Giro Women's Chrono Pro Windbloc jersey review

Giro's autumn/winter range is made somewhat difficult to navigate by the fact that the brand has maintained consistent styling throughout. The Windbloc jersey looks a lot like the Chrono Pro Alpha which looks a lot like the Chrono Pro Neoshell. However, having tested the Pro Alpha in the depths of winter I can confirm that they're very different beasts.

Giro's Windbloc Jersey is designed to fend off the worst of the chill, it's more of a spring/autumn weight garment, though it does come with durable water repellant (DWR) coating which will fend off the worst of spring showers. For those who don't want to splash out on the full Giro range with a jacket for all seasons (understandably), this one pairs very well over the top of a thermal jersey on colder days and a packable jacket added on top will provide a good solution in the wet. Of the range, this is the most versatile item.

Giro Women's Chrono Pro Windbloc jersey: construction

Giro has once again paired with third-party Polartec to create this layer, in this case utilising its Windbloc fabric on the front and top of the sleeves. I've yet to wear a piece of kit using Polartec material and not be impressed, so this is a very good start.

The back of the jersey and lower part of the sleeves uses an Italian thermal fabric which is designed to be more breathable. This layer uses 85 per cent nylon and 15 per cent elastane, giving it a good level of stretch, at the cuffs this increases to 28 per cent and these measure in at a pleasantly luxurious 9-10cm with an articulated cut to suit the riding position and pair well with gloves.

As mentioned, a DWR coating fends off the worst off the rain, though it will fail under downpour.

At the back, Giro offers three expandable storage pockets, with a zipped compartment at the rear. A silione print on the hemmed gripper keeps the jersey in place, and there are reflective details at the rear and neck as well as a small one at the breast pocket and on the sleeve.

The jacket does offer UPF 50+ protection. I think this would be more relevant to riders in countries where people still wear a layer such as this over 15ºC, so perhaps a nice touch for the Italians out there. For UK riders, I'd suggest this is a piece of kit that will suit for temperatures between 5ºC (with a baselayer and a thermal long sleeved jersey), or 12ºC (with a short sleeved baselayer) - though clearly this range will vary between individuals.

Giro Women's Chrono Pro Windbloc jersey: the ride

Giro describes the fit on this jersey as 'form fitting', and it is much more so than the more winter ready Neoshell and Alpha, offering a streamlined fit that feels welcome as the sun begins to present itself a little more entering spring, promising a summer of hard riding and racing ahead (we hope!).

The high level of stretch means that this jersey copes well as an outer layer over the top of a long sleeved baselayer and thermal jersey, on colder days without overheating.

In temperatures in the low teens, I wore this jersey with a short sleeved baselayer alone. I did notice a little sweat build up around the arms where there was no intermediate layer, but not enough to become uncomfortable.

The Polartec Windbloc fabric keeps the gusts out, and whilst I wouldn't wear this jersey if anticipating rain, it keeps light showers off with no problem.

The pockets expand well, leaving plenty of space for stashing snacks on those long spring training rides as the race season draws closer.

I had this jersey in the black version. Whilst some riders will be happy with this option, I would personally opt for the grey/orange version. I don't particularly like that colour scheme, but it would provide - in my opinion - better visibility. I tended to add a gilet over the top, doubling up on windproofing unnecessarily, in order to add a splash of colour.

Giro Women's Chrono Pro Windbloc jersey: value

At £119.99 (£95.99 on Giro's own website at time of writing), this jersey is an investment piece, but it comes in much cheaper than Giro's other winter jacket options, the Alpha at £219.99 and the Neoshell at £249.99. Granted, it includes less weather proofing. However, given that it can be layered up or down very effectively, this could make it a better choice for many riders provided you already own thermal jerseys and a waterproof packable jacket.