If you ride to work in cycling gear, get a gilet. Its role is to keep the wind off your body without the weight, bulk or superfluous warmth of a jacket. You can wear one over a thick long-sleeved jersey in the depths of winter, or over a short-sleeved jersey for cool spring or summer starts; just add arm warmers if it's nippy. A gilet provides a windproof barrier for your chest. So long as you keep moving briskly, it will usually keep you warm enough – if not necessarily dry. Few gilets will shrug off sustained rain. All will help keep the worst off if you're caught in a shower, particularly if the fabric has a water-repellant surface treatment. More expensive gilets may use a microporous membrane in the fabric for greater wind and rain protection. Most gilets are made from lightweight polyester or nylon, just like windproof jackets. The difference is that the windproofing is focused on the front of the garment. To increase breathability and prevent overheating, the sides or back of a gilet may be made of mesh fabric.

Some gilets have thin fleece on the inner face of the collar, which is cosy on cold days. Look for a close cut, with an elasticated hem and arm holes. Loose, flapping fabric is annoying and admits draughts. yalta backpack reviewThe collar needs to be high and close to keep your neck warm and not scoop air. nwu backpack regulationsA full-length front zip will allow easy temperature regulation on the move. buy asus streamline backpackA prominent pull-tag makes it easier to use the tip. jansport h20 backpackThe zip itself needs a full-length flap behind to keep wind from getting in when it's fastened.ogio soho women's laptop backpack black

Black might look cool, but conspicuous colours such as yellow, red, orange, lime green, and pink can help you stand out in daylight. For night-time usage, reflective piping or patches are well worth having.backpack september 2008 smugmug Most gilets are deliberately minimalist and do not have pockets, although a small zipped rear or chest pocket is handy for a door-key or a phone. Note that a gilet's elasticated hem makes it difficult to get at the rear pockets of a cycling jersey underneath. Some gilets have vents in the side or lower back to provide reach-through access to jersey pockets. Gilets are not bodywarmers. They're not designed to insulate but to provide a windproof barrier. Because of that, they're lightweight, tipping the scales at around 100g. They pack down very small too, roughly to the size of your first. That's small enough for a cycling jersey pocket, so you don't have to deliberate about whether to take it or not – you can always carry a gilet, and then forget about it until you need it.

Here's a selection of gilets at different prices. RBS stands for Really Bright Stuff. This fluorescent yellow and orange gilet has prominent reflective strips and chevrons, making it resemble a hi-viz safety waistcoat. The RBS Gilet has the added benefits, compared to a safety vest, of being windproof, shower-resistant, and far more packable. It's made from a breathable micro-polyester fabric, with a tailored fit that's longer at the back for better coverage on the bike. The name makes more sense when you discover that Endura produce a lightweight windproof from the same showerproof, ripstop polyester fabric called… the Pakajak. This is the women's version; a gent's is available. The back is mesh, vented so that you can reach jersey pockets. The zip has a storm flap to keep wind and rain out, and there's elastic at the neck as well as the hem and arm holes to keep out draughts. It's very packable too. Available in hi-viz pink, white, or black. Altura Night Vision Gilet

Another gilet that will consign your hi-viz waistcoat to the back of the wardrobe, this bright yellow top is covered with reflective trim, just like other items in the commuter-friendly Night Vision range. The front panels are windproof, while the main rear panel is stretch mesh. Hem and arm holes are elasticated, and the front zip has a 'garage' so you can tuck it away rather than have it tickle you under the chin. Gore Bike Wear Path Windstopper Active Shell Vest A Windstopper membrane in the front of this gilet makes it exceptionally windproof and reasonably rain-resistant. The back is mostly mesh for ventilation. There are two external jersey-style rear pockets, plus side vents to access your actual jersey pockets. A small chest pocket is handy for valuables. There's some reflective piping front and rear. Despite its durable feel, at 120g it's not much bulkier than other gilets. Available in red, black, or white, and in a similar ladies' version Sizes: S-XXL.www.goreapparel.eu

Welcome to Dogpatch Labs Accelerating Ireland's Startup Ecosystem Dogpatch Labs is Ireland’s leading coworking space for scaling technology startups, located in the historic CHQ Building and in the heart of Dublin’s Digital Docklands. With the help of partners, our mission is be the home of Ireland’s tech community, by providing a perfect platform from where to work and learn. Our co-working space includes dedicated desks, hotdesking & private offices. Teams range in size from 1 to 20 people. A unique and thriving community of Irish startups, international companies and innovative social organisations. Whether you're a startup founder or developer, we host more startup events than any other space in Dublin. We provide events space for the tech and developer community. We also host innovation days for corporates as they learn how to become more agile from tech startups. Events form a central role in what we do, and we are committed to providing high quality events for our community, partners & clients.

Our space is open to all stakeholders in the tech ecosystem – from meetups, to hackathons & innovation workshops. We are back on Friday February 3rd with some great mentors and workshops to help you grow your startup @dogpatchlabs@dogpatchlabsCheck out our upcoming events for February which includes First Fridays for Startups this week! /atatla9kau4 hours ago01 February 2017 @dogpatchlabs@dogpatchlabsRT @GoogleForEntrep: "Founders Set The Culture (whether they’re thinking about it or not)" How @blackboxvc ‘Elevates’ startup founders: ht…16 hours ago31 January 2017 @dogpatchlabs@dogpatchlabsRT @DublinGlobe: A special thank you to @dogpatchlabs who provided the hip venue for our Build in Dublin video series https://t.co/U7nWr5fu…20 hours ago31 January 2017 Dogpatch Labs gives you the opportunity to surround yourself in a deeply embedded Irish tech community of entrepreneurs, developers, social enterprises, venture capitalists and more. Find out what’s happening at Dogpatch in the coming weeks