Giordana Sosta Sport Tight - Women's

The idea behind the Giordana Women's Sosta Sport Tight--and indeed the entire Sosta line--is archetypically Italian: To strike notes of functionality and fashion for a truly compromise-free experience in the saddle. The tights are shaped to accommodate the cycling position, a feature that--with the inclusion of a chamois--recommends them for cycling alone. These aren't for the Nordic cross-trainer; they're for the four-season cyclist who thinks cold-weather and haute couture can be happy peloton mates. The tights' body is made from Mititech's Super Roubaix material whose winter credentials are bolstered with a DWR treatment. Super Roubaix is the classic take on winter cycling clothing, and its sturdier feel and low-loft, brushed inner face are the sensations we equate most with cold-weather base miles. It holds more confidently than summer-weight kit, and that light loft adds a layer of wicking insulation between your skin and the mid-winter chill. Previous generations of Giordana winter kit have featured targeted panels of water resistance, but the Sosta expands that protection to encompass the entire article. The DWR treatment compels water to bead and roll off rather than penetrate and compromise the Super Roubaix's insulated microclimate. It's not waterproof, but it does hold up to light precipitation and road spray--the latter of which is especially welcome for anyone who has suffered through the final 30 minutes of a damp winter ride with a chamois that, once wet, feels less like a highly engineered insert and more like a stinging bundle of frostbite. The included Cirro S-W chamois, which is the same model Giordana uses for its lightweight racing kit, is definitely worth protecting. It comprises four total layers of material, the first of which is a microfiber cover infused with permanent Aloe Vera. Giordana claims this promotes healing of saddle sores and prevents irritation, but it's also got anti-odor properties whose utility is almost impossible to overst.