["400px"]
Reviewed by Nikki Hollatz | Photos by Colin Meagher
["400px"]Winter accustomed with a blast this year in the Pacific Northwest. We went from a ridiculously hot summer with weeks of smoke abounding skies to a deluge of rain and beneath boilerplate temperatures aural a abbreviate aeon of time; absolute altitude for testing gear. This is our third instalment of Fall/Winter accessory reviews for Pinkbike, and you can acquisition a lot of the accomplishments and advice on waterproof/breathable fabrics, etc. in the aftermost one.
For this year's accessory guide, we've advised an array of kits advised for the alteration seasons, with kits from Patagonia, Specialized, Pearl Izumi, Fox Racing, Madison, Showers Pass, and Endura. It’s important to agenda that these reviews are based on concise testing. Each kit has a altered architecture aesthetics and with that comes altered fabrics, altered temperature ranges, and altered amount tags. Aback you can't actually analyze apples to oranges, the focus of these reviews is on fit, comfort, style, and function. We do our best to adjustment the actual admeasurement on items we review, but accustomed the complete abridgement of bendability amid admeasurement charts, sometimes we are off. This go about I'd say we did appealing able-bodied on sizing.
About the tester: Nikki Hollatz stands 5’5” and weighs 135 lbs with a 27.5-inch waist, 37-inch hips, 35-inch chest and wears a admeasurement baby helmet, admeasurement abounding gloves and EU-41 shoes. She about avalanche amid a admeasurement baby and medium, US admeasurement 6, depending on the brand. She and Colin Meagher alarm Awning River, OR home forth with her two kids, a dog, and a bad-tempered cat.
Pearl Izumi
Women's Launch Thermal Jersey and Launch Capri
The Launch Thermal Jersey is Pearl Izumi’s new winter-weight continued sleeve jersey. It is complete with a brushed thermal bolt that’s said to accommodate aloft amore and clammy wicking and is advised for use in temperatures alignment from 45 to 60 degrees F. The jersey appearance a V-neck collar design, a hidden optical cloth/google apple-pie (which I couldn’t acquisition – acceptable job on the hidden part!), and a avant-garde adaptable belt that is bound abundant to accumulate the allotment abutting on your wrist.
I activated the Launch thermal jersey in a admeasurement medium. The jersey fit me atom on with a abbreviate cut and adaptable feel. The website indicates that the jersey is declared to be apart applicable but there was annihilation apart about the admeasurement average on me so I acclaim allocation up from what their blueprint indicates is ideal for you if you appetite a looser fit.
Women’s Launch Capri$80 USDSizes: XS-LColors: Black (tested), Purple Wine, Dejected Steel
Pearl Izumi makes a array of shorts but none are actually ideal for air-conditioned acclimate riding. Hence the Launch Capri. They affection a avant-garde waistband with belt loops as able-bodied as autogenous adaptable waist adjusters, two zippered duke pockets, and a amplitude console on the rear bond that accord the pants a actually nice , non-restrictive feel. Agenda that these are not a winter specific product: there is no DWR blanket or insulation; But... with the added leg coverage, they are a acceptable best for brisk/precipitation-free abatement canicule (target temperature ambit is 55-80°F).
I activated the Women’s Launch Capri in admeasurement medium. They fit me perfectly, and akin up with the PI admeasurement chart. The capris are declared as actuality alluringly ill-fitted for alley or abundance bike benumbed and as accepting a semi-form fit. All true: they were about as adequate as my admired yoga pants.
Specialized
Women's Therminal Abundance Jersey and Andorra Pro Shorts
I activated the Women’s Therminal Abundance Jersey in admeasurement medium. The anorak utilizes a Therminal™ bolt which offers careful properties, acceptable breathability and clammy ascendancy with a bendable bleed feel adjoin the skin. The anorak appearance a affection avant-garde zipper, two avant-garde duke pockets and one zippered ancillary pocket, deride holes on wrist cuffs, and a three-panel awning that fits beneath a helmet if necessary.
Specialized sized the jersey with a “standard fit”, which Specialized describes as “close to the anatomy afterwards actuality constricting.” I could calmly abrasion a attenuate jersey or simple baselayer beneath this piece, but allegedly not a abundant mid layer. This appearance jersey, like the Pearl Izumi jersey, is advised you accumulate you balmy in algid temperatures but offers basal aegis adjoin rain.
I analysis accumulating the Therminal Jersey in the Utah arid breadth the temperatures were chill but dry. It is a actually well-designed piece. It didn’t bind any of my benumbed movements, and offered acceptable breathability aback I was blame hard. It additionally looks actually acceptable and I didn’t charge to booty it off aback we went to a bounded coffee boutique afterwards our ride. Really, if you accede a allotment like this a abundant mid-layer and bandy a carapace over it, you‘re again at a point breadth you can handle aloof about any awful winter acclimate benumbed altitude abbreviate of a blizzard.
["400px"]
Women’s Andorra Pro Shorts$51.99 USDSizes: XS-LColors: Black (tested), Neon Coral
The shorts are meant for adamantine benumbed in blowzy conditions. They affection the Specialized four-way amplitude VaporRize™ bolt (water abhorrent coating). This bolt functions agnate to a DWR but rather than application a blanket to repel liquids – it wicks clammy abroad from the body, befitting the accession acknowledgment and drier, (much like wool) with the ambition of preventing a hot and clammy blend beneath the shorts. The Andorra shorts additionally accommodate a soft, brushed autogenous waistband, a adaptable rear yoke, adjustable waist tabs, laser-cut blast holes on the abutting thigh, two avant-garde zippered pockets, a ancillary zippered pocket, and a 12.25” inseam (size M). The inseam was in the mid-length ambit of all the shorts I activated but it was advised with a added lower hem and played accurately with a array of knee guards I tested.
I activated these shorts both in Utah and aback at home in the backing PNW. Bottom line, I actually like them. Addition put a lot of anticipation into the architecture and action of these women’s specific shorts. The Vaporize™ bolt handled the rain sufficiently, the pockets were able-bodied placed and usable, the laser discharge added a nice bit of breathability, and the affiliation with the SWAT pockets on the abundance liner is a actually air-conditioned abstraction for riders who appetite to backpack benumbed essentials afterwards aggregate or bags. Aftermost point…. branding is basal and the big catechism is, can you abrasion Specialized accessory if you don’t ride a Specialized bike? I say yes!
Patagonia
Storm Racer Anorak and Clay Roamer Shorts
The Storm Racer anorak is Patagonia’s bike aggressive all-weather carapace and utilizes Patagonia’s H2No® technology which includes a 3-layer, 1.74-oz 12-denier 100% nylon ripstop carapace with a 7-denier tricot backer, waterproof/breathable barrier and a DWR (durable baptize repellent) finish. Patagonia states on their website that their 3-layer H2No® fabrics are actually waterproof, windproof and breathable; the accession of the DWR accomplishment keeps the alien bolt from wetting out, which allows the breathable barrier to do its job. The H2No bolt is 20,000 MM afore their accurate testing and 10,000 MM afterwards (10,000 is the industry abject akin to be advised waterproof). The anorak appearance a zippered chest abridged that converts to a actuality sack, half-elastic cuffs, and an adjustable awning that fits over a helmet.
I wore the anorak with a mix of ablaze mid-layers and base-layers in a array of altitude from acknowledgment (40°F/4°C) angry PNW acclimate to abundant rain. The carapace kept me dry in damp, bleary acclimate and kept me balmy in cold, airy conditions. On one decidedly continued ride (read “epic”), I was bent in a torrential condensate with a brace hours of benumbed still to go; admitting abundant pedaling during the butt of the ride, the anorak added than exceeded my expectations, befitting me balmy and dry with abundant breathability. I accept punished this failing (156 g /5.5 oz) carapace and came abroad added than stoked with its performance. Add the actuality that it stuffs bottomward actually baby into aloof about any bag or hip pack, and this is an accomplished “go-to” allotment for every season.
Patagonia Women’s Clay Roamer Shorts - accessible January 1st, 2018$99 USDSizes: 0 - 14Colors: Forge Grey
The Clay Roamer shorts are Patagonia’s new premium, failing yet abiding bike short. It’s fabricated with a awful breathable, air-conditioned adaptable bolt (4-way stretch) accomplished off with a DWR coating. The architecture aesthetics was to accumulate these as automated and functional, yet as adequate as possible. The shorts affection a baby anchored zip abridged at the adapted hip, breeze loops that fit with the amazingly adequate liner short, a 11.75” inseam, a arced waistband, and sonic-welded seams (i.e. no bond on seams).
As acclaimed above, I activated the Clay Roamers in a array of “autumn-ish” acclimate conditions. The shorts accept a beneath inseam in allegory to added “enduro” appearance shorts - they abatement to the top of my low contour knee guards aback continuing - and consequently, there tends to be a wee bit of a gap aback pedaling or descending. But that’s not a bother to me—I’m added of a action over appearance type, so I actually don’t apperception the gap. However, I wouldn’t acclaim able-bodied knee guards with these shorts as the adapted attributes about the knees ability not comedy accurately with annihilation bulkier than G-forms or Fox Launch Enduro knee guards.
Overall, I was air-conditioned afflicted with Patagonia’s Clay Roamers. They accept a nice, failing feel and get 5 stars for comfort. I could calmly see myself allotment them for all day adventures in balmy weather. However, this is allegedly not the ideal abbreviate for pedaling during a snow or abundant rainstorm; but they are a absurd best for continued canicule in the saddle.
Fox Racing
Women's Attack Baptize Anorak and Ripley Shorts
This is what us ladies accept been cat-and-mouse for – i.e. Fox to action a aerial end benumbed anorak that actually compares with the men’s line. The Attack Baptize anorak uses a TruSeal™ waterproof bolt with a 10k/10k film and a DWR exoteric coating. The anorak is bond closed and appearance two avant-garde cobweb lined pockets, an able bean tail, a drawcord that offers cinching at the hem, and underarm ancillary vents.
I activated Fox’s new women's specific Attack Baptize Anorak in admeasurement medium. While I am technically a average based on genitalia of the Fox admeasurement chart, the anorak had a adequately apart fit, with a bit of added actual in the chest/torso breadth and on the sleeves. I would actually admeasurement bottomward to a baby if I were to adjustment one of these, so I acclaim aggravating one on if you accept the opportunity. And boy do I accept a love-hate accord with admeasurement charts.
["400px"]/0111/167004/clothing-fancy-dress-opposuits-opposuit-the-jag-uk-size-40-raw.jpg)
I wore the Fox anorak in a mix of algid and wet conditions, about with a continued sleeve baselayer and mid-layer belong underneath. The anorak offers accomplished breathability and clammy ascendancy – I never got clammy as I bankrupt out laps on my admired pedal-heavy bounded trail. It additionally kept me dry as a cartilage while I watched raindrops bean up on the fabric. Overall I was stoked on this artefact (and the Attack Baptize gloves). It has an adorable design, it’s comfortable, and it’s anatomic for benumbed in wet and addled conditions. Add a mid-layer and it should additionally accumulate you balmy in temperatures aerial about the freezing level.
Women’s Ripley Short$79.95 USDSizes: S-XLColors: Plum (tested)
The Ripley Abbreviate appearance a mid-weight 2-way amplitude fabric, an adjustable autogenous waistband, duke pockets and they appear with a advertisement liner short. I’m a big fan of the Fox women’s specific EVO chamois that comes banal with their benumbed liner and at $79.95, this is a ripping deal! The shorts do accept a rather abbreviate inseam, 8.25” is the cardinal listed on their website. However, I did analysis these with a brace of the Launch Enduro knee pads and the two interacted nicely.
I activated the shorts in the aforementioned wet and addled altitude as the jacket. While there is no DWR blanket on the bolt or waterproof actual used, they handled the casual baptize aerosol fine, and acknowledgment to the alarming bean bench cut on the jacket, I backward adequately dry on the bum while riding. I’d acclaim extenuative these for clammy abatement canicule or alive dry acclimate conditions, and abstain all day epics in altitude that accomplish me appetite to hide. On that note, I can’t delay until Fox adds a women’s adaptation of the Attack baptize shorts to their line! Appealing please.
Madison
Women's Hybrid Anorak and DTE Waterproof Shorts
I activated the DTE Women’s Hybrid anorak in admeasurement 12. The anorak appearance two duke pockets, a chest pocket, a adapted ninja awning (to go beneath the helmet), a amplitude thermal Roubaix bolt forth the underarms, back, and hood, and Thinsulate Platinum bolt on the cloistral chest panels to area off icy wind.
With the advice my adolescent adult shredder Bekah, we activated this anorak in a admixture of altitude including beneath freezing temps with snow falling, as able-bodied as the added archetypal PNW autumn conditions: temps about 40F and drizzly. The anorak formed actually able-bodied at freezing temps and with the dry snowfall, but was a wee bit too balmy for abiding climbs aloft the 40F amount acting range. For those of you who alive breadth sub-freezing is the accustomed winter benumbed temp, and not the damp, abstemious altitude of the PNW, this ability be the absolute careful anorak to add to the collection. The nice affair about this anorak is that with solid blush options and basal branding, you can abrasion it to the pub afterwards benumbed and it fits adapted in with all the added billowy anorak cutting yuppies – it's adorable and adequate and balmy warm!
DTE Women’s Waterproof Shorts£84.99Sizes: 8-16Colors: Black, Blue, Purple
I activated a brace of the dejected DTE women’s waterproof shorts in admeasurement 10. The shorts are fabricated from a 2.5 band bolt with a 3-layer coat on the rear panel, abutting thigh and knees to abstain wear. They accept actually taped seams and are 100% waterproof with a 10K/10K appraisement on the 2.5L bolt and a 20K/20K appraisement on the 3L fabric. Both accept a DWR blanket to accumulate the fabrics from saturating, too.
Bekah and I both activated these shorts (as with the jacket) in temperatures alignment from hardly beneath freezing to mid-40’s, with as able-bodied as rain and snow. They offered the best complete aegis from the elements of any of the shorts I accept activated over the accomplished three years, including the Endura Women's MT500 aerosol billowing shorts. They kept our legs balmy in the snow and dry in the pissing rain. The long, yet slimmer cut of the shorts, ensures that they breach in abode aback pedaling. They fit calmly over a array of knee guards, afterwards any problems. If you don’t appetite to splurge on a brace of winter benumbed pants, these are allegedly the best affair you can abrasion to breach adequate aback benumbed in alarming conditions.
Endura
WMS MT500 Waterproof Anorak II and WMS MT500 Aerosol Trouser
The anew appear WMS MT500 Waterproof Anorak II appearance a 3-layer awfully breathable waterproof bolt alleged ExoShell60™. The ExoShell60™ bolt has a waterproof/breathability appraisement of 18K/64K and uses an absorbing failing and abiding technology to accomplish one of the accomplished breathability ratings of any of the hardshell jackets I’ve activated to date. Like best hardshells, this anorak additionally includes a DWR coating. Kudos to Endura for application a PFC-free DWR! In my 9-5 job as an Ecology Health Specialist, I see absolute impacts on accessible and clandestine baptize systems from specific articles acclimated to accumulate our winter accessory waterproofed.
The capital appearance of the anorak abreast from the bolt are; actually closed seams, an adjustable awning that fits over a helmet, avant-garde pockets that bifold as vents, added underarm 2-way zippered vents, an centralized amplitude belt with deride holes, and ergonomically positioned amplitude panels. The anorak additionally has a nice bean appendage that keeps mud and baptize from aqueous up on the backside.
["400px"]
I activated this anorak in low 40 amount temps in abounding on nuking rain with Endura’s long-sleeved Baabaa merino base-layer underneath. I backward dry and balmy and never acquainted like I was afraid amid the two layers, although I fabricated abiding to use the zip vents to “air out” aback I was climbing. Admitting the biblical condensate during the two-hour ride, the face bolt of the anorak never wetted through, befitting the breathability awfully high. Overall, I was thoroughly afflicted with the technology and the architecture of this piece: it looks good, it’s air-conditioned anatomic and wears well. In short, of all the abhorrent acclimate jackets on the bazaar this year, the WMS MT500 Waterproof Anorak II exceeded my expectations and hit the mark for actuality one my top picks for benumbed during the aphotic months of the year.
WMS MT500 Aerosol Trouser$169.99 USDSizes: XS – LColors: Black (tested)
If there is a about absolute bout for the WMS MT500 Anorak II, it’d be the WMS MT500 Aerosol Trouser. The MT500 Aerosol Trousers affection a lightweight, durable, 4-way amplitude avant-garde console with a DWR accomplishment and a abiding 3-layer waterproof rear console for added aegis from the wet. The trousers accept an adjustable waist, zippered thigh vents with cobweb inserts, ambiguous duke pockets, and an alien abate zip with gusset. These are not accustomed to affection ExoShell60™ in their construction, but they do affection a PFC-free DWR blanket and a 20K/10K appraisement on the MT500 bolt (focusing on backbone over breathability).
I acclimated these pants and the anorak in altitude that I commonly wouldn’t ride in - rain that fabricated me appetite to go sit by a blaze with a book and bottle of whiskey. That actuality said, aback it was all said and done, I absolved abroad mostly dry and balmy warm. The trousers (pants as I alarm them) were fantastic. They kept me balmy but not sweaty, and alike better, I backward mud-free on the interior. They did “wet out” about the ankles by the end of the ride, but by that point, we were appealing abundant benumbed through baby rivers anyway, as the aisle is the low point and baptize runs downhill. (I acquisition it absorbing that the pants don’t advance the aforementioned waterproof fabrics as the anorak does, but I additionally accept begin that a DWR blanket seems to be acceptable abundant for blockage mostly dry. To footfall it up to abounding waterproof protection, one needs to pony up $30 added and get the MT500 Waterproof Trouser II, which is not accessible in women’s sizing…. Hint, hint, Endura…. Hint, hint.)
Pardon my French, but these are the shit. I am clearly a catechumen to benumbed pants for the winter months. Add a brace of base-layer cheers and I anticipate these could be one of my go-to options for fat biking in the snow. But aback we allegedly don’t actually apperceive what algid is actuality in the PNW, I’m alone giving you my apprehensive opinion.
Showers Pass
Women’s IMBA Anorak and Club Convertible 2 Pant
“Showers Pass makes technically avant-garde alive accoutrement and accessory to affect and accredit the following of alfresco adventure.” A Portland, Oregon based company, these guys are abutting to home; acceptation I accept acceptance that they accept the absolute acclimate for creating waterproof and breathable alive accoutrement (i.e. rain gear).
The IMBA Anorak is Showers Pass’ top of the line, "I'm activity to ride out a hurricane" jacket. It appearance a removable, adjustable awning that fits over a helmet or stows abroad in a abridged if not bare (I adulation the actuality that you can zip the awning off!) It additionally appearance amount vents, a cinching hem, tethered beam wipe, avant-garde duke warmer pockets and an autogenous chest abridged with an audio port. The anorak uses an Artex 2.5 band bifold charcoal book waterproof-breathable hardshell bolt that has a 10K/10K rating, as able-bodied as taped seams, waterproof zippers and an eco-friendly short-chain C6 DWR coating.
Bekah Rottenburg, who is a taller, thinner adaptation of me, did the majority of analysis benumbed with this anorak as I had the adverse luck of accepting all four of my acumen teeth removed aloof afore I was activity to actually analysis this piece. She acclimated it in a mix of wind and rain in the mid-40 amount F range. From her perspective, the anorak was “bomber” and did its allotment to accumulate her dry while still alms accomplished breathability. She actually accepted that the vents were amid breadth she could admission them while pedaling, and how able they were at acceptance her to afford balance calefaction on continued acclivous slogs.
Overall we both were afflicted with this jacket. It feels failing and beneath civil (restrictive) than some of the added hardshells I accept tested. Additionally, It doesn’t agglomeration up in awe-inspiring places and it looks abuse good. To top off the ‘you should buy this jacket’ list, Showers Pass offers 5% of the net accumulation from the sales of this $200 apparel to abutment International Abundance Bicycling Association (IMBA). This is an alarming way to advance in a high-end artefact while accomplishing your allotment to accord aback to aisle advocacy!
Women’s Club Convertible 2 Pant$150 USDSizes: XS-XXLColors: Black
The Women’s Club Convertible 2 Blow affection a added able 3-layer Artex bolt than the IMBA jacket, yet is ultra lightweight, durable, and still waterproof/breathable (a 10K/10K rating). They affection a zip off lower leg and affinity with suspenders if you like to attending like a Portland hipster and abrasion knickers ;-D. It additionally has taped seams, alarming velcro adjusters to assert the pants bottomward about the lower leg, abate zips so you can cull them on/off over best cycling shoes, and duke pockets.
Bekah activated these pants in low temperates and rain and came abroad actually affectionate them, too. While she didn’t ride with knee protection, we arrested the fit of the pants with G-form and TLD knee guards; and - analysis says? “No worries." The pants kept her dry and clean, and she didn’t apprehension any akin or afflictive badinage issues. We both admired the Velcro adjusters on the lower legs as they offered lots of altered configurations for cinching the pants bottomward about the ankles and shoes. Breathability-wise the bolt allegedly did its job; she didn’t acknowledgment any above afraid beneath the pants admitting the actuality that they action no vents with the barring of the cobweb duke pockets.
The takeaway on these is that if you are adorable for an alarming blow that you can drive in and hit the aisle with and a agreement that you will breach dry and warm, these are a abundant option. Considering the ample amount tag on best high-end benumbed shells nowadays, these accept an attainable amount point and should assignment able-bodied through assorted benumbed seasons with the adapted aliment (think the casual tech ablution and re-application of a DWR blanket like Nik Wax’s TX Direct).
["400px"]["400px"]

["400px"]

["400px"]
["400px"]
["400px"]

["400px"]

["400px"]
