Pedla RideFlash Gilet

The Pedla RideFlash Gilet is a highly reflective gilet for those of us who want to maximise our night-time riding safety – without wanting to look like we've just stepped off a building site. However, despite the claims Pedla makes about its comfort, durability and performance, it has some fitting flaws, condensation builds up when you're riding, it doesn't work well with bag straps and it has a teeth-sucking price.

> Buy now: Pedla RideFlash Gilet for £169 from Pedla

The first thing you notice is that this is weighty for a gilet, which makes it feel like a gilet you put on at the start of your ride and keep on for the duration, rather than one you take on or off to suit the conditions. And while it also feels quite substantial, it will roll up and fit in your rear pocket, though you will still feel its girth.

It doesn't look like it's going to be the most supple garment but it feels rubbery to the touch and it's actually very stretchy. This means it will shrink-wrap around whatever you're wearing underneath it, so it's not going to flap annoyingly when you're riding. It's helped in this by its thick fabric, strong elastic hem and arm holes that hold the gilet close to your torso.

Pedla has designed the gilet to be worn over a jersey but unfortunately it doesn't have a particularly in-the-saddle cut, and there's virtually no difference in length between the front and back. The result is a gilet that's either too long at the front or with a rear drop that's too short, depending on how you look at it. And this becomes an issue if you like a stretched-out position or when you're riding in the drops.

The front concertinas and while it's not uncomfortable and doesn't grab the wind, it looks awkward and the rear only just stretches over your jersey's rear pockets, especially if they're a bulging. The RideFlash gilet is a garment that is definitely better if you're riding in a more upright position.

There are a couple of zipped pockets. The rear right-hand one is big enough for a phone, keys and some snacks and the one high on the front will also accommodate a phone.

I think the pockets would be fine for commuting when you'll have easy access to your essentials, but they may not have sufficient storage for longer rides.

The full-length YKK Vislon is a two-way zip with the top one having a little dangly string tag to tug on, and while the zip is backed by a wide baffle to keep the wind out, there isn't a zip dock. There's a tiny little loop in the rear of the neck for hanging, or for passing a headphone wire through.

The material is waterproof – who knew glass would be good at keeping water out? And water also makes the retroreflective glass microspheres shimmer in a cool psychedelic sort of way. Unfortunately, the zips are not waterproof, so prolonged rain will seep in, though as your arms are unprotected they're going to be pretty wet by then anyway.

There's no doubting the gilet's warmth – it's a thick garment and a quarter of it is made from glass microspheres, which do an incredible job of blocking the wind. Who knew glass could make an effective barrier to the elements?

However, while it is toasty, there's no ventilation or breathability and the back is made of the same fabric, with no holes or slits or any form of ventilation. This all means you get very, very toasty very quickly if you're putting in effort or the sun's on your back, or if you're carrying a backpack or courier bag – when it gets unpleasantly moist inside.

Pedla admits this is a problem and a feature of the material being both reflective and weatherproof, and suggests you use the gilet's two-way front zipper for ventilation, which I think is a clunky way of doing things. Your sweat has nowhere to go when you're wearing the gilet, so the condensation builds up as if you're in a conservatory and can easily become clammy and cold and chilled to your core, which is exactly the opposite of what you want a gilet to do.

The Pedla RideFlash Gilet comes in six sizes so finding the perfect fit should be a breeze – but ignore the sizing chart. At a slender 5ft 10in I'm a default Medium but the Pedla size guide has me somewhere between XS and the S. This is odd as the Medium fitted around me perfectly, with a pleasing amount of stretch required to get the zip up thanks to Pedla's race-fit sizing.

Which brings us to the RideFlash Cycling Gilet's raison-d-etre – being seen. This is something it's genuinely outstanding at and lives up to Pedla's claim of it being the ultimate piece of kit for safety-conscious riders. The gilet's Vizlite retroreflective glass microspheres cover 26% of the gilet and are claimed to be visible from over a kilometre away when hit with light – which is fantastically useful at night.

Its silver-grey look doesn't obviously stand out in daylight, where you think you'd be an invisible grey – but even in normal light those glass microspheres can still do their job, and in the right light they exude a sheen that makes it, and you, stand out.

It's a night, however, that the RideFlash Cycling Gilet truly, ahem, shines. When light hits those microspheres you light up like a beacon, and even a bike light during the day makes the gilet light up. And you'd like to think the effect of a vehicle's headlights at night would make you SMIDSY-proof. Well, you'd hope so...

The downside is that these microspheres are a very delicate surface and Pedla says that repeated contacts with sharp or abrasive surfaces will increase the likelihood of wear and reduce the fabric's reflective qualities.

This makes the RideFlash less attractive to what should be its natural consumer – the commuter – as it's averse to rucksacks and courier bags, which will rub off some of its effectiveness. A bag will also block out a large portion of the gilet's reflectivity, though its full torso coverage should mean there's enough of you to remain visible.

It doesn't take much strap abrasion to affect the fabric either, with the shoulder seam showing wear first and dull spots appearing where bag straps chaffed. You could argue that these bits are the bits covered by a bag anyway so it matters less.

Pedla offers a 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee if you're not happy but products have to be in new, unworn and unwashed condition with original tags and packaging. Pedla will also repair or replace any products damaged through standard use and deemed a manufacturing fault completely free for 12 months after purchase, and it also has a crash-replacement policy that offers up to 40% off replacement kit.

The Pedla RideFlash is a curate's egg of a gilet: as a cycling gilet it has a few flaws, some of which are more troublesome than others – and it's also alarmingly expensive. But as a reflective garment it's genuinely amazing.

Despite Pedla's claims of comfort, durability, and performance for longer rides its fit, lack of pockets and condensation issues make both the price and the usability hard to rationalise as a cycling garment.

But if you commute regularly in traffic in the dark, especially if you're not carrying a bag, you might consider its outstanding 360-degree visibility and the increased chance of you getting home alive worth every single penny – especially if your ride isn't long enough to work up a sweat.

And if you're a racier commuter you'll appreciate its non-flappy fit for aero gains in the bike lane. That said, its price is pretty tasty, and for the same money you could buy any number of brightly coloured gilets that fit and breathe better, and which might feature reflective elements. Alternatively you could add a reflective sash for a good deal less cash.

Value

When it comes to highly visible gilets there isn't a massive market. Our best reflective cycling clothing buyer's guide is a handy round-up of reflective vests, jackets and gloves, with the ETC Arid Unisex Reflective Cycling Gilet one of our favourite gilets, though Dave didn't find it that breathable. At just 50 quid it's also a fraction of the price of the Pedla.

For about the same price you could get the Rapha Brevet Insulated Gilet, which doesn't have the same all-over reflectivity but does incorporate hi-vis and reflective elements. And we rated it for its comfort and packability.

You could also consider the Apidura Packable Visibility Vest, which is a minimalist option for a third of the price. It's reflective, offers great visibility and Matt also liked it for its ability to pack down into a tiny package.

Conclusion

Pedla has delivered unbeatable reflectivity with its RideFlash gilet but the garment's lack of breathability and fitting issues make it best suited to short commutes rather than hard efforts or long-distance rides.

Verdict

Staggering visibility but it's let down for longer rides by some fitting issues and a lack of breathability