin and fabric'. In practise though, I found that it performed little better in this regard compared to the more basic (and much cheaper) boil-in-the-bag waterproofs that leave you so drenched in condensation you wonder why you bothered to put them on.

It's not as if the sauna effect is compensated by the jacket's ability to keep out rain either, as anything more than a very light shower soon finds its way through the fabric. If worn over bare arms, the Malachite has a tendency to stick and cling to one's skin which isn't a pleasant feeling. What it does do well is keep the wind at bay which is useful on Alpine-style descents when you can be looking at over 10 minutes of high speeds and little effort. If there happens to be moisture in the air though...

Really, the Malachite's best selling point is its packability in that it will only take up half a rear pocket, making that decision on whether to bring a jacket along on that epic ride a little easier. It includes a small pocket which it can be packed down into – useful for travelling with – but the pouch is a little square to fit well into a jersey pocket, so your best option is to just roll it up when on the bike.

The Malachite is available in a range of colours, but the white version tested is most deserving of the 'race cape' tag as the see-through fabric ensures that race numbers can still be seen when wearing the jacket. This should keep even the most pedantic race commissaires happy, or at least, slightly less likely to throw you off the race. On the downside, the transformation from white to beige is an inevitable and rapid one.

In addition to being able to see one's race number through it, to my mind, a race cape should also have the following qualities: an aggressive fit to suite a stretched out position, and it should be easy to put on and take off. Unfortunately, the Malachite is found wanting on both counts.

In the size medium tested – the same size I usually use for jackets – the body length was acceptable but the arms came up a little short.

A bigger gripe however was the zip, or more specifically the fact that it was backed up by a storm flap underneath. Why you'd include a storm flap when the actual fabric itself isn't weatherproof is a mystery to me, but the end result was that it was pretty much impossible to zip up whilst riding along, without snagging the zip on the flap at some point. On training rides, I'd have to stop and try and wrestle the damn thing free, but in races, one is hardly likely to pull up on the roadside to sort things out. With the zip stuck half way up, the whole jacket inflates like a balloon doing its best to waste every previous Watt that's going through the pedals.

In summary then, the Malachite leaves a lot to be desired as a race cape or even a light weatherproof jacket. Sure it's highly packable, but the trade-offs in poor breathability and minimal weatherproofing, especially given the not insignificant price tag, just don't seem worth it. That the zip is a constant source of frustration is the nail in the coffin and leaves little about it to be recommended.

Verdict

Poor breathability, weatherproofing and terrible zip design make this a jacket to avoid