Yesterday the temperature in LA never really got above 65, so it was the perfect occasion to try the Café du Cycliste Heidi Winter Jacket. It is not often I write about a piece after just one use, but I felt compelled to do so in this case, as most of the nation is in the thick of a brutal winter, and this jacket might help some folks alleviate the winter blues. On one fairly long ride, I came to love the Heidi. The comfort exceeded my expectations, and the performance is top notch. The jacket has windproof panels on the chest, shoulder and sleeve face, making for a garment that effectively shields you from the numbing effects of a cold wind against a sweaty torso. Those panels, combined with the shoulder zip vents, make for a piece that can easily be worn for the entire ride in cooler temperatures. Yesterday ranged between 48 and 65 degrees, and it definitely seemed like the perfect temperature window for the Heidi. When I started to heat up a bit, I unzipped the shoulder vents, and immediately felt the cooling effects. Zipped back up, the jacket effectively kept me warm for the rest of the ride. It should be noted I wore a base layer and simple short sleeved jersey under the jacket. I mention this because, the Heidi has a brushed interior that is incredibly comfortable against the skin, and my bare arms were able to experience the luxurious materials. My other reason for liking the Heidi as much as I do is the look of the jacket. It is definitely a performance piece, but it would also look well worn off the bike. In this day of super technical looking clothing, it’s nice to see a piece come along that is simple and pure in design. I think the good folks at Café du Cycliste are designing great looking and super high performing clothing for those of us who live life on the bike.