Ride 365: What You Need for Riding in Rain

September 22, 2022

Rain happens, but it doesn't have to be a ride-ender or a trainer sentence. In addition to fresh brake pads, conservative handling and possibly fenders, what you wear can significantly impact your ride quality in wet conditions. Our rain gear is purpose-built to deliver three things imperative to riding in drizzles to full-on downpours: 1) Protection, 2) Breathability, and 3) Visibility.

Layering Guide for Cycling

PROTECTION

The first step in achieving a comfortable ride in the rain is finding a jacket (and rain pants, for the real deluges) you can trust. We craft our rainwear from cutting edge fabrics and double-down on details like taped seams, waterproof zippers, droptail rear hems, and fitted ankle openings on our rain pants. Our rainwear is denoted with the WxB label and relies on the technical benefits of our signature PI Dry® and Polartec® Neoshell® fabrics.

PI Dry® technology provides water shedding performance at the fiber level, allowing us to create knit and woven fabrics that repel water regardless of how much they stretch. Water rolls off, keeping you warmer, drier, and lighter. And the best part is, it lasts longer than DWR’s, delivering full performance even after 100 washes.

Polartec® Neoshell® provides the performance of waterproof fabric while still allowing dynamic air exchange. Unlike traditional waterproof/breathable membranes, Neoshell is breathable before you begin to overheat, making it ideal for cycling.

BREATHABILITY

Compared to other high-output aerobic activities, cycling is uniquely demanding in that riders must balance the heat generated through riding along with the wind chill created through pedaling. Traditional rainwear notoriously has the microclimate of a trash bag—i.e., not a very breathable one! To ensure that you can continue to thermoregulate and not get chilled by your own sweat, our rain protection allows air to penetrate the fabric membrane while keeping moisture out. And, when the clouds clear, our two-way zippers make quick venting a cinch to tackle with one hand.

VISIBILITY

Rain is often accompanied by gray clouds, flat light or dark skies —in short, low visibility conditions. To make sure you stay seen on the bike, all of our rainwear comes stamped with BioViz reflective elements. By leveraging how the brain perceives human motion, we strategically place reflective elements at key points on the body to signal to drivers that there's cyclist up ahead. Our standards ensure riders are not only seen but seen with enough time for drivers to react safely, day or night.

We believe that the right gear can make any day a great day to ride. Be prepared for your next bout with showers by checking out our full collection of tested rainwear here.

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