Showers Pass are based in Portland, Oregon – a town that not only has a strong bike culture but where it rains in pretty much the same way as the UK. So the team there really understand how to deal with weather.
A practical approach is the first thing that struck us about the Rogue – it has been quite simply designed to ride a bike. The tail has a definite drop and you can cinch it right in. There are snug inner cuffs (with thumb loops if you like them).
Handwarmer pockets on the front as well as a zipped one on the back make its transition to street use easier. The hood is adjustable and there are touches of reflective for early winter evenings. Again, it’s a softshell, with a brushed inside that wicks well and it is comfortable enough to wear next to your skin but that the water slides off the outside.
The cut is neat – you can layer up enough if you need to but we’ve been wearing this with just a baselayer and it’s been perfect in terms of temperature, so we’d anticipate adding one more for extra insulation when it turns really bitter.
This is what we’d term a good old school all-day jacket with the right amount of performance to balance temperature regulation with whatever the weather might bring, but without being so precious that you’d worry about it falling down and getting up again. And all that for a sensible price too. Nice.
This article was originally published in Mountain Biking UK magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.
