Water and windproof, but in a lightweight package. Perfect for winter city cycling.

First the brand: Mountain Hardwear is one of the three brands I consider preeminent in outdoor gear and apparel, the others being Marmot and our Canadian friends at Arc'Teryx. I have stuff from each company and have no complaints about any of it. Although premium priced, you can get discounts on discontinued colors and styles, check out http://www.sierratradingpost.com/

Second, the jacket: this is one of their best waterproof/breathable softshells, generously sized (I take a small!), and using a three-layer lamination of Conduit™ membrane (Mountain Hardwear's version of Gore-Tex™ 3L) with a stretch face fabric and a knit fleece backing. Other features include fully welded exterior pockets (incl. one hidden in a taped seam that's perfectly sized for an iPod nano!), fully taped exterior seams, and one-handed drawcords at hem and neck (or hood, for the slightly pricier hooded model). One of my winter favorites.

And third, if you like outdoor gear and are not a member of REI, what are you thinking? Go to the nearest store or their website and sign up immediately (it's $15 for LIFE)! In addition to getting a 10% "member rebate" annually on all your regularly priced purchases, you'll get occasional coupons for 20% off of regular or even sometimes REI outlet items (at http://www.rei-outlet.com). And shipping of web orders to local stores is always free. I got my Synchro jacket on Super-Clearance, meaning HALF of it's $109.83 clearance price! (via rei.com)