Well-Worn Jacket

I have a yellow Novara jacket that says “Never a bad time to ride” on the butt. It’s done me good through this past winter and currently into the spring too.

I have a grey North Face “Windwall 1” fleece jacket. I often wear it in Seattle’s typical winter & early spring weather (rain, temps in mid 30’s, more rain). During cold weather I usually wear a base layer, a jersey, the fleece jacket, then a waterproof shell.

I can’t wait for “real” Spring to get here — I’m tired of biking in all these layers!

my musty wool Pendleton flannels do me quite well. i think they’re from the sixties at the latest. they were cheap — less than $15 each at the thrift stores, but they keep me very warm on my rides. even in extremely foggy sub-40 temperatures that are moist enough to make me wet, they keep me warm.

While I’m all into the new, new with high-tech wool blended softshells, I always love this way old wool jersey I have with a polyester front. And any racer I know still loves wool, it’s just the weight. Great example is a Filsons jacket I have — an amazing jacket but weighs tremendously more than a Loden jacket.

I’ve worn my Rapha lightweight shell through this early “spring” commute. It’s light and water/wind resistant. On the inside there’s a label with some scribbling on it that says, “The greatest riders thrive in the worst weather. Taking stormy training rides while others stay in bed or attacking when wind, rain or snow make rivals think twice.” Although I don’t think of my fellow commuters as “rivals.” Rapha has great customer service. My jacket’s seam on one of my sleeves started to come loose, so I contacted Rapha and they sent me a replacement and let me keep wearing the defective one until it arrived. Then I sent back the original one—all free of charge. Awesome.

I’m wearing a Patagonia Figure 4 shell. Mine is black, but I think it comes in different colors. It is a very basic shell with a longer drop in the back and extended sleeves. It wasn’t designed as a cycling jacket, and I didn’t buy it with cycling in mind. But it works great against the wind and the spizzle coming down today. It would presumably do well in a downpour, too, but I’m on the bus during the downpours unless I’ve made a grave error.

Descente Shelter — just the right amount of wind and thermo block in just the right areas, and just enough stretch and heat transfer in just the right places. With some base layer adjustments, good from ~25 to 45. Good for a couple of hours in the rain, too.