Castelli has added to its jacket collection with the Do.Di.Ci, which it says is the “spiritual heir” to the original Gabba.
The Do.Di.Ci has the high breathability of Castelli's revolutionary Gabba jacket, but without the water resistance. Castelli says this makes it great for dry weather when the temperature is between 8 and 15°C (46 and 59°F).
According to Steve Smith, Castelli’s global brand manager: “There’s never been a jacket like the Do.Di.Ci. We see it as the spiritual heir to the Gabba for the way many people use the Gabba.
“The original Gabba was created for professional riders racing in the rain, but given its phenomenal success, we see that many cyclists use it in conditions that it wasn’t designed for: cool and dry.”
Highly breathable
Castelli rather missed the mark when it launched the Gabba R in 2024. That jacket is super-aero and also waterproof, wind-resistant and very packable. But with minimal insulation and a skin-tight fit, not to mention a sky-high price, it’s one for the racers rather than an everyman piece.
So, the new Do.Di.Ci (minus the dots, the name is Italian for 'twelve') skips the waterproofing in favour of good windproofing, paired with plenty of airflow to prevent a boil-in-a-bag feel inside. Castelli says the Do.Di.Ci is 12 times more effective at evaporating sweat than the original Gabba, hence its name.
According to Smith: “While the Gabba R provides the ultimate protection for racing in the rain while being as aerodynamic as a speedsuit – the Do.Di.Ci excels in high intensity rides in cool dry conditions.
“With water protection taken out of the equation, we’ve designed the Do.Di.Ci. to make performance cyclists more comfortable than they’ve ever been during high-intensity efforts in cooler, dry conditions.”
The Do.Di.Ci uses Castelli’s Ristretto fabric, which has plenty of stretch and incorporates a PFAS-free membrane to restrict the airflow through the fabric. Castelli says the Do.Di.Ci is the most breathable jacket in its winter range, claiming air permeability of 3 cubic feet per minute.
If you want water repellency, too – not a bad idea for UK riders – Castelli points you to the Perfetto RoS 3. Launched earlier this month, it's made from Polartec AirCore fabric, which is less breathable with a 0.7 cubic feet per minute rating.
The Do.Di.Ci is not a cheap winter jacket, but is still around £100 / $100 less expensive than the Gabba R. You can choose between men’s and women’s versions with long sleeves, as well as a short-sleeve variant available for men only, with four colours and sizes from XS to 3XL for men, and two colours and sizes from XS to XL for women.
The men’s Do.Di.Ci short-sleeve is priced at £220 / $240 / €199.95, and the men’s and women’s long-sleeve at £250 / $280 / €229.95.
