If you've decided that this is going to be the year you stretch your riding season as long into winter as possible, we have good news for you: winter kit is becoming more accessible than ever. Improved technology has led to better fabrics, and new mid-range kit options from high-end brands make spinning the pedals through the cold easier than ever. We're especially excited about the Castelli Women's Meno Wind Tights.

Affordable and highly functional, the Meno features a front panel of Castelli's new AirFlex Thermo fabric, the brand's stretchiest windproof fabric to date. Windproof fabrics are generally plagued by an inability to stretch as well as their fair-weather counterparts, so AirFlex Thermo's supple feel and elasticity are a welcome departure from the stiffer fabrics of years past.

In addition to its windproof front, the Meno comes with a Thermoflex Core2 thermal panel along the back. It's tasked with helping hold your own body heat close to your skin as you ride while drawing moisture from your skin to the surface to keep you dry. Castelli includes its mid-tier KISS Air chamois in the Meno as well, using multi-density foam arranged in a strategic topography to provide support and relief over the miles. We commend Castelli for the Meno's high, supportive waistband, which extends higher along the lower back to provide extra support and a gap-free fit between the tight and your jersey or baselayer.

According to Castelli, the Meno functions best between 57 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit, but we'd take it out in temperatures well into the 40s with the right layering system on top, especially since AirFlex Thermo fabric was built to function below 40 degrees on its own.